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the numerous cases of illness among the people inhabiting the several
courts, the large amount of scrofulous diseases and their congeners, which
are principally caused by defective ventilation and overcrowding, and the
large proportionate number of zymotic diseases. Under these circumstances we
may congratulate ourselves that there is now a probability of these unhealthy
areas, or part of them, being demolished, and new and more healthy dwellings
erected on the sites. We may, therefore, reasonably hope that by the
clearing away of these plague spots the health of this District will improve
and the rate of mortality diminish.
I cannot, however, conclude this Report without expressing my regret
that the Metropolitan Board of Works do not, as stated in that portion of
their Report relating to this District, propose to interfere with the courts
leading out of High Street, Whitechapel, with the single exception of Inkhorn
Court. The other three courts leading out of the High Street, Whitechapel,
which formed a portion of my official representation, viz., Tewkesbury
Buildings, Angel Alley, and Queen's Place, are all, from their defective
ventilation and the bad arrangement of the houses, unfit for human
habitation.
Tewkesbury Buildings.
The houses in this court, which consist of three stories each, have been
recently built and present a tolerably decent appearance; but as they have
neither back yards, thorough ventilation, nor privies conveniently situated,
they are not adapted for the use of more than one family in each. But as
all the rooms in those houses are occupied by separate families, who have the
use of only the one privy in the basement, which privy is always, more
or less, in a filthy condition, and emits an offensive smell which permeates
every room,, the houses are unfit for habitation.
Angel Alley is not only badly ventilated, but the houses are without back
yards, and the tenants are provided with public privies, which are frequently
productive of offensive smells, thereby increasing the evil arising from
defective ventilation.
Queen's Place: This court is unfit for habitation owing to its confined
space and defective ventilation, and the smell arising from the public
privies therein. This place has formed the subject of frequent complaint
to your Board. It may be recollccted by some Members of
the Board that about the year 1861 I pointed out that on the west side of
Queen's Place there formerly stood a warehouse, but the owner of the
ground thought it would be more profitable to him to take down the warehouse
and erect dwelling-houses on the site. Having cleared the land the
owner commenced building two dwelling-houses of six rooms in each, and
having left a space in the rear of these two houses of only 100 square feet,
I informed the builder that he would not be allowed to complete them in