Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the township of Bishop Auckland in the county of Durham / by Thomas Webster Rammell, Superintending Inspector.

  • Rammell, Thomas Webster.
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the township of Bishop Auckland in the county of Durham / by Thomas Webster Rammell, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    On proceeding on that day to the place of meeting I found present a considerable number of influential ratepayers and others connected with the place ; amongst whom were the Rev. G. E. Green, the Vicar of St. Andrew's, Auckland; Mr. R. Bowser and Mr. W. Tutten, solicitors ; Mr. J. Jobson, surgeon ; Mr. Gresley, secretary to the Bishop of Durham^ and a magistrate of the county ; Mr. John Lee, land sur- veyor ; Mr. William Thompson, architect; Mr. R Joplin, registrar of births, &c; Mr. Greenwell, reheving officer; Mr. Charlton Elliot, Mr. William Hodgson, Mr. J. H. Bain- bridge, Mr. Roworth, &c. &c. Having read the petition and proved the due publication and affixing of the notices as required by the Act, I briefly explained the object of the mquiry, and some of the leading provisions of the Act. I afterwards stated that I was ready to hear any one who wished to make any observations upon the subject. I may here observe, that the general feeling appeared to be decidedly favourable to the object with which the inquiry was instituted. Pending the pro- ceedings I also had an interview with the Bishop of the diocese, who appeared to take much interest in the inquiry, and disposed to forward the carrying out of measures of amelioration it was intended to lead to I heard evidence on the 22d and 23d of September, and inspected the town and neighbourhood in the after part of each day. Of the information thus obtained, I have now the honour to submit the following Report:— General Description.—Bishop Auckland is the name of a township and market town in the parish of St. Andrew Auckland, in the extensive coal and iron district of the county of Durham, situate 10^ miles S.W. from the city of Durham, and 252 miles N. by W. from London. The town is pleasantly situated on a considerable eminence, near the confluence of the rivers Gaunless and Wear. The neighbouring country is diversified in character, and generally fertile. On the north-east side of the town are the palace and grounds of tbe Bishop of Durham. This palace was origi- nally founded by Bishop Anthony Beck in the reign of Edward I. This edifice was subsequently enlarged, but was destroyed in the troublous times of Charles I. The present building was erected after the Restoration, by Bishop Cosins. It is a spacious structure, surrounded with gardens and a very beautiful park, through which the waters of the Gaunless flow in a winding course. The principal public building in the town is the Bishop's