View report page

5
UPON THE SANITARY STATE OF CLERKEN WELL.
LEVELS.
The elevation of the district is, on the whole, high—considerably higher
than that of most of the other districts of the Metropolis. The level of the
northern boundary varies from about 64 feet above the level of the sea ou
the west, te 126 feet on the east; the eastern boundary, from 126 feet at the
north, to 66 feet at the south; and the western boundary, from 64 feet at
the north, to 31 feet at the south. The lowest parts of the district are near
the site of Peter-street (31 feet), Dorrington-street (47 feet), and the
Bagnigge-wells-road, opposite Wharton-street (47 feet).
POPULATION.
The population in 1831 was 47,634; in 1841, 56,799; in 1851, 64,778.
So that, at the end of 1856, it may be assumed as between 60,000 and
70,000; for, at the above rate of increase, it would be 69,960. It is,
however, probably less than this in reality, for many of the houses have been
pulled down, and not rebuilt, in the neighbourhood of Victoria-street.*
The inhabitants are mostly engaged in manufacture, especially watchmaking,
the manufacture of jewellery, and in the accessory branches of these
arts ; but several of the inhabitants keep large industrial establishments, in
which many hands are employed, such as distillers, soap-boilers, brewers,
timber merchants, brass-founders, tobacco manufacturers, &c. These, with
clerks in the City, and the ordinary shopkeepers, form almost the entire
of the population. Hence the character of the population has materially
depreciated since the time when Sir James Edwards, Lady Percy, Sir
William Ranks, Sir Richard Chiverton, Lady Wright, Sir John North, Sir
William Palmer, the Earl of Aylesbury, Bishop Burnet, Dr. Adam Clarke,
Dr. Johnson, John Weever, &c., resided there; and the value of the
property in the neighboutbood has depreciated alse:
The inhabitants being almost entirely engaged in manufacture, the number
of poor in the district is large: these principally occupy the southern portion.
Among them are a considerable number of costerinongers. These peculiar
people seem to belong to a bygone age. They acknowledge none of the laws
of decency or social happiness; they live in the midst of dirt and filth, with
which they fill the surrounding neighbourhood; they use the most foul and
unmeaning language; they insult every one who approaches their dens; they
are completely intractable in sickness; they never join the army; they supply
a large proportion of the thieves of the Metropolis, and the greater portion
ot the "ticket-of-leave" men. I do not wish it to be understood that
these people are beyond reform. They spend the least possible money in
rent, and hence they live in the most wretched hovels, quite unfit for human
habitation. The other sanitary conditions under which they are placed are
equally bad. If this state of things were remedied, they might take more
interest in themselves and all around them.
The number of inhabitants per acre is about 180, or somewhat less,
*The sub-districts of the Registrar General, arranged according to the number of
inhabitants, stand thus: St. James's, Amwell and Goswell-street (nearly equal), and
Pentonville.