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should report to the Vestry upon the health of this area, and that a
copy of such report should be sent on to the Council.
The streets named in the Council's communication were Plover
Street, Gainsborough Road, Gainsborough Cottages, Gainsborough
Square, Windsor Road, Windsor Terrace, Prince Edward Road,
Osborn Road, Mallard Street, Bower Road, Daintry Street,
Homfray Street, Percy Terace, Victoria Road, Montague Road,
Montague Terrace, Felstead Street, Chapman Road, White Post
Lane, and Suther Street.
These streets represent almost the whole of Hackney Wick, and
correspond very closely with the Registrar General's enumeration Districts,
Nos. 18, 19, 20 of South Hackney, the population of which
was about 7,000 at the last census (1891).
Site.—Hackney Wick is built over what was, a quarter of a
century ago, a continuation of the present marsh land. The soil,
at that time, consisted of a layer of brick earth and alluvium, overlaying
the London clay. The brick earth was, in course of time,
excavated and used up in the manufacture of bricks, the excavations
being ultimately filled in with rubbish, mostly house refuse, the
whole area being raised to its present height with the same material,
which material varies in depth from 2 ft. to about 7 or 8 feet. The
soil of the adjoining marsh consists of alluvium, covering the London
clay. The surface levels of Hackney Wick varies from 16 feet above
ordnance datum at Windsor and Prince Edward Roads to 20 feet
above datum at Gainsborough Road; the level of the marsh adjoining
is about 14 feet, above datum.
Population.—This, as stated above, was about 7,000 at the last
census, mainly of persons of the labouring classes, with a few tradespeople.
In the neighbourhood are a few large factories, giving employment
to some hundreds of young adults. From a consideration
of the death returns and local inquiries I am of opinion) that the
population of Hackney Wick consists mainly of young adults, with
a large proportion of infants, and very few aged persons.
Sewerage and Drainage.—Most of the sewers of this area are
formed of 12 in. glazed earthenware pipes; but the size of the
Gainsborough Road sewer is 15 in., and a part of Windsor Road
has a 5 ft. 6 in. brick-barrel sewer. A very remarkable feature of
these sewers is the difference in their gradients. For instance, the