London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Luke 1897
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Luke, Middlesex]
This page requires JavaScript
The following table shows the acreage, number of inhabited houses, and population of each sub-district, and of the whole parish at the date of each census since 1871—
| Acres. | Inhabited Houses. | Population. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871. | 1881. | 1891. | 1871. | 1881. | 1891. | 1896. | ||
| City Road | 127 3.5 acres of which are water. | 3,199 | 3,154 | 2,917 | 30,462 | 30,169 | 29,177 | 29,897 |
| Whitecross Street | 32 | 1,430 | 830 | 558 | 13,792 | 9,217 | 8,278 | 7,595 |
| Finsbury | 78 | 1,227 | 817 | 475 | 10,741 | 7,463 | 4,985 | 4,035 |
| Whole district | 237 | 5,856 | 4,801 | 3,950 | 54,995 | 46,849 | 42,440 | 41,527 |
These figures show that during the interval since 1871 a marked
decrease has been taking place both in the population and in number
of inhabited houses in the district, although the results of the last
census in 1896 point to a lessened rate of decrease, and in the City
Road sub-district there was a small increase in the number of residents.
The decrease has at each census been most marked in the two subdistricts
adjoining the City of London, and is doubtless largely
accounted for by the substitution of business premises for inhabited
houses. The clearances made in connection with the widening of
Golden Lane in and after 1877 must have displaced a number of
residents from this part of the district, but decrease in the population
from this cause has probably been counterbalanced by the erection of
the large number of blocks of artizans' dwellings now existing in the
streets at either side of Whitecross Street.
The average number of residents to each acre in 1871, 1881, 1891
and 1896 was 232, 198, 179 and 175 respectively; in London the
corresponding number in 1896 was 59. The average number to each
inhabited house in St. Luke in 1871, 1881 and 1891 was 9.3, 9.7 and
107 respectively, and in the County of London 7'7 persons.
The resident population is almost entirely made up of the labouring
class, artizans and small shopkeepers. There is a small proportion of
people better off in the neighbourhood of Finsbury Square and King's
Square, while towards the western end of the district south of King's
Square are to be found some of the very poor classes. In 1891 the