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 town of Braintree / by Edward Cresy, Superintending Inspector.

Cresy, Edward, 1792-1858.

Date:: 1850

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 town of Braintree / by Edward Cresy, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Cover

4/22 (page 4)

$Tho above rates and taxes were drawn from the inhabitants, which, in 1831, amounted only to 3,422 persons; at that period there were only 708 inhabited houses, occupied by 722 families, 26 uninhabited houses, and five building. On the 30th November, 1835, Braintree was made the head of a Union imder the Poor Law Amendment Act. The amount of poor's rate for the last seven years, from the Brain- tree overseers' book, viz., from 1842 to 1848, both inclusive:— £. s. d. 1842 . 2,297 7 1| 1843 . 1,986 14 11 1844 . 2,009 14 9| 1845 . 2,040 6 Hi % 1846 . 2,149 3 1847 . 3,029 0 1848 . 2,680 9 5| The roads measure seven miles in length, besides four miles which belong to the Trustees or Commissioners. The rate for the parish seven miles, is &d. in the pound. The gas-rate for the houses at 4^d. in the pound, and for the land \^d. in the pound. The parish contract for their gas : they have 24 public lamps, for each of which they pay 405. per annum, and the inhabitants who burn gas pay \ \s. per thousand cubic feet. The town of Braintree has adopted the Act for lighting and watching, and although this general Act does not embrace paving, the chief streets have flagged foot pavements which have been laid down by the inhabitants opposite their respective houses. The government of this town is by a select vestry of 24 parishioners, who, as early as 1584, were styled Governors and Town Magistrates. The population immediately after the Re- formation appears to have been but small, and did not recover itself until the Flemings settled here in the time of EHzabeth, when probably the principles of the new government of the tow n were introduced. 'Jhe powers which were vested in them are not very accurately defined, but it is evident from the state of the courts, houses, and Crocker's-hole, that they have never directed their attention or control to the points which concern the salubrity of the town, or the health of the inhabitants. It was constituted by king John a market town, previous to which it was considered a hamlet to Raines, which, at that time, formed a part of the manor of the Bishop of London; of the then number of its inhabitants we have no account. The number of houses as returned under the Act of 1802 was 454, and the inhabitants 2,821. In 183] there were 708 houses, and 3,422 inhabitants. In 1841 „ 786 „ 3,670 In 1848 „ 900 „ 4,000$