Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health.

  • Reece, Richard James, 1862-1924.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    6/20 (page 4)
    populations of less than 200 persons, and only six have populations exceeding 500 persons. In the parishes of Old Cleeve, population 1,348, and Stogursey, population 1,034, the inhabitants are not grouped in a single village but in several small hamlets. The most thickly populated portion of the parish of Luccombe, known as Doverhay, adjoins the most populous portion of the parish of Porlock, and these two portions together form one village. Only eight parishes have 100 or more inhabited houses (census 1901). During the eight year period 1902-1909 the number of births was 1,928, and the number of deaths from all causes was 1,424. Of these deaths, 126 were among children under one year of age. From these figures it appears that, during the period in question calculated on the population at the 1901 census, the mean annual birth-rate was 19T54, the mean annual death-rate from all causes was 14T, per 1,000 of the population; while the infantile death-rate was 65*4 per 1,000 births. Sanitary Circumstances. Water Supply.—There is abundant water to be obtained from springs rising on the slopes of Exmoor, the Brendon Hills and the Quantock Hills. Many of the springs yield a large quantity of water at all seasons of the year, and are so situated as to be secure from risk of serious pollution. It is only in the eastern side of the district that plentiful supplies of wholesome water are not available in close proximity to villages. With the exception of the villages of Stogursey, Sampford Brett and Monksilver, there is no considerable collection of houses without a supply of pipe-borne water. Some of these supplies have been provided by the council, but the greater part have been provided by private land owners. Where such supplies are not available the inhabitants depend for water on local wells, springs and streams. The Eastern Division.—There are piped water supplies provided by private enterprise in the following parishes :—Crowcombe, East Quantockshead, Holford, Kilton with Lilstock (but the supply does not extend to Lilstock), Kilve (in which is included the hamlet of Putsham). The rural district council have provided a public water supply to the parishes of Williton and Stogumber. Public water supplies are required for the parishes of Stogursey and Sampford Brett, where the present supply is derived from wells in the villages which from their position appear to be liable to risk of pollution. A water supply is also required for the village of Monksilver. The Western Division.—The following parishes have piped water supplies provided by private enterprise : — Carhampton, Cutcombe, Dunster, parts of Luccombe, Luxborough, Old Cleeve, Selworthy and Timberscombe, Treborough and Withy combe. The rural district council have carried out water schemes for the supply at Porlock and its suburb of Doverhay in the Luccombe parish, to part of Luccombe village, and to Wootton Courtney. The parish of Minehead Without is partly supplied from the mains of the Minehead Urban District Council, and partly by private enter- prise. In the remaining parishes of the district there are but few habitations, and these are scattered over the country side as single