Up to this time, though overcrowding had occupied so prominent a position in the great health problem of London, no returns of the amount of overcrowding actually existing had been obtained, nor had any estimate even been attempted. The reports of the Medical Officers of Health showed in many graphic descriptions that overcrowding was prevalent in every part of London—more acutely so in some districts than in others—but as to the amount no information was available.

The first reliable figures over a large area—a large central district of London—were collected by Mr. T. Marchant Williams, Inspector of Schools for the London School Board, and published in the Times of February 22, 1884.

He wrote giving some of the results of his recent investigations into the social conditions of the people residing in his district.

“My sole desire,” he wrote, “is to record facts. It will be my endeavour to show that these facts are sufficiently typical or representative of the social condition of the elementary school population of London to serve as a trustworthy basis for a fairly accurate estimate of the stupendous difficulties the School Board for London has to contend with.”

“The Division of Finsbury includes the following parishes:—

(1) St. Giles’-in-the-Fields { The whole population in
{ St. George-the-Martyr { 1881 was 503,851; number
(2){ St. Andrew, Holborn { of children of school age,
Clerkenwell { 3–13 == 91,128, 95 per
St. Luke { cent. of whom have been
Stoke Newington { scheduled by the Officers
Islington { of the School Board.”

(1) In St. Giles’-in-the-Fields there were 9 efficient elementary schools, 4 churches, 6 chapels, 102 public-houses, 27 milk shops.

He gave the number of families scheduled for elementary school purposes residing in more than two rooms as 382, which represents about 14 per cent. of the whole number of scheduled families.

28 per cent. of the families lived each in 2 rooms only,
and 58 „„„„„ 1 room only.