Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With Appendices

by Edwin Chadwick

Premature Deaths: Age of Widowhood in various Unions.
Ages.	Manchester Union.		Whitechapel Union.		Bethnal Green.		Strand Union.		Oakham & Uppingham Unions.		Alston with Garrigill.		Bath Union.		Total.
	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children	No. of Husbands who Died.	No. of Orphan Children
20–25	11	20	7	12	2	3	1	4			1	2			22	41
25–30	56	126	17	40	9	19	11	19	12	25	5	12	9	28	119	269
30–35	108	317	31	85	25	89	23	70	8	36	4	16	13	52	212	665
35–40	108	333	42	114	40	137	20	69	19	71	6	24	12	52	247	800
40–45	126	361	63	201	40	153	35	81	24	68	12	58	18	84	318	1006
45–50	112	302	61	178	44	105	23	58	19	50	18	84	9	37	286	814
50–55	100	183	78	137	45	107	24	34	30	60	9	30	4	15	290	566
55–60	97	138	51	37	45	54	20	17	24	36	14	11	1	6	252	299
60–65	147	148	87	46	53	35	25	17	26	15	13	4	1	4	352	269
65–70	96	60	48	18	52	17	15	13	26	13	1				238	121
70–75	87	55	54	8	57	7	13		32	10	4				247	80
75–80	60	22	25	4	24	8	5	2	22	4	1				137	40
80–85	35	4	17	2	7		5		11	6	1				76	12
85–90	5		7	3	2										14	3
90–95	1		2						1						4
95–100
100–105	1														1
Totals	1150	2069	590	885	445	734	220	384	254	394	89	241	67	278	2815	4985
No. receiving Relief previous to husband’s death	199		80				37		11		27
Total Deaths below 60 years of age ... 1746

Of the whole number it appears that upwards of 1764 became chargeable by premature deaths. If the same rule obtains in the other unions, which could only be ascertained by a very long and expensive inquiry, then nearly 27,000 cases of premature widowhood, and more than 100,000 cases of orphanage may be ascribed to removable causes. The chief effects or the chief of the diseases which appear as consequents to the circumstances under which the labouring population of the several districts have been described as living, and under which the fathers of the orphan children above enumerated have died, are set forth in the following table:—

Table of the Chief Causes of Death producing Widowhood and Orphanage in the under-mentioned Unions and Parishes.
Diseases, &c.	Manchester Union.	Whitechapel Union.	Bethnal Green Parish.	Strand Union.	Oakham and Uppingham Unions.	Alston with Garrigill Parish.	Bath Union.	Total.
	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	No of Deaths.	Average Age of Decease.	No. of Orphans.
Respiratory Organs	500	212	147	95	69	47	40	1110	51	2218
Epidemic, Endemic and Contagious	146	65	73	28	34	9	4	359	46	862
Digestive Organs	60	16	10	10	14	5	3	118	54	180
Nervous	74	41	38	17	25	3	5	203	55	296
Violent Deaths	94	44	20	16	23	13	5	215	46	508
Old Age	84	104	46	13	47	5		299	74	56
Other Diseases[[29]]	129	68	104	32	36	7	8	384	54	694
Undescribed	63	40	7	9	6		2	127	47	171
Total	1150	590	445	220	254	89	67	2815	53	4985

As an example of the mode in which the causes of premature deaths fall, and of the burdens they entail in many districts, I submit a return of the whole of the cases of widowhood on the pauper rolls of the parish of Alston and Garrigill, Cumberland, the parish in which are situate the lodging-houses described in the evidence collected by Dr. Mitchell.

Alston with Garrigill Parish.
Number of Widows, and Children dependent upon them, in receipt of Relief in the above Parish; Age of Husband at Death; and the alleged Cause of Death.
Initals of Widows.	Number of Children dependent at the time of Husband’s Death.	Occupation of deceased Husband.	Age at Death.	Years’ loss by premature Death.	Assigned Cause of Death.
R. W.		Miner	83		Decay of nature.
M. S.		Tailor	78		Natural decay.
M. B.		Miner	73		Not stated.
M. R.		Miner	72		Decay of nature.
S. M.		Miner	72		Decay of nature.
M. T.		Mason	72		Asthma produced from age.
A. V.		Miner	67		Asthma produced from working in mines.
M. L.		Miner	64		Influenza.
A. M.		Miner	63		Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines.
M. S.		Miner	63		Natural decline.
J. P.		Labourer	62		Consumption.
H. T.	2	Mason	62		Asthma.
S. H.	2	Miner	60		Rupture of blood-vessel.
J. R.		Miner	60		Asthma produced from working in the mines.
H. L.		Miner	60		Asthma.
J. P.		Miner	60		Consumption.
M. T.	2	Miner	60		Bursting blood-vessel.
A. C.		Joiner	60		Jaundice.
E. K.		Miner	60		Asthma produced from working in the mines.
E. H.		Miner	60		Cholera.
D. J.		Glazier	59	1	Affection of the liver.
N. D.	4	Butcher	59	1	Apoplexy.
M. T.		Miner	59	1	Inflammation of the lungs.
H. A.		Miner	59	1	Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines, which terminated in consumption.
J. B.		Miner	59	1	Asthma ditto.
E. T.		Labourer	58	2	Accident by a coal-waggon.
M. P.		Miner	58	2	Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines, which terminated in consumption.
H. T.		Miner	57	3	Consumption accelerated by working in the lead-mines.
M. P.	1	Turner	57	3	Consumption.
H. S.	3	Miner	57	3	Influenza, terminating in dropsy.
M. J.	3	Blacksmith	55	5	Asthma.
S. M.		Miner	55	5	Inflammation of lungs from cold.
R. W.		Miner	55	5	Asthma produced from working in lead-mines.
M. R.		Miner	55	5	Asthma from working in the mines
J. W.	2	Miner	51	6	Pleurisy.
A. F.		Miner	54	6	Asthma and rupture of blood-vessel.
J. L.	2	Miner	53	7	Chronic disease of rheumatism.
N. H.	2	Miner	53	7	Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines.
A. S.		Miner	52	8	Asthma and bursting blood-vessel.
M. W.	6	Miner	52	8	Asthma produced from working in the mines.
E. W.	5	Miner	52	8	Asthma produced from working in the mines, which terminated in consumption.
J. S.	6	Miner	51	9	Paralysis.
H. P.	9	Quarryman	49	11	Asthma by working in the lead-mines.
H. P.	5	Miner	48	12	Typhus fever.
E. H.	6	Miner	48	12	Killed in lead-mines.
M. A.	7	Miner	48	12	Consumption by bad air in the pit.
J. C.	8	Miner	47	13	Asthma produced by working in the lead-mines.
S. E.	6	Miner	47	13	Consumption produced from a continuance of influenza.
M. T.	8	Miner	47	13	Consumption and asthma.
E. B.	3	Miner	47	13	Affection of the head, caused from an accident received in the mine.
D. R.		Miner	46	14	Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines.
E. B.	5	Miner	46	14	Rheumatic fever, which produced inflammation of the brain.
M. S.	5	Miner	46	14	Killed in lead-mine.
M. R.	1	Joiner	46	14	Dropsy.
M. F.	7	Coal Miner	46	14	Explosion of fire-damp in a coal-mine.
L. T.	3	Miner	45	15	Asthma, which terminated with dropsy.
H. P.	3	Miner	45	15	Scarlet fever.
H. Y.	5	Miner	45	15	Consumption, accelerated by working in the lead-mines.
M. S.	2	Miner	45	15	Inflammation of bowels.
M. S.	5	Joiner	45	15	Consumption.
A. S.	6	Miner	44	16	Dropsy.
A. B.	6	Miner	44	16	Asthma from working in lead-mines.
F. C.	5	Miner	43	17	Asthma produced from working in the lead-mines.
M. D.	4	Miner	43	17	Consumption produced from asthma, caused by working in the mines.
H. M.	7	Miner	43	17	Asthma, which terminated in consumption.
A. P.	7	Superintendent.	43	17	A fall from the “horse” in the engine-shaft.
P. W.	4	Miner	43	17	Pleurisy.
E. W.	8	Miner	42	18	Consumption and asthma produced from working in the lead-mines.
J. H.	4	Miner	42	18	Consumption.
J. J.	5	Miner	42	18	Pleurisy.
A. J.	2	Miller	42	18	Found drowned.
M. R.		Shoemaker	40	20	Injury from fall of a cart.
E. R.	7	Joiner	38	22	Affection of the liver.
J. B.	5	Miner	38	22	Consumption.
A. P.	7	Miner	37	21	Asthma.
E. W.	3	Miner	36	24	Accident in mine, which terminated in consumption.
E. H.	3	Miner	35	25	Killed in coal-pit.
M. L.	2	Miner	35	25	Water of the head.
A. S.	4	Miner	35	25	Income on leg.
S. H.	7	Miner	34	26	Accident in coal-mine.
J. H.	4	Cordwainer	30	30	Typhus fever.
S. H.	3	Cartman	30	30	Accidental.
E. A.	2	Miner	30	30	Consumption.
M. J.	3	Teacher	29	31	Consumption.
M. R.	3	Miner	29	31	Affection of urinary organs.
A. W.	2	Miner	28	32	Cholera.
M. W.	3	Miner	27	33	Inflammation of bowels.
A. H.	1	Pitman	25	35	Accident at colliery.
J. M.	2	Miner	21	39	Small-pox.
89	242		4418
		Average age at death of each below 60 years of age.	45		Total No. of orphans by death caused below 60 years of age. } 236

A complete analysis of the whole of the causes contributory to the premature mortality displayed in this group of cases would be a work of much labour, and would in nowise affect the soundness of the conclusions derivable from other sources, that a large amount, and probably the great mass of it, is preventible.

It would, for instance, be difficult to decide the precise term of years of life cut short by the effects of the lodging-houses, in producing or aggravating other tendencies to consumption; but the information possessed by persons who have made themselves acquainted with the effects of impure air enables them to pronounce with certainty that the habitual exposure of a body of men to such noxious influences must be attended by a diminution of several years of the definite standard of life. Of the 31 deaths of miners below 60 years of age, from diseases of the respiratory organs, enumerated in the above return, a part of the causes may be attributable to their occupation, a part to the external circumstances of residence and connected habits. Now we have examples of the separate advantages attendant on the removal of both causes of disease I adduce the following information, obtained through Sir John Walsham, with relation to the effects of an improvement in the external circumstances of the workmen as to residences.

Captain Harland, the chairman of the Reeth union, York (North Riding), in a communication to Sir John Walsham, states, that he has been anxious to ascertain as correctly as possible, first, the average duration of life among the mining population of the respective parishes in that district, and how far it appeared to be affected by their general habits as well as by the state of their domiciles; and he gives the following results:—

“By a careful examination of the parish registers, I find that in the last seven years there have died in—

The parish of Marrick	15 miners; average age,	47⅗ years.
The parish of Arkendale	70 miners; average age,	4519 35 years.
The chapelry of Muker, in the parish of Grinton	39 miners; average age,	4529 39 years.
The remainder of the parish of Grinton, viz. Grinton Reeth and Meblecks	40 miners; average age,	5439 40 years.
Total, 164; general average, 4813 164 years.