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The Census Returns enable the amount of the former loss to be appreciated for
while in 1861, 1,544 persons were found to be living on vessels in the district in 1871
the number of persons so living had fallen to 1,211, and in 1881 to 648; Rotherhithe
had in fact in the 20 years lost nearly three-fifths of its shipping and its water side
labourers.
The variation in the rate of increase of population was attended by a corresponding
variation in the rate of increase of houses. In the decades ending 1851 and 1861 the
rate of increase of houses was 15.3 per cent. and 257 per cent. respectively, and as
the increase of population was less in the decade ending in 1871 than in that preceding
so that of houses was only 11.3 per cent., rising again in the subsequent decade to 2.2
per cent. The rapid extension of house building and of population in the last decade
was caused by the laying out and opening of Southwark Park by the Metropolitan Board
of Works, giving a great impetus to building in the neighbourhood, and further by the
increased facilities for reaching central parts of the Metropolis given to residents in
Rotherhithe by the opening of the East London Railway.
With these changes the population gradually increased in excess of the number of
houses, so that in 1851 the proportion of inhabitants to each house was 5.26, in 1861 it
was 6.52, in 1871 it was 6.58, and in 1881, 7.29.
With this increase the poorer parts of Rotherhithe appear to have become more
largely inhabited by persons living in houses occupied by more than one family.
The population of Rotherhithe, when enumerated in 1881, consisted of 36,024 persons,
of whom 35,376 were living in 4,847 houses. The proportion of population at the several
age periods differed much from that of London as a whole. In 1881 in Rotherhithe, 15.4
per cent. of the total population were under five years of age, and an additional 13.04
per cent. from five to ten years.
In London, in the same year, 13.02 per cent. were "under five years of age, and an
additional 10.9 from five to ten years. The difference is of old standing, but has been
less marked in previous census years. Thus, in Rotherhithe, the proportion of population
under five years, per cent. of total population was in the census years 1831, 1861, and
1871, 1.0, 1.8, and 1.2 respectively in excess of that of London at this age period, while in
1881 it was 2.4 in excess.
A further difference between the constitution of the populations of Rotherhithe and
London deserves to be noted. The census of 1881 shows that in this parish at that
time 50.9 per cent. of the total population were males, this excess of males occurring
more particularly in the wage-earning period of life; whereas in the London population
males constituted but 47.0 per cent. of the total population. In former years this
difference was more conspicuous; in 1851 for instance, the males of Rotherhithe
constituted 51.2 per cent. of the population, while the males of London were but 46.8
per cent. But during each successive decade, while the proportion of the male population
in London has been increasing, that of Rotherhithe has been diminishing, this diminution
being doubtless due to the changes in the trade of Rotherhithe, to which reference has
already been made, and to the increase of building operations in the district, giving
opportunity for more permanent residence. Rotherhithe, in fact, which had before had
an excess of males, constituting probably a floating population, came to have a residential
population, and thereupon the proportion of females and children to total population
began to increase, while that of males to decrease.
The birth rates of Rotherhithe in the census years 1841, 1851, 1861, were very much
the same as in the whole of London, those in Rotherhithe being respectively 30.8, 33.4,
and 34.3 per 1,000 of population, and in London 30.5, 33.1, and 34.6. In 1871 the
Rotherhithe birth rate fell somewhat, being 32.3, while that of London was 34.6; but
in 1881 the birth rate in Rotherhithe rose to 39.0, that of London being 34.8. This
increase in the Rotherhithe birth rate appears to be due to the immigration of persons
of a child-bearing age to those parts of Rotherhithe which were being covered with houses.