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that although there was during 1863, a falling-off in the absolute number
of births, and also in the relative proportion of births to population, as
compared with 1862, yet that both the absolute number and the relative
proportion were greater than in 1861.
It is further interesting to observe that the estimated gain of
population obtained by multiplying the population of 1862. by the annual
rate of increase, is 1,901, whilst the excess of births over deaths during
the year is 1,893. These numbers are so nearly alike, as to justify the
conclusion that the population has really kept pace with the annual
increase of the ten preceding years.
The Rate-Clerk, Mr. Drake, has furnished me with the following
return of houses demolished down to Lady-day, 1864:
Moorfields Northc91 houses.
Moorfields South 137 do.
Church North 27 do.
Church South 60 do.
Kingsland 195 do.
Acton 37 do.
Making a total of 547 houses.
At the Census of 1861, there were counted 17,454 houses in
Shoreditch. This gives an average of about 7 inhabitants to each house.
Multiplying 547 by 7 will give 3,829 as the number of persons evicted
by railway demolitions. This number would therefore represent the
total disturbance of population from this cause.
Since the excess of births over deaths scarcely exhibits any fallingoff,
it is therefore highly probable that the loss of population is small.
It must be concluded that the displaced population has not been driven
out of the district, but that the great majority have found new homes in
the neighbourhood of their old dwellings. This means of course, that
the population of 1863 and 1864 has been compressed, that the inhabitants
are more closely packed, that they have been forced to crowd into the
remaining houses, to the greater risk of health. To what extent this
circumstance may account for the greater prevalence of fever during the