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1. STATISTICS & SOCIAL CONDITIONS
OF THE AREA.
General Information.
The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney is bounded on the
west side by the City of London, on the north side by the
boroughs of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, on the east side by
the borough of Poplar, and on the south by the river Thames,
the river front being some 2.39 miles in length. It is
roughly rectangular in shape, the length being 2.3 miles and
the breadth varying from 1 to ij miles, and possesses approximately
90 miles of streets. The area of the Borough is 1,902
acres, and of this the river accounts for 136 acres and the
inland water, consisting of docks and canals, 75 acres.
Dark blue London clay.is found under the whole borough
at a depth of between 20 and 30 feet from the surface. Above
this level are layers and patches of gravel and sand, brown
and yellow clays being found nearer the surface. In some
parts of the borough are layers of "made" ground, the result
of earlier habitation, and. as is to be expected, the flow of
sub-soil water is towards the river.
The area is to a large extent industrial in character,
factory premises being spread throughout the borough but
tending to be concentrated towards the western end, with
docks and wharves stretching along the whole of the river
front, which forms the southern boundary.
The chief industry of the Borough is the manufacture of
clothing of all kinds, it being estimated'that a third of the
tailoring industry of London is carried on in Stepney. Other
major industries include brewing, cigarette making,
engineering and the manufacture of furniture.
Population.
The Registrar-General's mid-year estimate for 1953 is
98,570. The census taken in 1951 showed the population to
be 98,581.
The density of the population is now 55.81 persons per
acre.
% •
Births.
The total number of live births registered in the
Borough during the year was 3,634, and of this number 1,878
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