Demographics

[Guest]

During the 1880s Whitechapel came to have a population approaching 250,000 (getting on for a third of the whole of the East End), some 60,000 men, women, and children, were said to exist on or below the poverty line, life expectancy was short, infant mortality running at over 50%, at any given time some 15,000 were classed as homeless. Unemployment was rife. Into this mix came some 50-60,000 Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland and Germany, ...

I believe you may have obtained this 'intelligence' from one of the many sensationalist bullshit merchants (e.g. Richard Jones, Donald Rumbelow, et al) who regularly tout this sort of garbage.

"During the 1880s Whitechapel came to have a population approaching 250,000 ..."


Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union - 1888 (Click to Enlarge in flickr)
Underlying Aerial Imagery: Copyright Google Earth, 2007
Overlying Plots, Labels and Color-Shadings: Copyright Colin C. Roberts, 2010

In accordance with the Census of England & Wales, 1891 ...

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Green): 1,449
- The Old Artillery Ground (Aqua): 2,138
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields (Blue): 22,859
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town (Orange): 11,303
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories') (Yellow): 301
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Red): 32,326
----- {Portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1900: 32,284}
----- {Portion within the City of London, -1900: 42}
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London (Orange): 933
----- {The Liberty of the Tower: n/a}
----- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without: 65}
----- {The Tower: 868}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine (Blue): 182
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965) (Green): 2,971

- Total Population (1891 Census): 74,462

If we assume that the non color-shaded portion of the above image, which lay south of Whitechapel Road / Mile End Road, and north of St. George Street (i.e. 'Ratcliff Highway'), was generally and colloquially referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, ...

- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Augustine ('Stepney'), Civil Parish / Hamlet of Mile End Old Town: 7,277
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Philip ('Stepney'), Civil Parish / Hamlet of Mile End Old Town: 8,135
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. John the Evangelist, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 12,950
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of Christ Church, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 8,615
- The Combined Ecclesiastical Parish of St. George in the East with St. Matthew, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 10,551

- Sub-Total Population (1891 Census): 47,528

... and including the entireties of these parochial entities is a bit of a 'stretch', ...

... we have a Grand Total of 121,990 persons residing in all places 'Whitechapel', in accordance with the 1891 Census of England & Wales.

And again; this is a bit of a 'stretch', to say the least.

---

"... some 60,000 men, women, and children, were said to exist on or below the poverty line, ..."

I will expound on the issue of 'poverty', later tonight, or sometime tomorrow. But, for now ...

Charles Booth's delineations of socio-economic classification …

"In Poverty":

Class 'A': "Vicious" (i.e. vice-ridden); "Semi-Criminal"
Class 'B': "Very Poor"
Class 'C': "Poor" - Irregular Income
Class 'D': "Poor" - Regular but Inadequate Income

"In Comfort":

Class 'E': "Above the 'Line of Poverty'" - Regular "Standard" Income
Class 'F': "Highly Skilled Labour"
Class 'G': "Lower Middle-Class"
Class 'H': "Upper Middle-Class"

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories')
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- {The Liberty of the Tower}
--- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without}
--- {The Tower}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 73,518

Class 'A': 2,426 (3.30%)
Class 'B': 6,543 (8.90%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 19,850 (27.00%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 28,819 (39.20%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 40,729 (55.40%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 3,970 (5.40%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 44,699 (60.80%)

Mile End Old Town Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 110,321

Class 'A': 772 (0.70%)
Class 'B': 7,502 (6.80%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 20,520 (18.60%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 28,794 (26.10%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 73,805 (66.90%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 7,722 (7.00%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 81,527 (73.90%)

St. George in the East Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Parish of St. George in the East

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 47,578

Class 'A': 714 (1.50%)
Class 'B': 7,184 (15.10%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 15,368 (32.30%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 23,266 (48.90%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 23,170 (48.70%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 1,142 (2.40%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 24,312 (51.10%)

Please note that here, I have referred to the entireties of the 'Mile End Old Town' & 'St. George in the East' Registration Districts; as opposed to the relatively smaller portions of these constituencies, that might have generally and colloquially been referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, as mentioned above.

---

"Into this mix came some 50-60,000 Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland and Germany, ..."

In accordance with the Census of England & Wales, 1891 ...

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories')
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- {The Liberty of the Tower}
--- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without}
--- {The Tower}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)

- Total Population (1891 Census): 74,462

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 6,367
- Poland: 7,171
- Germany: 1,651

- Sub-Total: 15,189

Mile End Old Town Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

- Total Population (1891 Census): 107,592

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 1,288
- Poland: 2,152
- Germany: 1,125

- Sub-Total: 4,565

St. George in the East Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Parish of St. George in the East

- Total Population (1891 Census): 45,795

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 1,924
- Poland: 3,049
- Germany: 1,423

- Sub-Total: 6,396

- Total: 26,150

Please note that here again, I have referred to the entireties of the 'Mile End Old Town' & 'St. George in the East' Registration Districts; as opposed to the relatively smaller portions of these constituencies, that might have generally and colloquially been referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, as mentioned above. But, to be fair; it was indeed the case that most Eastern European immigrants residing in these two parochial entities, in the 1880's/1890's, lived in the colloquially-speaking 'Greater Whitechapel' portions.

I will make further additions/clarifications later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

The issue of 'homelessness' will be difficult to tackle. As for infant mortality; I've heard that 50%(+) figure once too often, and I plainly and simply do not believe it!

50%(+) infant mortality in Old Nichol Street, Parish of St. Matthew Bethnal Green, ... perhaps! But, in some broader vicinity, such as 'Whitechapel'? No Way!

Again; more to follow!

I posted this yesterday, in the "Hutchinson and antisemitism ?? A possibility?" thread, in what was more-or-less a deviation from the overall topic of discussion. As such, it was doomed to fade into obscurity.

Amazingly, however, it was quoted in entirety, only for it's perceived value to be blatantly 'dismissed', in two sentences, by a poster calling himself/herself 'Abberline2'.

I believe you may have obtained this 'intelligence' from one of the many sensationalist bullshit merchants (e.g. Richard Jones, Donald Rumbelow, et al) who regularly tout this sort of garbage.

"During the 1880s Whitechapel came to have a population approaching 250,000 ..."


Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union - 1888 (Click to Enlarge in flickr)
Underlying Aerial Imagery: Copyright Google Earth, 2007
Overlying Plots, Labels and Color-Shadings: Copyright Colin C. Roberts, 2010

In accordance with the Census of England & Wales, 1891 ...

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Green): 1,449
- The Old Artillery Ground (Aqua): 2,138
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields (Blue): 22,859
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town (Orange): 11,303
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories') (Yellow): 301
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Red): 32,326
----- {Portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1900: 32,284}
----- {Portion within the City of London, -1900: 42}
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London (Orange): 933
----- {The Liberty of the Tower: n/a}
----- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without: 65}
----- {The Tower: 868}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine (Blue): 182
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965) (Green): 2,971

- Total Population (1891 Census): 74,462

If we assume that the non color-shaded portion of the above image, which lay south of Whitechapel Road / Mile End Road, and north of St. George Street (i.e. 'Ratcliff Highway'), was generally and colloquially referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, ...

- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Augustine ('Stepney'), Civil Parish / Hamlet of Mile End Old Town: 7,277
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Philip ('Stepney'), Civil Parish / Hamlet of Mile End Old Town: 8,135
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. John the Evangelist, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 12,950
- The Ecclesiastical Parish of Christ Church, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 8,615
- The Combined Ecclesiastical Parish of St. George in the East with St. Matthew, Civil Parish of St. George in the East: 10,551

- Sub-Total Population (1891 Census): 47,528

... and including the entireties of these parochial entities is a bit of a 'stretch', ...

... we have a Grand Total of 121,990 persons residing in all places 'Whitechapel', in accordance with the 1891 Census of England & Wales.

And again; this is a bit of a 'stretch', to say the least.

---

"... some 60,000 men, women, and children, were said to exist on or below the poverty line, ..."

I will expound on the issue of 'poverty', later tonight, or sometime tomorrow. But, for now ...

Charles Booth's delineations of socio-economic classification …

"In Poverty":

Class 'A': "Vicious" (i.e. vice-ridden); "Semi-Criminal"
Class 'B': "Very Poor"
Class 'C': "Poor" - Irregular Income
Class 'D': "Poor" - Regular but Inadequate Income

"In Comfort":

Class 'E': "Above the 'Line of Poverty'" - Regular "Standard" Income
Class 'F': "Highly Skilled Labour"
Class 'G': "Lower Middle-Class"
Class 'H': "Upper Middle-Class"

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories')
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- {The Liberty of the Tower}
--- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without}
--- {The Tower}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 73,518

Class 'A': 2,426 (3.30%)
Class 'B': 6,543 (8.90%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 19,850 (27.00%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 28,819 (39.20%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 40,729 (55.40%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 3,970 (5.40%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 44,699 (60.80%)

Mile End Old Town Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 110,321

Class 'A': 772 (0.70%)
Class 'B': 7,502 (6.80%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 20,520 (18.60%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 28,794 (26.10%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 73,805 (66.90%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 7,722 (7.00%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 81,527 (73.90%)

St. George in the East Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Parish of St. George in the East

- Total Population (Charles Booth 1889 Estimate): 47,578

Class 'A': 714 (1.50%)
Class 'B': 7,184 (15.10%)
Classes 'C' & 'D': 15,368 (32.30%)

Sub-Total (Below the 'Line of Poverty'): 23,266 (48.90%)

Classes 'E' & 'F': 23,170 (48.70%)
Classes 'G' & 'H': 1,142 (2.40%)

Sub-Total (Above the 'Line of Poverty'): 24,312 (51.10%)

Please note that here, I have referred to the entireties of the 'Mile End Old Town' & 'St. George in the East' Registration Districts; as opposed to the relatively smaller portions of these constituencies, that might have generally and colloquially been referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, as mentioned above.

---

"Into this mix came some 50-60,000 Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland and Germany, ..."

In accordance with the Census of England & Wales, 1891 ...

Whitechapel Registration District / Poor Law Union:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories')
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- {The Liberty of the Tower}
--- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without}
--- {The Tower}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965)

- Total Population (1891 Census): 74,462

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 6,367
- Poland: 7,171
- Germany: 1,651

- Sub-Total: 15,189

Mile End Old Town Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

- Total Population (1891 Census): 107,592

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 1,288
- Poland: 2,152
- Germany: 1,125

- Sub-Total: 4,565

St. George in the East Registration District / Poor Law Parish:
- The Parish of St. George in the East

- Total Population (1891 Census): 45,795

Enumerated Immigrants From ...
- Russia: 1,924
- Poland: 3,049
- Germany: 1,423

- Sub-Total: 6,396

- Total: 26,150

Please note that here again, I have referred to the entireties of the 'Mile End Old Town' & 'St. George in the East' Registration Districts; as opposed to the relatively smaller portions of these constituencies, that might have generally and colloquially been referred to as 'Whitechapel', in the 1880's/1890's, as mentioned above. But, to be fair; it was indeed the case that most Eastern European immigrants residing in these two parochial entities, in the 1880's/1890's, lived in the colloquially-speaking 'Greater Whitechapel' portions.

I will make further additions/clarifications later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

The issue of 'homelessness' will be difficult to tackle. As for infant mortality; I've heard that 50%(+) figure once too often, and I plainly and simply do not believe it!

50%(+) infant mortality in Old Nichol Street, Parish of St. Matthew Bethnal Green, ... perhaps! But, in some broader vicinity, such as 'Whitechapel'? No Way!

Again; more to follow!

C19 census material relates to people with residence, not homeless people or those who for whatever reason chose not present themselves to the inumerators. I suspect when dealing with the East End in 1891 this figure may be much larger than you might suspect. Neverthess, even if you scale down the figs to avoid that sensationalist BS you speak of, ...

As inadequate as census data might be, I'll take it before accepting the conjectural bullshit of sensationalist writers (e.g. Jack London, Richard Jones, Donald Rumbelow*, et al), who couldn't define the geographic parameters of 'Whitechapel', if their very lives depended upon their being able to do so!

* Donald Rumbelow has forgotten more about the mystery of 'Jack the Ripper' than I will ever know. But he is a sensationalist, nonetheless; and a student of Victorian London demography, he most certainly is not!

---------

I have resolved that henceforth, I will place all of my demographics-related posts in a single thread. This thread: "Demographics"!

Threads, such as "Prostitution and Charles Booth's Socio-Economic Classifications" will be revised and updated here, in an on-going manner; and the information contained therein/herein will hopefully never fade into obscurity, as it will be easily accessible, under one very simple heading: "Demographics".

[Abberline2]

Do forgive me for having quoted your post in its entirity, a consequence of my inexperience using the quote facility. You might also have quoted another of my posts in which I complimeted you on your research but, perhaps unfortunately, did call you Detective Blue, another result of my newbie status, although no disrespect was intended.

However, I would point out that I did not blatently dismiss the information you provided, all I actually did was add the caveat that such material only provides the minimum picture in that it does not account for the homeless and others who chose not to present themselves to the census inumerators. Given that significant numbers of people were homeless, sleeping in the overcrowded lodging houses or out on the streets, etc, etc, in the East End of the later 1880s/early 90s I would have thought this was a perfectly reasonable thing to say and clearly does not blatently dismiss your information which, might I say, is very useful to have and thank you for providing it.

[Septic Blue]

... I did not blatently dismiss the information you provided, all I actually did was add the caveat that such material only provides the minimum picture in that it does not account for the homeless and others who chose not to present themselves to the census inumerators. Given that significant numbers of people were homeless, sleeping in the overcrowded lodging houses or out on the streets, etc, etc, in the East End of the later 1880s/early 90s I would have thought this was a perfectly reasonable thing to say and clearly does not blatently dismiss your information ...

Thank you, Abberline2!

... which, might I say, is very useful to have and thank you for providing it.

You are most welcome!