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24
I have received from the Sanitary Committee, as well as
the efficient assistance afforded to me by all the Inspectors, who
have carried out their duties to my entire satisfaction during the
past year.
I now purpose treating of the mortality in this District, as
far as I can obtain the data to work upon, since 1840, and of
discussing, as far as may be necessary for comparison, the
death rates in London and England. As the basis of all
mortality tables is the population, I will first enumerate
the number of inhabitants at each census.

The enormous increase in the number of inhabitants since
1801 has, of course, very materially changed the character of the
District, and transformed it from a rural place of residence into
almost a large city. The class of inhabitants has also changed,
as in the earlier periods the majority of houses were large and
occupied chiefly by persons who had retired from business or who
were otherwise possessed of a good income. Now, however, a
majority of the houses are comparatively small, as in 1869 more
than half were assessed below £25 a year. With this alteration
in the character of the houses there has been a corresponding
change in the class of residents, so that we now have a large
proportion of poor receiving parochial relief as well as a very considerable
number of those who depend for their subsistence on
their weekly wages. A greatly increased density of population