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Slums
Nineteenth century Liverpool was a city of great contrasts.
The fortunate few lived in detached houses with gardens and
servants to cook and clean for them. The unfortunate majority
lived in squalid, overcrowded slums. Slum housing was tightly
packed together, with little or no yard space. There was not
enough light, air or water. Buildings were overcrowded and often
in a bad state of repair.
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The worst slums of all were the cellars. In 1842 it
was estimated that 35,000 to 40,000 people lived in cellars
in Liverpool. A cellar would typically be about 12 feet
square and at most 6 feet high, with an earth floor, no
windows and the top of the doorway level with the street
outside. This would be home to a whole family. In the
late 1840's after the Liverpool Sanitary Act was passed
by Parliament, efforts were made to clear the cellars,
but this was only partially successful.
This facsimile and extract from
the 1841 census for Ford Street shows three families living
in one house, a total of 16 people. Click
here for a transcript.
Many people lived in court houses. Courts were narrow
and often connected to the street only by a narrow passage.
Between four and sixteen houses were built on either side
of each court. They could be three storeys high, but had
only one room on each storey. Each house was built back
to back with houses in the next court.
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Extract from Town Plan showing
Hughson Street housing. Map showing court houses in Hughson
Street, Prophet Street and Fernie Street, Toxteth, 1891.
Because of their layout fresh air could not circulate
and there was little light. Sanitation was primitive -
there would often only be one or two toilets for everyone
living in the same court. These would frequently leak
or overflow. |
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There must have been an appalling stench. Rubbish piled up in
the centre of the court. There was usually only one tap for
each court (marked as 'WT' on the map).This was often only turned
on for short periods each day. Most houses were occupied by
two or more families - often a whole family would live in just
one room.
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Extract from 1891
Census returns showing houses in Hughson Street. Source:
Census 1891. Click
here for a transcript.
All these problems inevitably led to a high death rate.
Diseases such as typhus and cholera and infestations of
fleas and vermin were also common. |
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