London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 2

by Henry Mayhew

Of the Dust and Dirt of the Streets of London.

We have merely to reflect upon the vast amount of traffic just shown to be daily going on throughout London—to think of the 70,000,000 miles of journey through the metropolis annually performed by the entire vehicles (which is more than two-thirds the distance from the earth to the sun)—to bear in mind that each part of London is on the average gone over and over again 40,000 times in the course of the year, and some parts as many as 13,000 times in a day—and that every horse and vehicle by which the streets are traversed are furnished, the one with four iron-bound hoofs, and the other with iron-bound wheels—to have an imperfect idea of the enormous weights and friction continually operating upon the surface of the streets—as well as the amount of grinding and pulverising, and wear and tear, that must be perpetually taking place in the paving-stones and macadamized roads of London; and thus we may be able to form some mental estimate as to the quantity of dust and dirt annually produced by these means alone.

But the table in pp. [186-7], which has been collected at great trouble, will give us still more accurate notions on the subject. It is not given as perfect, but as being the best information, in the absence of positive returns, that was procurable even from the best informed.

Here, then, we have an aggregate total of dust collected from the principal parts of the metropolis amounting to no less than 141,466 loads. The value of this refuse is said to be as much as 21,221l. 8s., but of this and more I shall speak hereafter. At present I merely seek to give the reader a general notion upon the matter. I wish to show him, before treating of the labourers engaged in the scavenging of the London streets, the amount of work they have to do.

A TABLE SHOWING THE SEVERAL DIVISIONS OF THE METROPOLIS CLEANSED BY THE SCAVENGERS AND PARISH MEN, THE NAMES OF THE CONTRACTORS, THE NUMBER OF MEN AND CARTS EMPLOYED IN COLLECTING, THE QUANTITY OF DUST AND MUD COLLECTED DAILY IN THE STREETS IN DRY AND WET WEATHER, WITH THE ANNUAL VALUE OF THE WHOLE.

Divisions and Districts.	Names of Contractors.	Number of Men employed at scavenging.		Number of Carts used daily in scavenging.		Number of loads collected daily.		Number of Cart-Loads annually collected by the Scavengers.	Annual value of Dirt collected by Scavengers.
		In dry weather.	In wet weather.	In dry weather.	In wet weather.	In dry weather.	In wet weather.
Kensington	Parish	3	5	1	2	3	5	1252	£187	16s.	0d.
Chelsea	Ditto	3	5	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Ditto (Hans’ Town)	Mr. C. Humphries	3	4	1	1	3	5	1252	187	16	0
St. George’s, Pimlico	Mr. Redding	2	4	1	2	5	7	1878	281	14	0
Ditto, Hanover Square	Parish	3	5	1	1	1½	2½	626	93	18	0
St. Margaret’s, Westminster	Ditto	5	7	2	3	8	10	2817	422	11	0
St. John’s, ditto	Mr. Hearne	5	7	1	2	8	10	2817	422	11	0
St. Martin’s	Machine	6	9	4	4	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Hungerford-market	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
St. James’s, Westminster	Parish	2	4	1	2	5	7	1878	281	14	0
Piccadilly	Parish and Machine	20	28	2	2	8	12	3130	469	10	0
Regent-street and Pall-mall	Ditto, ditto	8	12	2	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
St. Ann’s, Soho	Ditto	3	4	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Woods and Forests	Machine	2	4	1	2	5	7	1878	281	14	0
Paddington	Parish	4	6	1	2	6	8	2191	328	13	0
Marylebone (Five Districts)	Ditto	20	35	3	4	15	25	6260	939	0	0
Portland-market	Mr. Tame	3	5	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
Hampstead	Parish	2	4	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
Highgate	Ditto	2	4	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
St. Pancras, South-west Division	Mr. Stapleton	2	4	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Somers-town	Mr. Starkey	3	5	1	2	7	9	2504	375	12	0
Southampton Estate	Mr. C. Starkey	4	5	1	1	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Bedford ditto	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Brewers’ ditto	Mr. C. Starkey	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Calthorpe ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Cromer ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Doughty ditto	Mr. Martin	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Foundling ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Harrison ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Skinners’ ditto	Mr. H. North	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Union ditto	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Islington District	Parish	6	8	1	1	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Battle-bridge	Mr. Starkey	4	6	1	2	5	7	1878	281	14	0
Hackney	Parish	5	7	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
St. Giles-in-the-Fields and St. George, Bloomsbury	Mr. Redding	7	9	2	3	6	10	2504	375	12	0
St. Mary-le-Strand	Mr. J. Gore	2	5	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Savoy	Ditto	2	3	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
St. Clement Danes	Parish	5	7	3	3 waggons.	2	6	1252	187	16	0
St. Paul’s, Covent Garden	Ditto	3	5	1	2 carts.	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Covent Garden-market	Mr. Stapleton	5	7	5	6	9	12	3130	469	10	0
Holborn	Parish	6	9	2	3	4	6	1565	234	15	0
St. Sepulchre’s	Mr. J. Gore	3	4	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
Hatton-garden	Messrs. Pratt and Sewell	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
St. James’s, Clerkenwell	Mr. Dodd	5	7	2	3	8	10	2817	422	11	0
St. John’s, ditto	Mr. J. Gould	5	7	3	3	6	8	2191	328	13	0
St. Luke’s	Mr. Dodd	7	10	4	6	8	10	2817	422	11	0
Goswell-street	Mr. Redding	3	4	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Liberty of the Rolls	Messrs. Pratt and Sewell	2	2	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Blackfriars Bridge	Mr. Jenkins	3	5	1	1	4	6	1565	234	15	0
City Division, Eastern, A	Mr. G. Sinnott	10	16	4	6	12	16	4382	657	6	0
Ditto, North Middle, B	Mr. T. Rooke	9	13	4	6	8	12	3130	469	10	0
Ditto, Western, C	Mr. C. Redding	12	14	4	6	14	18	5008	751	4	0
Ditto, South Middle, D	Mr. J. Gould	10	12	3	4	9	11	3130	469	10	0
Shoreditch	Mr. Dodd	6	9	2	4	8	12	3130	469	10	0
Norton Folgate	Mr. J. Gould	3	5	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Finsbury Square District	Ditto	3	4	1	2	6	8	2191	328	13	0
St. Botolph	Mr. Westley	2	4	2	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Spitalfields District	Mr. Newman	3	6	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Spitalfields-market	Mr. Parsons	5	7	3	4	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Bethnal-green	Mr. E. Newman	4	6	3	4	8	10	2817	422	11	0
Whitechapel	Mr. Parsons	3	5	2	3	6	8	2191	328	13	0
Commercial-road	Parish	4	6	2	3	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Mile-end	Mr. Newman	3	5	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Ditto, New-town	Mr. Parsons	3	6	1	1	3	5	1252	187	16	0
St. John’s, Wapping	Mr. Westley	2	4	1	2	2	4	939	140	17	0
Shadwell	Ditto	2	4	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
St. George’s-in-the-East	Ditto	4	6	2	3	6	8	2191	328	13	0
Stepney	Mr. E. Newman	4	6	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Poplar	Parish	2	4	1	1	2	4	939	140	17	0
East Borough	Mr. Redding	4	6	2	3	3	5	1252	187	16	0
West ditto	Ditto	3	4	2	2	2	4	939	140	17	0
Borough Clink	Mr. W. Sinnott	3	5	1	2	2	4	939	140	17	0
Bermondsey	Parish	4	6	2	3	9	15	3576	563	18	0
Newington	Ditto	4	6	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Lambeth	Ditto	12	16	2	3	8	10	2817	422	11	0
Ditto (Christchurch)	Ditto	14	20	2	3	6	9	2191	328	13	0
Wandsworth	Ditto	2	4	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
Camberwell and Walworth	Ditto	4	6	1	2	5	7	1878	281	14	0
Rotherhithe	Ditto	3	5	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Greenwich	Ditto	3	5	1	2	4	6	1565	234	15	0
Deptford	Ditto	3	4	1	2	6	8	2191	328	13	0
Woolwich	Ditto	3	5	1	2	3	5	1252	187	16	0
Lewisham	Ditto	2	4	1	1	1	3	626	93	18	0
	Scavengers’ Total	358	531	130	183	355½	548½	140,983	21,147	9	0
	Average total	444½ men.		156½ carts.	452 loads daily.		140,983 loads yearly.		£21,147	9	0
	Orderlies	546 ditto.			9 ditto.		2,817 ditto.		352	2	6
	Gross total	990½ men.		156½	461 loads daily.		143,800 loads yearly.		£21,499	11	6

Divisions and Districts.	Names of Contractors.	Number of Men employed at scavenging.		Number of Carts used daily in scavenging.		Number of loads collected daily.
		In dry weather.	In wet weather.	In dry weather.	In wet weather.	In dry weather.	In wet weather.
Kensington	Parish	3	5	1	2	3	5
Chelsea	Ditto	3	5	1	2	4	6
Ditto (Hans’ Town)	Mr. C. Humphries	3	4	1	1	3	5
St. George’s, Pimlico	Mr. Redding	2	4	1	2	5	7
Ditto, Hanover Square	Parish	3	5	1	1	1½	2½
St. Margaret’s, Westminster	Ditto	5	7	2	3	8	10
St. John’s, ditto	Mr. Hearne	5	7	1	2	8	10
St. Martin’s	Machine	6	9	4	4	4	6
Hungerford-market	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3
St. James’s, Westminster	Parish	2	4	1	2	5	7
Piccadilly	Parish and Machine	20	28	2	2	8	12
Regent-street and Pall-mall	Ditto, ditto	8	12	2	2	4	6
St. Ann’s, Soho	Ditto	3	4	1	2	4	6
Woods and Forests	Machine	2	4	1	2	5	7
Paddington	Parish	4	6	1	2	6	8
Marylebone (Five Districts)	Ditto	20	35	3	4	15	25
Portland-market	Mr. Tame	3	5	1	1	2	4
Hampstead	Parish	2	4	1	1	2	4
Highgate	Ditto	2	4	1	1	2	4
St. Pancras, South-west Division	Mr. Stapleton	2	4	1	2	4	6
Somers-town	Mr. Starkey	3	5	1	2	7	9
Southampton Estate	Mr. C. Starkey	4	5	1	1	3	5
Bedford ditto	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3
Brewers’ ditto	Mr. C. Starkey	2	2	1	1	1	3
Calthorpe ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3
Cromer ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3
Doughty ditto	Mr. Martin	2	2	1	1	1	3
Foundling ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3
Harrison ditto	Ditto	2	2	1	1	1	3
Skinners’ ditto	Mr. H. North	2	2	1	1	1	3
Union ditto	Mr. J. Gore	2	2	1	1	1	3
Islington District	Parish	6	8	1	1	3	5
Battle-bridge	Mr. Starkey	4	6	1	2	5	7
Hackney	Parish	5	7	1	1	2	4
St. Giles-in-the-Fields and St. George, Bloomsbury	Mr. Redding	7	9	2	3	6	10
St. Mary-le-Strand	Mr. J. Gore	2	5	1	2	4	6
Savoy	Ditto	2	3	1	1	1	3
St. Clement Danes	Parish	5	7	3	3 waggons.	2	6
St. Paul’s, Covent Garden	Ditto	3	5	1	2 carts.	3	5
Covent Garden-market	Mr. Stapleton	5	7	5	6	9	12
Holborn	Parish	6	9	2	3	4	6
St. Sepulchre’s	Mr. J. Gore	3	4	1	1	2	4
Hatton-garden	Messrs. Pratt and Sewell	2	2	1	1	1	3
St. James’s, Clerkenwell	Mr. Dodd	5	7	2	3	8	10
St. John’s, ditto	Mr. J. Gould	5	7	3	3	6	8
St. Luke’s	Mr. Dodd	7	10	4	6	8	10
Goswell-street	Mr. Redding	3	4	1	2	4	6
Liberty of the Rolls	Messrs. Pratt and Sewell	2	2	1	1	1	3
Blackfriars Bridge	Mr. Jenkins	3	5	1	1	4	6
City Division, Eastern, A	Mr. G. Sinnott	10	16	4	6	12	16
Ditto, North Middle, B	Mr. T. Rooke	9	13	4	6	8	12
Ditto, Western, C	Mr. C. Redding	12	14	4	6	14	18
Ditto, South Middle, D	Mr. J. Gould	10	12	3	4	9	11
Shoreditch	Mr. Dodd	6	9	2	4	8	12
Norton Folgate	Mr. J. Gould	3	5	1	2	4	6
Finsbury Square District	Ditto	3	4	1	2	6	8
St. Botolph	Mr. Westley	2	4	2	2	4	6
Spitalfields District	Mr. Newman	3	6	1	2	3	5
Spitalfields-market	Mr. Parsons	5	7	3	4	4	6
Bethnal-green	Mr. E. Newman	4	6	3	4	8	10
Whitechapel	Mr. Parsons	3	5	2	3	6	8
Commercial-road	Parish	4	6	2	3	4	6
Mile-end	Mr. Newman	3	5	1	2	3	5
Ditto, New-town	Mr. Parsons	3	6	1	1	3	5
St. John’s, Wapping	Mr. Westley	2	4	1	2	2	4
Shadwell	Ditto	2	4	1	2	3	5
St. George’s-in-the-East	Ditto	4	6	2	3	6	8
Stepney	Mr. E. Newman	4	6	1	2	4	6
Poplar	Parish	2	4	1	1	2	4
East Borough	Mr. Redding	4	6	2	3	3	5
West ditto	Ditto	3	4	2	2	2	4
Borough Clink	Mr. W. Sinnott	3	5	1	2	2	4
Bermondsey	Parish	4	6	2	3	9	15
Newington	Ditto	4	6	1	2	3	5
Lambeth	Ditto	12	16	2	3	8	10
Ditto (Christchurch)	Ditto	14	20	2	3	6	9
Wandsworth	Ditto	2	4	1	1	1	3
Camberwell and Walworth	Ditto	4	6	1	2	5	7
Rotherhithe	Ditto	3	5	1	2	3	5
Greenwich	Ditto	3	5	1	2	4	6
Deptford	Ditto	3	4	1	2	6	8
Woolwich	Ditto	3	5	1	2	3	5
Lewisham	Ditto	2	4	1	1	1	3
	Scavengers’ Total	358	531	130	183	355½	548½
	Average total	444½ men.		156½ carts.		452 loads daily.
	Orderlies	546 ditto.				9 ditto.
	Gross total	990½ men.		156½		461 loads daily.

Divisions and Districts.	Number of Cart-Loads annually collected by the Scavengers.	Annual value of Dirt collected by Scavengers.
Kensington	1252	£187	16s.	0d.
Chelsea	1565	234	15	0
Ditto (Hans’ Town)	1252	187	16	0
St. George’s, Pimlico	1878	281	14	0
Ditto, Hanover Square	626	93	18	0
St. Margaret’s, Westminster	2817	422	11	0
St. John’s, ditto	2817	422	11	0
St. Martin’s	1565	234	15	0
Hungerford-market	626	93	18	0
St. James’s, Westminster	1878	281	14	0
Piccadilly	3130	469	10	0
Regent-street and Pall-mall	1565	234	15	0
St. Ann’s, Soho	1565	234	15	0
Woods and Forests	1878	281	14	0
Paddington	2191	328	13	0
Marylebone (Five Districts)	6260	939	0	0
Portland-market	939	140	17	0
Hampstead	939	140	17	0
Highgate	939	140	17	0
St. Pancras, South-west Division	1565	234	15	0
Somers-town	2504	375	12	0
Southampton Estate	1252	187	16	0
Bedford ditto	626	93	18	0
Brewers’ ditto	626	93	18	0
Calthorpe ditto	626	93	18	0
Cromer ditto	626	93	18	0
Doughty ditto	626	93	18	0
Foundling ditto	626	93	18	0
Harrison ditto	626	93	18	0
Skinners’ ditto	626	93	18	0
Union ditto	626	93	18	0
Islington District	1252	187	16	0
Battle-bridge	1878	281	14	0
Hackney	939	140	17	0
St. Giles-in-the-Fields and St. George, Bloomsbury	2504	375	12	0
St. Mary-le-Strand	1565	234	15	0
Savoy	626	93	18	0
St. Clement Danes	1252	187	16	0
St. Paul’s, Covent Garden	1252	187	16	0
Covent Garden-market	3130	469	10	0
Holborn	1565	234	15	0
St. Sepulchre’s	939	140	17	0
Hatton-garden	626	93	18	0
St. James’s, Clerkenwell	2817	422	11	0
St. John’s, ditto	2191	328	13	0
St. Luke’s	2817	422	11	0
Goswell-street	1565	234	15	0
Liberty of the Rolls	626	93	18	0
Blackfriars Bridge	1565	234	15	0
City Division, Eastern, A	4382	657	6	0
Ditto, North Middle, B	3130	469	10	0
Ditto, Western, C	5008	751	4	0
Ditto, South Middle, D	3130	469	10	0
Shoreditch	3130	469	10	0
Norton Folgate	1565	234	15	0
Finsbury Square District	2191	328	13	0
St. Botolph	1565	234	15	0
Spitalfields District	1252	187	16	0
Spitalfields-market	1565	234	15	0
Bethnal-green	2817	422	11	0
Whitechapel	2191	328	13	0
Commercial-road	1565	234	15	0
Mile-end	1252	187	16	0
Ditto, New-town	1252	187	16	0
St. John’s, Wapping	939	140	17	0
Shadwell	1252	187	16	0
St. George’s-in-the-East	2191	328	13	0
Stepney	1565	234	15	0
Poplar	939	140	17	0
East Borough	1252	187	16	0
West ditto	939	140	17	0
Borough Clink	939	140	17	0
Bermondsey	3576	563	18	0
Newington	1252	187	16	0
Lambeth	2817	422	11	0
Ditto (Christchurch)	2191	328	13	0
Wandsworth	626	93	18	0
Camberwell and Walworth	1878	281	14	0
Rotherhithe	1252	187	16	0
Greenwich	1565	234	15	0
Deptford	2191	328	13	0
Woolwich	1252	187	16	0
Lewisham	626	93	18	0
Scavengers’ Total	140,983	21,147	9	0
Average total	140,983 loads yearly.	£21,147	9	0
Orderlies	2,817 ditto.	352	2	6
Gross total	143,800 loads yearly.	£21,499	11	6