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area of paving laid down from 1st of January, 1856, to 25th of March,
1881, 198,368 square yards; total cost of same, £74,437 10s. 4d.;
total cost of any other street improvement executed by the Vestry,
£45,984 18s. 3d.; number of additional street lamps put up from 1st
of January, 1856, to 25th of March, 1881, 55; present mileage of the
streets and roads under the jurisdiction of the Vestry, 19¾- miles.
It will thus be seen that nearly £28,000 has been expended in sanitary
works alone.
The Vestry has established a Coroner's Court, and a mortuary
(probably the best in London), at a cost of nearly £3,000, to which
great numbers of bodies are removed annually from the dwellings of
the poor, and the Vestry believe that, though imperfections may still
exist, the Parish will very favourably compare with the metropolis
generally as to its sanitary condition, and that the Vestry, whose
labours have been incessant in this direction, do not merit any discouragement
in their work.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
EGBERT PAGET.
Vestry Clerk.
To the Kight Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke, Bart, M.P.
P.S.-—I herewith enclose for your information print of "Return of
works, and sanitary and other improvements, carried out by the
Vestry during the 14½ years from the 1st January, 1856, to Lady-day,
1870, with costs &c.," which sets forth the sanitary work done by the
Vestry more fully than can be described in a letter.
I regret I have not a copy of the Annual Report of the Vestry for
the year 1866-7 to forward to you, as that would probably show still
more prominently the anxious activity of the Vestry in dealing with
the unsanitary localities of the Parish.
[enclosure.]
Extracts from Special Report of Medical Officer of Health on Sanitary
Condition of Parish, in 1872, made pursuant to reference.
* * * * "Hence the mortality of the last two years has been
below the average (1,563); that for 1870 by 90 deaths, that for 1871
by 146 deaths. Reducing the mortality to per thousand, the deaths
10 years ago (in 1862) amounted to 23 per thousand, in 1870 to 22
per thousand, and in 1871 to 21 per thousand. Hence the mortality
of the last two years has been below the average, and below that of
any of the last ten years. But this is only comparing the mortality of
Clerkenwell at one period or term with that of the same parish at
another period or term.