London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Southall-Norwood 1904

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall-Norwood]

This page requires JavaScript

Public Open Spaces.
Acres.
Norwood Green 8
Recreation Ground (Southall Green) n
Estimated Population for Middle of Year 1904, 15,737.
In estimating the population for the statistical purposes of this
Report, I have, as in previous years, entirely excluded from the
estimate the inmates of the London County Asylum (Norwood),
since the Institution " is of a kind that its population cannot rightly
be regarded as belonging to the residential population of the District
or County." The Inmates of the St. Marylebone Schools are
included in the estimate.
To arrive at an accurate estimate of the population of your
District is a matter of considerable difficulty, as the increase due to
immigration has been abnormal since the last Census, and thus the
usual method of estimation which is based on the average yearly
increase in population during the inter-census period is not applicable.
Thus, at the Census 1901, the population exclusive of Institutions
was 9,953. The average yearly increase during the inter-census
period was 450, therefore 9,953+3 (450)=ii,303 : to this must be
added a fourth of the average yearly increase, i.e., 112=11,415,
which would be the population estimated on the usual method. This
calculation can be checked by the following formula :—
Registered births in the year, x 1,000 578,000
Average birth rate for previous 10 years 34'6 1
I consider the first estimate of 11,303 too low, and the second
16,705 too high, and I believe a more accurate estimate can be made
by taking into account the number of inhabited houses in the District
as shown by the Rate Book, and multiplying that figure by the
probable average number of inmates in each. Taking this latter as 5
(the Census Return for 1901, however, gave 6 91 as the average
number of inmates in each house), we get 3,328 x 5=i6,64o + (4i2
inmates of St. Marylebone Schools)=i7,o52 as the population at the
end of December, 1904, which may be taken as approximately
correct; but for the purpose of calculating the various sickness and
mortality rates, the basis is the estimated population at the middle of
the year, since this represents the average number of persons living in
that year.