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42
hear that any special form of illness is prevalent, though the houses
can scarcely be healthy habitations.
At the time of the erection of these houses the matter was brought
before the Burial Board at the Home Office, and though the builder
was allowed to complete the houses already commenced, further
building operations were forbidden, and the order in council, cited on
page 36, was issued.
Where AYhite street now is was formerly a cemetery, but only about
forty* bodies have been buried, and they were all removed to the
graveyard of St. Matthew's Church before the houses were built.
Another cemetery existed at Gibraltar walk; part of this has been
built over. I understand the bodies were never removed, but I can
obtain no information upon this point, though I believe the interments
were few in number, and that no bodies lie under the houses.
As I before observed, the condition of the buried bodies in Peel
grove is probably the same as what I saw in Globe fields; and upon
this festering mass of human remains Mr. Chambers proposes to build
houses for working people to live in. Now, landlords are proverbially
careless about the health of their tenants; and, so long as the rents
come in regularly, are not much concerned about the sanitary
condition of their property; but a more horrible disregard of the laws
of health than this proposal to build on Peel grove, without removing
the bodies, I never knew.
The Yestry has passed a resolution to this effect; but as proposed
by the editor of the British Medical Journal "It is repulsive to
contemplate such a wholesale desecration of the dead; and it would
be much better for the land to be purchased as an open space for
recreation, than to cover with buildings even under the restrictions
mentioned, a ground which contains so many human remains;" and
this, the Yestry have power to do.
But it seems that nothing can be done to prevent owners from building
upon disused burial grounds,† except under the bye-laws of the
Metropolitan Board of Works, unless human remains are disturbed;
and Mr. Chambers, the lessee of the Peel grove ground, intends to
build without so disturbing these remains; but should these be in any
way interfered with, the sanction of the Home Secretary would have
to be obtained before the work could be continued. Under the bye-
*12 adults, 28 children. † Jasker v. Dodd, and the Queen v. Jacobson.