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

15. “Most of these conditions are laid down on the supposition that the intended builder of the cottage is actuated more by feelings of human sympathy than by a desire to make money; and hence they are addressed to the wealthy, and especially to the proprietors of land and extensive manufactories or mines.”

The following is the view of a double mechanic’s cottage, from Mr. Loudon’s collection, similar to the agricultural labourer’s model cottage, of which a view has already been given.

Besides the details of construction, such as are exemplified in the report, that appear deserving of attention, there are details in the furniture of cottages, and particular descriptions of furniture by which it appears that much improvement may be effected. For example, an important improvement in the box bedsteads used in Scotch cottages has been suggested by Dr. Wilson, of Kelso. It consists of a curtain-rod and curtains, which may be drawn out about three feet from the front of the bed, so as to form sufficient space between the curtain and the bed to serve as a dressing-room. It is observed by Mr. Loudon, that some of the Leith and London steamers had the berths in the ladies’ cabins fitted up in this mode some years ago; and it is a principle applicable, and, it is unnecessary to say. necessary for the preservation of decency in double-bedded rooms, as well as in those cottages where the box bedstead is used. The following is a copy of the plan of the improvement given by Mr. Loudon.

Another part of Dr. Wilson’s improvements in these beds consists of the hinging a part of the roof of the bed, so that it may be opened like a trap-door at pleasure for ventilation, and the hinging of the boards at the foot and at the back for the same object, and for giving access to a medical attendant. Mr. Loudon expresses a hope that these improvements form one step to getting rid of box bedsteads altogether. They are noticed here as exemplifications of the moral ends which may be gained in structural arrangements, which incur inconsiderable expense, and only a little care at the outset. Other detailed improvements may be made subservient to structural economy. The following is an exemplification thus described by Mr. Loudon:—“It is a matter of some difficulty, in small cottages, to place the shutters to the windows on the ground floor in such a manner as to answer the purpose, and yet be out of the way. The following plan has been adopted in some buildings of that description, which have been lately erected. The shutters are hung on hinges in such a manner as to fall down into a recess below the window during the day-time; and consequently they are quite out of the way when not wanted for shutting up the house, or for temporary purposes. The idea suggested itself that shutters be occasionally used as a table or ironing-board; and to effect this end, two movable bars as supports were let into mortices in the floor, and made to abut against similar mortices made in the ledges on the under side of the shutters. The two cornices were slightly rounded, and the upper surface was left plain without paint. Two swing iron or wooden brackets might be used instead of the wooden bars, as they could be folded back into the recess also.”

10.—Specification of the Cost of Erection, Weekly Rents, Interest on the Capital invested, and, the Numbers of Tenements and Cottages occupied by the Poor and Labourers; taken from Returns made by the Relieving Officers of their respective Districts, in 24 Unions in the Counties of Cheshire, Stafford, Derby, and Lancaster.

	No. 1. Lowest Class of Cottages, average 1s. 3d. per Week, or £3. 5s. per Year, allowing for Repairs, &c.			No. 2. Second Class of Cottages, average 2s. 3d. per Week, or £5. 15s. per Year, allowing for Repairs, &c.			No. 3. Third Class of Cottages, average 3s. 6d. per Week, or £9. 2s. per Year, allowing for Repairs, &c.			Population.
	Number of Tenements or Cottages.	Average Cost of erecting each Cottage.	Interest on the Outlay or Capital invested.	Number of Tenements or Cottages.	Average Cost of erecting each Cottage.	Interest on the Outlay or Capital invested.	Number of Tenements or Cottages.	Average Cost of erecting each Cottage.	Interest on the Outlay or Capital invested.
		£.	Per Cent.		£.	Per Cent.		£.	Per Cent.
Congleton	1,168	47	7	2,035	66	811 20	395	94	914 20	26,377
Macclesfield	2,481	38	8½	3,864	60	911 20	2,657	84	1017 20	50,639
Stockport	3,457	28	1112 20	5,032	53	1017 20	6,436	98	96 20	68,906
Altrincham	1,200	49	613 20	1,352	79	76 20	540	101	9	30,139
Northwich	1,615	52	6¼	2,121	75	711 20	212	89	104 20	26,906
Nantwich	1,994	47	7	1,158	74	7¾	471	108	89 20	30,992
Lichfield	1,281	34	911 20	1,227	68	89 20	320	148	61 20	22,749
Newcastle	1,502	57	514 20	1,135	78	77 20	251	136	614 20	16,476
Stoke-upon-Trent	2,181	45	74 20	5,610	60	911 20	946	90	102 20	37,220
Woolstanton and Burslem	2,292	50	6½	2,993	90	68 20	295	150	61 20	23,567
Tamworth	1,278	47	7	376	69	87 20	134	117	716 20	12,175
Cheadle	1,438	40	83 20	805	67	812 20	169	101	9	14,473
Uttoxeter	672	29	114 20	471	40	148 20				12,837
Burton-upon-Trent	2,100	40	83 20	1,270	90	68 20	125	115	717 20	24,667
Leek	1,281	47	7	650	63	91 20	104	86	1012 20	18,387
Chapel-en-le-Frith	713	60	58 20	215	79	76 20	95	123	78 20	10,448
Hayfield	270	50	6½	534	80	74 20	627	140	6½	9,493
Glossop	142	60	58 20	559	80	74 20	1,050	90	102 20	9,631
Bakewell	2,519	58	512 20	424	87	612 20	74	146	6¼	25,879
Chesterfield	1,969	45	74 20	2,618	70	84 20	128	105	811 20	34,246
Belper	3,324	40	81 20	2,542	67	812 20	661	107	8½	33,388
Derby	1,035	45	74 20	2,855	75	711 20	1,026	155	517 20	25,484
Salford	680	53	61 20	3,741	46	12½	5,445	75	121 20	52,366
Chorlton-upon-Medlock	527	44	78 20	2,463	54	1011 20	4,261	83	1010 20	46,465
	37,119	40[[53]]	8	46,050	65	8¾	26,322	92	9¾	663,890

11.—Tables of the Expense of building Cottages, and Repairs, in England and Scotland.