THE General Board of Health hereby give notice, in terms of section 9 of the Public Health Act, that on or before the 20th of July next written statements may be forwarded to the Board with respect to any matter contained in or omitted from the accompanying Report on the Sewerage, Drainage, and Supply of Water, and the Sanitary Condition of the Inhabitants, of the Town and Borough of TEWKESBURY, in the County of Gloucester; or with respect to any amendment to be proposed therein.

By order of the Board,
HENRY AUSTIN, Secretary.

Gwydyr House, Whitehall,
13th June, 1850.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACT (11 and 12 Vict., Cap. 63).

Report to the General-Board of Health on a Preliminary Inquiry into the Sewerage, Drainage, and Supply of Water, and Sanitary Condition of the Inhabitants of the Town and Borough of TEWKESBURY, in the County of Gloucester. By THOMAS WEBSTER RAMMELL, Esq., Superintending Inspector.

Gwydyr House, Whitehall, 27 March, 1850.
•

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

A PETITION, signed by 163 (being more than one-tenth) of the rated inhabitants of the borough of Tewkesbury, having been presented to your Honourable Board, praying that a Superintending Inspector might be directed to visit the borough, to make inquiry and examination, with a view to the application thereto, of the Public Health Act, 1848, your Honourable Board was pleased to instruct me to make such inquiry, and to report, in accordance with the provisions of the Act in that behalf, and with respect to the following matters, viz.:

"The sewerage, drainage, and supply of water."
"The state of the burial-grounds."
"The number nud sanitary condition of the inhabitants."
"The local Acts of Parliament (if any) for paving, lighting, cleansing, watching, regulating, supplying with water, or improving, or having relation to the purposes of the said Act."
"The natural drainage areas."
"The existing parochial or other local boundaries."
"The boundaries which may be most advantageously adopted for the purpose of the said Act."
"And also as to other matters in respect whereof your Honourable Board was desirous of being informed."

In compliance with these instructions, I issued the proper notices of my intention to enter upon such inquiry at the Town-hall, Tewkesbury, — the use of which had been politely conceded by the Mayor,—on the 26th of March, 1849, when I should be prepared to hear any persons who might be desirous of being heard before me on the subject thereof.

On proceeding to the appointed place, at the time stated, I found assembled a considerable number of the more influential
ratepayers and other inhabitants, including Henry Eustatius Strickland, Esq., the Mayor, and several members and officers of the Town Council and other local bodies.

Having read the petition, and proved the due publication of the notices required by the Act, I briefly explained the object of the inquiry, and the course I intended to adopt in conducting it. I then proceeded to hear evidence, and continued doing so on the following days, the 27th and 28th of March, when the inquiry was closed. In the after parts of each day, I personally inspected the town and neighbourhood, in company with many gentlemen who had been present at the meetings in the Town-hall. Having been invited to do so, I visited the union-house, and was much gratified to observe the order and cleanliness which marked all its arrangements.

About half an hour after the inquiry was closed, a deputation of five gentlemen waited upon me at the Swan hotel, and requested a
copy of the evidence. This application I refused, on the ground that all parties desirous of knowing the evidence might have heard it
by attending the Court, where it would have been competent to them to give or produce any counter statements they thought proper; and also upon the ground that the Act provides for the publication of a Report upon the inquiry, and for receiving the statements which any parties might be disposed to offer in regard to any matter contained or omitted in it.

I have much pleasure in acknowledging the courtesy with which Mr. Strickland received me; and my thanks are especially due to
Mr. Thomas, the Town Clerk, and to Mr. John Richards, for the readiness with which they communicated whatever information I required.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.—The borough of Tewkesbury is situated at the northern extremity of the county of Gloucester, in the lower division of the extensive hundred of the same name. It is distant 103 miles from London, 10 from Gloucester, 8 from CHeltenham, 15 from Worcester, and is placed in the direct coach-road and about midway between Bristol and Birmingham. The main line of the Bristol and Birmingham Railway passes within about 2 miles of the town, and is connected with it by a branch line.
The town consists chiefly of three main streets, two of which, High-street and Barton-street, run into and unite in the thoroughfare
of Church-street. Branching out of each of these streets are a great number of courts, lanes, and alleys, with a few small streets, which are so closely built together, that the houses in many of them stand back to back with those of their neighbours This refers to the more ancient part of the town. Within the last forty years the district called the Oldbury, which was originally arable and meadow land within the boundary of the borough, has been partially built upon, and now forms a portion of the town. There are now nearly three hundred houses in this district. The houses are chiefly built of brick, the manufacture of which is carried on on the banks of the Severn, both above and below Tewkesbury.

The town is situated in the midst of a wide and level extent of fertile meadow, pasture, and arable land, being part of the broad valley of the Severn; and is almost insulated by four rivers.- The most considerable of these is the Severn, and next in importance the Upper, or Warwickshire Avon. -The Avon receives, at one extremity of the town, the small river Carron, and is joined by the Swilgate at the other; soon after which it falls into the Severn. As may be judged from this description of its position, the town has been, at various times, subject to inundations. That of 1770 was, perhaps, the greatest recorded; the water rising so high that boats were used in the streets. Other remarkable inundations, though not to the same extent, occurred in 1773, 1776, 1795, and 1807.

The municipal borough is co-extensive with the parish of Tewkesbury; and contains, besides the town, the two hamlets of the Mythe and Southwick. The borough returns two members to Parliament.

Soil.—Tewkesbury is situated close to the northern edge of the oolitic group of rocks. The substratum appears to be principally
red marl, covered with a deposit of diluvial gravel and drift. The marl appears at the Mythe, about half a mile to the north of the town. The general character of the substratum to the south and east is the blue lias clay, the beds of which lie at a slight inclination
towards the south-east, of not more than 2 or 3 degrees. A line of dislocation appears to pass through Tewkesbury in a north and south direction from the neighbourhood of Ripple to near Norton. The red marl is probably, in round numbers, 1000 feet thick before reaching the coal-measures.

For the above particulars upon this subject I am indebted to Mr. Hugh Edwin Strickland. -

Rental of Land, &c.—Nearly all the land round the town is under meadow cultivation. The size of the farms generally varies from 10 to 40 acres. There are five or six farms in the parish of from 50 to 100 acres, and one large farm of 400 acres, but this last is quite an exception to the rule. A portion of the land, about 50 acres, in the neighbourhood of the town, is cultivated as market gardens, some of the produce of which is sent to Cheltenham and Birmingham. The rental of some of the market-gardens is at the rate of £10 to £15 an acre.

Some of the meadow land is perfectly level, and is much exposed to floods. The average rental of this is £31.10s. per annum; the meadow land above the reach of the floods usually lets for 10s. or 15s. per acre more. The alluvial soil of the flat is about 20 feet deep; the soil of the upper lands is not considerable, and in some points is only two feet deep. The soil of the flat consists in a considerable proportion of clay, and it cracks much in summer.

Subsoil Draining.—Subsoil drainage is practised to some extent on the flat, and decided benefit has been found to result from it in all cases. The quality of the herbage changes in a single season; clover, the trefoil, and the finer grasses immediately appearing. Drainage has also been applied to the upper lands, and with equal benefit. Tiles with or without soles have been used in most cases;
in some cases merely clay-draining, which consists of ramming the clay firmly over a mould, which is afterwards withdrawn. The tiles are of good quality ; the market price being 16s. per thousand. The cost of tile-draining is from 40s. to 50s. an acre. It is considered to repay itself in three years.

It appears that fully one-third of the parish is drained, but much of does not appear to have been very effectually done. I was informed that the depth of the drainage was usually only 1 foot, or 18 inches; the lines lying as much as 100 feet apart. No artificial irrigation is practised in the parish; and I could not ascertain that liquid manure had in any case been applied.

The south-west winds prevail here; and though they are always mild, usually bring more or less rain. Fogs prevail at times. Ague, which much afflicted this part of the country, seems to have nearly disappeared.

Area, Population, houses, &c. The area of the borough and parish of Tewkesbury is 1890 acres

The number of the houses and of the population was as under, in the years 1831 and 1841 :—

Trade and Commerce.—The principal branch of industry now carried on in the town is that of stocking frame-work knitting, which is supposed to have been introduced here about the beginning of the eighteenth century. The number of hands employed in this business used to be estimated at 800; but there are now not so many, probably not more than 600. A manufactory of cotton thread lace was established at the Oldbury in 1825, which employs about 80 hands. Lately silk-throwing has been introduced; and about 200 hands are employed in that branch. Nail-making was once carried on in the town to a considerable extent.

Wages.—The wages of' the stocking-makers vary from 3s.to 12s. a-week, the usual rate for men being 7s. or 8s. The average earnings of the lace-makers is from [-]to [-] a-week.

Poor-rates.—The poor-rates for the year 1848 amounted to no less than 6s. in the pound, on a valuation of three-fifths of the annual rental of houses, and four-fifths of land. The sum collected, including the borough rate, amounted to £2866.; the expenditure on the poor was £2417 for salaries and other expenses £607. Mr. William Brydges, relieving officer of the parish, put in a statement, from which it appears that the number of cases of relief per week in the year 1848 averaged from 300 to 350 for Tewkesbury, whilst the vagrant cases amounted to from 52 to 120, or an average of 80 per week. The vagrants, who generally depart in the morning, are lodged by contract at a common lodging-house, at the rate of 2d. per head, per night, and ld. allowed for food.

There are many charitable funds in the town, established by benevolent individuals at various periods, which are supposed to favour the immigration of vagrants.

Population 1841

The average of this mortality, for the seven years ending 1848, would be at the rate of 27.9, which increase is to be wholly spread over the last 3 years; being an excess beyond the average of rates presented even by the most crowded districts of large
manufacturing towns, and denoting most unequivocally the existence of local circumstances strongly unfavourable to health.

This average shows one death to every 351 inhabitants. Comparing it with the returns of mortality in the Appendix to the Ninth Annual Report of he Registrar-General, it appears, that the average mortality of the district of Newent and Tewkesbury, during the seven years 1838-44, was at the rate of one to every 49.2 of the population; whilst the mortality in the district of Weatenhurst and Westbury-on-Severn was at the rate of 1 in every 55.1 of the population; and that of the district of Northleach, Stow-on the-Wold, and Winchcombe, was at the rate of 1 to every 58 of the population. The mortality of the whole county of Gloucester was at the rate of 1 to every 45.8 of the population.

According to he average Motality of :-

The County of Gloucester

District of Newent and Tewkesbury

Weatenhurst and Westbury-on-Severn

Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold,

128

119

106

101

160

""

""

""

32

41

54

59

GOVERNMENT.—Tewkesbury has been a borough almost from time immemorial. The last charter was granted in 1698 by
William III., and it is by this charter, as modified by the Municipal Corporations Act, that the borough is at present governed.
The governing body of the Corporation consists of a Mayor, aldermen, and councillors, in all 16 persons. There are also a high
steward (whose office is merely honorary), a recorder, and eight justices of the peace, exclusive of the Mayor, ex-mayor, and recorder, who are justices of the peace by virtue of their offices.

The borough has a jurisdiction distinct from the county; has a separate court of quarter sessions, and maintains its own jail. The corporate jurisdiction formerly extended over but a part of what is now the town of Tewkesbury. By the last charter the jurisdiction was made co-extensive with the parish of Tewkesbury, which includes the hamlets of the Mythe and Southwick in addition to the town.

The borough and parish are exempt from county rates, but a borough rate for similar purposes is made every year, and is paid
out of the poor rate. Last year the amount of this rate was £682. 9s. 8d., being 10d. in the pound.

" What the county-rate of Gloucestershire amounts to," I quote from the Commissioners' Report on the Municipal Boundary of the Borough of Tewkesbury, "we are not able to ascertain, either from the Parliamentary Returns or from any information given to us here; but we believe we are, justified in stating that it would not equal the borough rate in this parish;

The Watch Committee of Council appoint the police, who consist of an inspector and four constables.

Local Acts.—Improvement Act.—An Act was passed in 1786, for "paving, repairing , cleansing, lighting, and watching the town of Tewkesbury." It is expressly provided, however, by this Act, that the powers granted in it shall not extend to charge the hamlets of the Mythe, Southwick, and Park, being without the town, and the Oldbury field and other plots of arable land within the town, with the payment of any rates made under it.

The precincts of the town of Tewkesbury, for the purposes of this Act, will be found traced upon the map accompanying this Report.

The Key Bridge and Approaches Act.-An Act was obtained in 1808 for the purpose of rebuilding the Key bridge in the borough, and repairing the approaches to it. The trust is managed by a body of commissioners, who fill up vacancies as they occur. The members of the town council are members ex officio. Tolls are taken for horses and carriages passing over the bridge.There is a debt of £1100. now due on this trust, and the Act provides that, upon this amount being paid off, the tolls shall cease, and the bridge and approaches be repaired by such persons as shall by law be liable to repair the same." The commissioners repair the bridge and approaches, including the Key-lane, a street leading from the High-street to the quay. They appoint a clerk and surveyor.

The Severn Improvement Commissioners lately offered to pay off the sum due to the mortgagees, upon condition that the bridge should thenceforth be free from toll, and be repaired by the borough. This proposal was agreed to by the trustees of the bridge and the council of the corporation, and, requiring the sanction of Parliament, a clause for the purpose was inserted in the Severn Improvement Bill, before Parliament at the date of this inquiry. It has subsequently, however, fallen to the ground, the Bill having been lost.

The Oldbury.-At the time of passing the Street Commissioners Act (1786) the part called the Oldbury was an open arable field. It has since been enclosed under an Act passed 1808, and is now partially covered with buildings. The middle and upper roads in the Oldbury were set out in the enclosure as private roads, and have not been repaired till lately. The other roads in the Oldbury have been usually repaired.by the surveyors of the highways.

Meetings of Street Commissioners.-The commissioners, named under the focal Act, consisted of the "bailiff's, principal burgesses, high steward, recorder, justices, town clerk, coroner, and chamberlain" of the borough, ex officio, and 64 others; vacancies arising amongst the latter to be filled up by the surviving or remaining commissioners; five to be a quorum. As is the case with many other like boards, the number of commissioners had considerably fallen off in course of time from a neglect to fill up vacancies as they occurred. In 1847 the number of commissioners had fallen as low as 21, and the consequence was that the meetings were frequently not attended by a quorum. It appears that in 1846 three meetings out of 13 failed for want of sufficient attendance; the average attendance of the 13 being five. In 1847 the average attendance at 14 meetings was four, and during that year five meetings failed for want of sufficient attendance.

Mr. Richards, solicitor, and one of the commissioners, states,-

Street Rate and Expenditure.-The commissioners are empowered to raise two rates a year, not to exceed in the whole 2s. in the pound per annum for the purposes of the Act; and to borrow money not exceeding £800. upon mortgage of the rates. The average rates levied have not generally exceeded 1s. in the pound per annum. In the five years, from October, 1843, to October, 1848, there have been raised eight 6d. rates, and one 9d. rate, the last in April, 1848 (the 6d. rate usually producing £202. or £205.); and these rates, added to a balance in hand in 1843, give a total of £2105. 11s. 3d. raised for the purpose of the Act in five years, by an average of about £420. a year.

The chief items of expenditure have been for lighting, which increased from 1931. in 1843, the last of a term of 21 years by contract, to about £260. the present rate of charge ; and scavenging, which was charged at the rate of about £20. a year previously, but, in 1848, £39. 19s. There have also been expended in the course of 5 years, for pitching, repairing culverts, bricklayers' work, gravel, &c., various sums amounting to £283. 13s. 6d., and for making two new pumps £251. 7s. 11d. The salary of the surveyor is £12. a year, that of the clerk £10., besides commissions for making and collecting the rates, amounting to about £16. a year. -

"I believe a contract was entered into by the commissioners with a person for the scavenging of the town from the 25th of March last, at a salary of 461. for the year, which expired yesterday. Previously to that there was no contract for the removal of nightsoil. At the present time, if the nightsoil is deposited in any part of the streets between the hours of 12 and 4, the scavenger is obliged to remove it."

Since the last 12 months the scavenging has been extended to the alleys, which was not formerly the case. It will be seen from the evidence in regard to privy accommodation, that, from the almost destitute condition of the poorer inhabitants in this important particular, the streets and alleys are much loaded with the most offensive filth, and that the labours of the scavenger, if he performed his duty, would be of no light kind.-

Lighting.—The streets are lighted with gas supplied by a private joint-stock company, established in 1832.

The total length of the streets so lighted, including lanes, is 2600 yards. The number of public lamps in the streets is 86, which are paid for by the commissioners at the rate of £2. 18s. each for eight months in the year. They are lit from dusk till 6 in the morning from November till February, and till 5 o'clock in the other winter months. In summer the lamps are paid for at the rate of 1/2d. an hour for each lamp for the time they are lighted, generally about 6 hours in the course of the night.

Besides the street lamps, there are 10 lamps on the turnpike-road, 5 at each end of the town, which are paid for by the trustees at the rate of £4. 4s. each per annum.

There are complaints that the numerous alleys in the town are not lighted as they should be. It appears that but one of these alleys has a lamp.

Gas for private lighting is charged at the rate of 10s. per 1000 cubic feet. There are not more than 100 or 120 houses supplied with gas.

The capital sunk in the works, including the whole of the pipes, was £4000. The total receipts for the year preceding the .inquiry was £840., and the expenditure £530.

The coal used varies in price from 12s. to 16s. a ton. The best coal for domestic use costs about 17s. a ton.

The refuse lime is fetched away by the farmers, and the whole of the gas is sold.

Drainage.—It was not until the year 1824 that anything in the way of drainage was attempted in this town. Mr. Abel Pointon, of Worcester, commenced a system of drains in that year, which were completed about seven years afterwards. " Before I put these drains in," Mr. Pointon states," there were none whatever existing."

These drains have eight outlets; five into the Avon, and three into the Swilgate. They vary in diameter from 12 to. 21 inches ; they are barrel drains, formed of brick; the main drains have generally a fall of a quarter of an inch in the yard; but they follow the ground. The average depth of the drains is about 4 feet, with the exception of that in Orchard-court, and that leading from High-street to the Market-place, which average 6 feet in depth.

The contract price of the 12-inch drain was 3s. 9d. per yard; that of the 15-inch, 4s. 9d.; and that of the 18-inch, 5s. 6d. per yard. The amount expended between 1824 and 1840, upon culverts, was about £780.,

These drains receive the surface water of the streets through gullies, as well as the house slops from houses above their course, and the matter from the few water closets there are in the town, and from two public privies. There are stink-traps to the gullies and house drains. Mr. Pointon says,—" I never knew but one stopped in them."

With regard to this arrangement it may be observed, that the use of the Swilgate as a receptacle for the excrement and filth of the town is objectionable; there being so little water in it, that in summer, Mr. Richards says,—', Both become a mass of foetid and putrifying matter, the effluvium from which is exceedingly bad. I have perceived the smell in my garden, at 100 yards distance." The outfall of sewerage into the upper part of the Avon is essentially objectionable; because, for want of other means of supply, many of the inhabitants of the poorer districts have recourse to it for water, not only for house cleaning and washing, but for drinking and cooking. purposes. One of the points where it is taken is close to the outlet of one of the culverts, and more than one witness complained that on filling their pails or bottles they had found privy filth floating in the water. This will appear more fully when speak- ing of "Water Supply."

Objectionable, however, as the present system of drains is for the reasons just stated, it is so restricted in amount, that in reality the greater portion of the town, all that most thickly inhabited indeed, is to this day utterly undrained. The lines of drains laid down in 1824-43 extend only along the three principal streets, Barton-street, High-street, and Church-street; the drains of the two former being continued by that of the last-named at their point of junction.

In addition to those, a drain has recently been laid down in St. Mary's-lane, which is described as having previously been one of the worst and most filthy thoroughfares in the town. This drain, however, only receives the surface water and the house slops.

Upon surveying the town it will be found that the narrow lanes, courts, and alleys branching out of the three principal streets above named are extremely numerous, and so crowded together—in many cases back to back—that they constitute, in fact, the great bulk of the structure of the town. So numerous are these confined abodes, and apparently so little explored by the authorities, that in February, 1848, a committee was appointed " to ascertain the customary names of the streets, lanes, ways, passages, and places within the borough, many of which have been, from various causes, subject to change and uncertainty ;" and from the Report of this committee it appears that there are 38 lanes, courts, or alleys opening out of, or immediately adjoining, High-street, on either side; 37 similar places leading out of or adjoining Barton-street; and 37 similarly connected with Church-street; whilst in the Oldbury there are four thoroughfares denominated -streets, and a dozen other thoroughfares variously styled roads, rows, courts, places, and gardens. The whole of these lines of buildings, amounting in all to above 100, though thickly inhabited, are almost entirely without drainage, and in most instances without privy accommodation, and are consequently in an exceedingly filthy and unwholesome condition.

Privy Accommodation.—The few waterclosets are attached to the better class of houses, and empty into the street drains, or by means of private drains into the river. Generally speaking, the privy soil is received in bricked vaults, or in common tubs. The vaults are usually about 4 feet square, and 5 or 6 feet deep; the charge for emptying them varies from 10s. to 15s. for the smaller ones, and from 30s. to £2. for the larger. The vaults are emptied at various periods,—some remaining as long as 7 years untouched. Mr. Wm. Turner states,

" From my experience as a member of the several committees and and bodies referred to, I am decidedly of the opinion that no effectual reformation of the general sanitary condition of the town can be effected without new powes; and I have, consequently, been active in promoting the application of the Public Health Act to the town, the provisions of which are best suited to the case."

Water-supply.—The town generally obtain their water from private wells. There is no public provision for the supply of this important article, with the exception of three public pumps, two of which are in St. Mary's-lane, and the other at the Quay bridge.
The cost of well-sinking is from £10. to £15. The wells are usually sunk from 20 to 30 feet deep. The water is abundant in the substratum and rises very often to within a dozen ' feet' of the surface. In St. Mary's-lane it has been known to over-flow the surface. The water is clear, but of a hard quality, varying in this respect in different parts of the town. It furs the insides of kettles and saucepans a good deal. That on the south-west side of the town is softer than that on the north-east.

Most of the better class of houses have wells; but the greater number of the smaller houses are without them, and the inhabitants beg of their neighbours or supply themselves from the Avon, contaminated as its waters are by the drainage of the town. Mr. Wm. Turner gave some statements exhibiting the amount of destitution of the poorer inhabitants in this particular.

The following is a summary of the facts stated by this witness. There are six houses in Nailor's-square without any pump at all; at the Mill-bank there are 12 houses without any pump; in Mann's-alley three houses without a pump: all these houses are situated within 20 or 40 yards from the Avon, that part of it which is "below the point where, at present, it receives the drainage." The inhabitants, nevertheless, have to use this water, except when they obtain some from their neighbours. Mr Turner says "At no time should I like to use it. After a storm it is frequently very foul."

In St. Mary's-lane their are altogether 35 houses without a private pump. They fetch their water from the public pump.

With regard to the numerous courts and alleys already alluded to, they have generally one pump each, which is situated at the end of the alley. Some of these alleys are 100 yards long. The public pumps are not repaired at the public expense; and they are freequednuly out of order. Turner says, "It is no part of my duty to look after them." They remain out of repair and out of use for want of the money to pay for their being put in order; and the same witness adds,--

Under these circumstances the inhabitants have to obtain water either from the Swilgatet or Avon, or from the neighbours, or, as far as washing purposes are concerned, by catching rain-water in tanks or butts set up for the purpose. The cost of one contrivances, including a pump, is from 20s. to 30s., exclusive of repairs, and a very good water-butt will last 18 or 20 years, but the average is not above 12 years. When the annual charge in an outlay, resulting from the wear and tear and interest of money is considered, it will be found that it is equivalent to a very handsome "rate" for water supply, and that casual in itself, and of a quality adapted only for a certain class of purposes.

It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the tank system is not generally adopted by the inhabitants of Tewkesbury to supply their drains for washing water. The Swilgate and the Avon are resorted to in the generality of cases. Of these in the words of Mr. Turner, "the Swilgate is the softest and the foulest from the refuse drainage." In the former respect this appears not to be the case. (See table of analysis.) The Swilgate is deficient in quantity, particularly in summer, when the slow and stinking stream is diminished to the narrowest imaginable limits, lying between the banks covered with putrescent filth. The cost of water procured from this polluted source is by no means trifling. It is thus stated, by Mr. Turner :—

SANITARY CONDITION.—The filthy state , of the alleys in which the poorer classes dwell, and the bad ventilation consequent upon the manner in which they are crowded together, is no doubt in great measure the cause of the high rate of mortality, and the general bad sanitary condition which, so strikingly marks the social history of Tewkesbury.

Going back to the year 1831, when the cholera visited Tewkesbury, I find, on looking over a list of cases, that 76 deaths occurred in the town between the months of July and October, all except eight or ten of which took place in one or other of the alleys or lanes previously referred to; and every one of the victims was of the labouring or poorest classes. Mr. Hanford, plumber, confirms this." He says,---

"There are 18 houses in the lane. No house has a privy to it. I keep a lodging-house, but we are a heavy family ourselves—nine in all. We have got four rooms, the kitchen and three above. Sometimes I have six or seven lodgers, at others more. I have only two beds, and have two regular lodgers who work in the town. My eldest boy is 18, my eldest daughter 16, the next 14. All the little ones sleep together in one room, and the eldest girl along with me in our bed. We have sometimes four in the bed."

"I have resided in Tewkesbury for 24 years past. I find some parts of the town more subject to fever than others, and I would specify in particular the close alleys and crowded parts of the town. I cannot say there is any exception ; I think every alley is as much subject to fever as the others when it prevails. I attribute the spread of fever in these alleys to their confined situation, causing want of ventilation, and their crowded state. Of course the filthy condition of these alleys would tend to increase the disease. No doubt the health of the town would be improved by the introduction of proper privy accommodation, combined with a good system of drainage and water-supply. I attribute the high mortality of Tewkesbury, in part, to the low situation of he town, and the floods to which the country surrounding it is exposed,"

"I attribute the high rate of mortality here partly to the low situation, and he consequent inundations; but I have no doubt that the bad state of the refuse drainage adds materially to it. At the same time the confined situation of the alleys and the crowded state adds materially to it. So far as my own experience goes, I have had most cases of fever in those alleys which are most confined, and where the drainage is worst. I have noticed severe colds after the floods. I have not noticed an increase of fever after the floods; but I lave observed more cases of typhus in the autumn of the year. I do not kink that the effect of the floods is to increase fever very much."

"I have had constant occasion to visit the poorer classes in Tewkesbury. We occasionally have fever, but not constantly. I have never been able to feel satisfied with regard to its prevalence in any particular locality. We have had it for some time in an open situation, Jayness-row (sic). There is a stagnant ditch about 200 feet distant, which is no doubt at times very offensive; but I do not connect the fever at Jayness-row with the state of this ditch. I mention this fever because it is more of a typhoid case, and differs from our ordinary fever. I think it originated with the destitution of a particular family, and then spread. No doubt a bad state of drainage would favour the spread of it. The common continued fever is the term amongst medical men for our ordinary fever. This fever prevails occasionally amongst the poor in all localities of the town. I have known it to occur in Wilkes's-alley. Cases are more frequent there than in the High-street. I attribute this excess of fever in Wilkes's-alley over that in High-street to the inferior diet, to the diet of the poorer classes. I have expressed the opinion before, and I repeat now, that measures insuring better drainage and water-supply will not much alter the character of the diseases of the town."

This witness put in the following Report on the number cases of sickness amongst the poor in the last eight years attended by the union surgeon, exclusive of the workhouse

"The dispensary, in the same time, has had about 250 cases of sickness annually, but scarcely a death or severe case of fever can have occurred among the poor without my knowledge.

The average number of cases, in proportion to population, in eight country parishes around, during the same period, has been one-tenth to one-fifteenth less; and, considering that from distance they may occasionally neglect to seek assistance, I conclude their healths to be about the same as that of the town.

Of the cases above lumped as diarrhoeas &c., about one-half were fevers; the far greater proportion slight cases of common continued fever; the small remainder gastro-enteric fever and typhus.

"Scarcely a case of typhus occurred here until 1848; in 1846-47 we had 20 to 24 bad cases, of which seven died; in the last twelve months four have died; in the year before six died.

Gastric and typhus fevers have visited in the eight years most localities in the town. I can call to mind, on running through the books, severe cases in the following places:-

"I can find two instances where I suspected that dirty pigsties close under the window might have caused the fever. One was in Smith's-lane, the other in the New-road.

When the fever has been strongly marked, it has (but not often) spread from its first sides to two or three neighbouring houses; but it has sometimes passed by those families who seemed most likely, from habits and proximity, to suffer, and has affected their cleaner and more respectable neighbours. Of three houses where typhus has lately existed in Jeyness-row, two were very clean and inhabited by respectable families, the other family were dirty and engaged in stocking-making. The nearest neighbours on one side, a drunken family, escaped.

In Spring-gardens typhus existed about two years since in two houses: the first case, a waterman with no family brought it home I believe, but am not certain; the other family are particularly cleanly, and not in indigent circumstances. It did not spread around.

The last typhus in the town originated with Atwood, very dirty, very poor people in Eagles's-alley; it was taken in succession by all the family, and one next house, two cases, and was taken home by persons who came to visit them. InTolsey-lane, three cases; Wilkes's-alley, one case; and Comptou's-alley, one case; one person died in Tolsey-lane. It died away without going beyond those who were so mueh exposed.

Typhus has been in four houses in Wilkes's-alley in my memory—once at a baker's, from whose house it did not extend ; once at King's lodging-house, two cases, it did not spread, no death; once at Glover's, October 1847, whose son brought it from Birmingham, two cases, the first died, it did not extend. The last case, Devereux, came home ill from his barge up the Severn; he died; his wife caught it and recovered. This was a crowded house; no one else caught it; two have died in Wilkes's-alley in my memory and that of the inhabitants during the last eight years of typhus.

Increased accommodation in the shape of privies would, in my opinion, tend to the greater decency and morality of the poor; and, if continued with the Nuisances Removal Act steadily worked by a person paid by the commisoiiers of streets, would, in my judgment, ameliorate their position, as far as is in the power of sanitary regulations to benefit them in Tewkesbury.

F. J. Prior.

P.S : Since writing the above, I find, on inquiry, that the typhus is asserted to have originated in Wilkes's lodging-house, at the top of the High-street, and to have been taken thence to Atwood's in Eagles-alley."

Burial-grounds,--There are several burial-grounds in the town, viz.,--

1.The Abbey churchyard, containing, exclusive of the church, about 1 acre.

2. The Trinity churchyard, measuring about a quarter of an acre.

3. The burial-ground attached to the Baptist chapel in Barton-street, containing about one eighth of an acre.

4. The burial-ground attached to the Baptist chapel in Church-street containing about a quarter of an acre.

5. The burial-ground attached to the Independent chapel in Barton Street containg about a quarter of an acre.

6. The Quaker's burial-ground in St.Mary's-lane, measuring about 60 feet square.

7.The Quaker's burial-ground in Barton-street, measuring about 70 feet square.

With regard to the Abbey churchyard, the Rev.C.G.Davies, the vicar states:--

1. That the town of Tewkesbury is very deficient in drainage; the existing drains being confined to the three principle streets; and the dense mass of lanes, courts and alleys branching out of them being utterly undrained, and in a filthy state in consequence.

2. There is a great want of privy accommodation amounting almost to destitution, amonst the poorerclasses.

3. That, with the excexcepption of three public pumps, which are often out of repair, there is no public provision for the supply of water. That some of the better class of houses have wells, yielding water of an exceedingly hard quality attached to them; but the great majority of the poorer inhabitants have to beg or buy from their neighbours, or obtain their supply from the rivers Avon Swilgate, the waters of which are rendered filthy by the drainage from the town, and the refuse thrown into them.

4. That the houses had the poorer classes generally are more than usually unhealthy habitations, from the filth conditions of the courts in which they are situated, and want of ventilation.

5. That there is a great deal of sickness, particularly amongst the poorer classes, which is in great part traceable to the above causes; and that the mortality is upwards of 28 in the 1000 of the population.

6. That there is a local Act for the improvement of the town; but that its provisions are inadequate to meet the evils complained of.

7. That the parish burial ground is much crowded, the other burial-grounds in the town do not afford the required burial accommodation; besides being objectionable by reason of their contiguity to crowded neighbourhoods.

8. That the town would be improved, and the comfort and health of the inhabitants promoted by-

a. A thorough system of surface and refuse drainage.
b. Adequate privy accommodation.
c. A plentiful supply of water of purer quality.
d. Improved ventilation of the dwellings of the poor.
e. Increased burial accommodation at a greater distance from the habitations.

I therefore recommend— '

1. That the Public Health Act be applied to the borough of Tewkesbury.
2. That the boundaries of the municipal borough — which are co-extensive with those of the parish and the parliamentary borough- the boundaries of the district to which the Public Health Act is to be applied.
[The Town Council will become the local Board of Health For the district.]

The chief means for improving the sanitary condition of Tewkesbury, as of all the other towns I have visited, consist in works of drainage and water-supply.

For drainage the town is by no means unfavourably placed, and a good outfall exists into the Avon below the Abbey mills, and just before its confluence with the larger river; the Severn.

There are considerable facilities for the application of the sewage to agricultural purposes, and a revenue from this source, which would materially lighten the burthen of the works, may by the adoption of proper measures be safely reckoned upon.

With respect to water-supply, I ascertained that there are many sources in the neighbourhood yielding water very much softer than that with which the inhabitants are now provided. These, it is true, lie at some little distance off, but at an elevation which would allow of their being led into and distributed throughout the town by gravitation alone.

Independent of the saving in the cost of removal of filth, and consequent prevention of disease, a very large economy would be effected in the consumption of many articles, namely tea, soap, soda, malt, &c. &c., of daily domestic use, by the substitution of a soft water for the excessively hard water yielded by the wells; and there can be little doubt that this of itself would amply repay the outlay required.

A hasty examination of the site and neighbourhood has sufficed to show that there is no practical difficulty in the way of the execution of any part of the works.

It has also—with my knowledge of the cost of similar works of improvement in other towns—led me to the conclusion that, if the capital to be expended were (in accordance with the powers of the Act) to be spread over thirty years for repayment, the annual instalment of principal and interest would be met by rates not exceeding 1d. per week for drainage, and l.5d. per week for water-supply, upon a house of the fourth or cottage class.

I have the honour to be,
             My Lords and Gentlemen,
                            Your very obedient servant,
                                             THOMAS WEBSTER RAMMELL,
                                                                       Superintending Inspector.

The General Board of Health,
&c   &c    &c.