View report page

6
The fall in the birth rate had an effect also on the number of applications for admission to the Day
Nurseries. This was particularly noticeable in the priority groups, because the illegitimate birth rate, though
remaining high in 1949, was much lower than in 1948.
Babies in the priority classes are accepted in the Day Nurseries at the early age of six weeks, and the
additional care they receive probably accounts for the fact that for the first time in Willesden's history, the
infant mortality rate for illegitimate babies was less than that for legitimate babies.

Population Changes in Willesden, 1936.49. (See Table /, Column i)
The greatest development of Willesden took place between 1875 and 1914, when the population rose
from 3,000 to 164,000. As the wealthy moved out of the borough, workers moved into their houses and they
were soon followed by light industry, driven from the central areas of London by high running costs.
With the improvements in the road system, new houses were built on all the available land in Cricklewood
and Neasden, so that by 1938 practically the whole of Willesden was built up. There were many changes in
the population between 1939 and 1945, due to evacuation in the periods of bombing. Nevertheless, more
people were employed in Willesden during the war, for although some of the factories moved out of the district,
several moved into the borough and existing engineering firms were expanded. The population fell by about
50,000 to its lowest level in 1941, gradually rose until 1943, suffered another slight fall in 1944 with the
renewal of bombing, and by the end of the war was about 25,000 below pre.war level. There has been a gradual
rise in the post.war period, and in 1949 the population was only 6,500 below that of 1938.
The living conditions of the ward populations of Willesden vary considerably, ranging from the old
dilapidated and crumbling three.storey and basement tenement houses of Carlton and Kilburn occupied by
the poorer classes, to the large detached and semi.detached houses of Brondesbury Park, where the wealthy
middle classes live. The other wards have mixed populations with bad, almost slum property in Church End and
Stonebridge, fairly good middle class property in Cricklewood, and large typical private enterprise housing
estates in Neasden.
Unfortunately, the fate which has overtaken the houses in Carlton and Kilburn is spreading to the
areas of Cricklewood and Brondesbury Park, because some of the houses in these areas are too large for people
wanting to live in the district and too expensive for conversion into flats. The poorest and most overcrowded
population live in the areas where the old type sub.divided terraced houses are most common, and these are
found mainly in the southern part of the borough, particularly in Carlton, Kilburn and Harlesden.
Infant Mortality and Still.birth Rates, Willesden and England and Wales, 1936.49.
(See Table /, Columns 2.8)
Except for minor differences, the infant mortality and still.birth rates in Willesden appear to follow
very closely those of England and Wales. In Willesden the rise in the rate took place later, in 1943, whereas
the big post.war reductions were more rapid. The reason for these differences is probably the movements of
the population during the war due to evacuation in the periods of bombing. The rates in the whole borough
do not mirror the effects of the war on the various sections of the community. The ward rates, on the other
hand, give a better picture, for the social structure of Willesden's population is clearly reflected in the
composition of the wards. The wards are inhabited in the main by mixed populations, but there are large
concentrations of the poorer working class living in overcrowded conditions in Carlton (160 to the acre),
Kilburn (111), Willesden Green (94), Harlesden (92), Stonebridge and Roundwood, and relatively large
concentrations of middle class properties in Brondesbury Park (39 to the acre), Cricklewood (55), Mapesbury (54)
and Neasden (51). Carlton and Brondesbury Park are the two wards which show the greatest differences in
social class and structure.