View report page

31
Report of an Inquiry held by Messrs. D. Cubitt Nichols and Shirley
F. Murphy, as to the Immediate Sanitary Requirements of the
Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
1184
B
29
THE PARISH OF ST. MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN.
3, Howard Street, Strand,
Sir, nth March, 1888.
In pursuance of your instructions that an inquiry should be made as to the
immediate sanitary requirements of the parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, in
accordance with the recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Housing of
the Working' Classes, and that we should hold such inquiry :
We have the honour to report that we placed ourselves in communication with
the Vestry Clerk, and also with Mr. Christopher Forrest, and Mr. James G.
Hilditch, the gentlemen nominated by the Vestry to co-operate with us in such
inquiry, and gave notice to the Vestry Clerk and to the Mansion House Council on
the Dwellings of the People, that we should proceed with such inquiry at the
Vestry Hall, Church Row, on the 12th October, 1887.
In pursuance of the above notice we attended at the place named and proceeded
upon the inquiry, Mr. Forrest and Mr. Hilditch being present.
Mr. Meadows White, Q.C., and Mr. Bevenappeared on behalf of the Vestry of
Bethnal Green.
Mr. Noel Cox, Solicitor, and Dr. Parkes, Medical Adviser to the Council, appeared
on behalf of the Mansion House Council on the Dwellings of the People.
At this meeting a list of 1,345 houses in which it was alleged sanitary defects
existed was put in by the Mansion House Council.
As to 785 of the above, the Vestry admitted the receipt of notices, and contended
that the whole of the sanitary defects in such houses had been dealt with ; but as
to the remaining 560 houses, the Vestry stated that no notice of the condition of
such houses had been received from the Council, and it was accordingly arranged
that an inspection should be made, and that after such inspection a public inquiry
should be proceeded with for the purpose of taking evidence as to matters relating
to the general sanitary condition and administration of the parish.
We then proceeded to inspect the houses above referred to, and generally throughout
the parish, being- accompanied by Mr. Forrest and Mr. Hilditch, Mr. Norris,
member of the Sanitary Committee; Dr. Bate, the Medical Officer of Health; Mr.
Barratt, the Surveyor; and the Sanitary Inspectors on behalf of the Vestry; and
by Dr. Parkes, on behalf of the Mansion House Council.