[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell,

  • Camberwell (London, England). Metropolitan Borough.
Date:
[1915?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell,. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by 28 since last year, according to the Registrar-General's estimate. By the method we have now used for some long period, and which has as its basis the number of assessments per head of the population as enumerated at the census of 1911, the number is 264,121, which is 46 less than last year. This last method of calculation is obviously open to criticism because assessments do not necessarily mean inhabited premises, and an excess of advertising zeal may give us false impressions of an increase in population. Nevertheless, when submitted to actual test, as it is in the census year, this method has shown itself to be the more reliable. However, if both these estimates be only approximately correct, there must have been a great increase in the migration from the Borough, for the records show an increase of births over deaths of about 3,000. Below is set out the population for the Borough and also for the different registration sub-districts. Population of Camberwell and Sub-Districts. South Camberwell. North Camberwell. South Peckham. North Peckham. ] Borough. St. George's. Dulwich. As enumerated at census 1896 253,076 7,519 90,286 88,242 67,029 As enumerated at census 1901 259,339 10,247 90,465 93,038 65,589 As enumerated at census 1911 261,328 14,974 45,036 64,379 43,221 47,753 45,965 As estimated to middle of 1912 263,636 15,174 45,647 65,813 43,248 47,779 45,973 As estimated to middle of 1913 264,167 15,456 45,772 65,794 43,303 47,886 45,956 As estimated to middle of 1914 264,121 15,713 46,054 65,292 43,262 47,867 45,933 There are higher figures in both Dulwich and South Camberwell, due no doubt to the fact that in those districts building has been going on, and what was open land is now fast becoming a thickly covered neighbourhood. Another factor, but which exerts a less influence, is the conversion of the large houses, especially in the neighbourhood of Denmark Hill, into boarding houses, and those which are perhaps too small to be so treated are altered into flats. In the other districts there is not so much scope for building; any further increase in the population, apart from the greater number of inmates to the houses, will probably result from the pulling down of the houses with large gardens and the building of rows of small houses in their stead. Owing, however, to the difficulty of labour and prices of materials, the change to any appreciable extent is not yet likely to occur.