The Living Conditions of the 19th Century

The 19^th Century has completely changed the living conditions of our society since the beginning of what we believe is an Industrial Revolution. I saw population of cities rise into the 50% margin in the 1850’s rather than the 20% that used to live here when I was born. I saw the desolate working conditions for the working class when I observed them, the filth that was involved… I was disgusted! Ugh.. I started to advocate reforms consisting of efficient sewers and a supply of piped water. I mean people couldn’t be healthy with these sorts of conditions around them.

I felt the need to be a civil servant observing these horrific living conditions. I became obsessed with eliminating the poverty and squalor in the metropolitan areas.

Here’s what the city looked like, and I’m feeling filthy just looking at it.

I came up with the idea of having a drainage system because there was so much dump and filth throughout the streets and roads. We also needed an effective watery system to bring water to the workers. I saw the filth and the thirst in the workers eyes; this could definitely bring death to many working class citizens. I created the Report on the Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain, and six years after my concern towards this issue Britain created the First Public Health Act. I was thrilled with this as it empowered to form local boards that would establish the modern sanitary systems we live in as of 1880. I definitely give a salute to the National Board of Health for the drastic changes the made throughout Great Britain.

Here is a video on buildings I saw, and how they changed over time. Credits to Rosie Foale. 

My Germaphobe Tendencies

Some of my friends tease me and say that I am an extreme “germaphobe” because of my interests in promoting a sanitary environment for the people of England. Yes, it is true that I loathe germs, but if you spent three years doing a careful study of the current conditions, you would be disgusted, too!

After my study of law in London, I became obsessed with the conditions of the poor in the urban areas. After they came to my attention, I could not simply ignore what I knew and had seen, and thus became completely engulfed in finding ways in which they could be improved. After I became a civil servant, I was noticed by many of my superiors for my painstaking work and interest in the investigation of the system of sanitation in Great Britain. I was thus enlisted to become a part of many of the investigatory committees, and soon led many of them. When I became secretary of the Poor Law Commission, my heart went out for the poor working class community when I saw and recorded the many details of their horrific conditions. I put my entire heart and soul into my work for the next three years, and published my results in the Report on the Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain.

Here is my work :)

I found that many of the disease and epidemic were spread directly by the “atmospheric impurities produced by decomposing animal and vegetable substances, by damp and filth, and close overcrowded dwellings [prevailing] amongst the population in every part of the kingdom,” as is quoted from my written report. I proposed, as a result, that the government take measures to constructing a drainage system, removal of discarded trash from the streets, particularly those concentrated by the working class populations, and overall improvement of the supplies of water. I am glad that my germophobic tendencies paved the way for the new sewer systems and piped water system! I believe my obsession led to exactly what I envisioned. 

Here is the construction of the Fleet sewer in London,Great Britain; 1854.

Jeremy Bentham: The Radical Reformer

One of my sole confidantes and good friends is the famous Jeremy Bentham. As you know, Bentham is one of the great leaders of our time, fighting for the reformation of England. Though some may call his ideas “radical,” I support many of his beliefs, including his feelings as demonstrated in the Catechism of Reformers.

Bentham is an interesting fellow—quite shy and reserved in public—thus, he chooses to express himself through his extensive writing and studies in philosophy, politics, and economics. I have truly grown to respect him, and he is quite influential in my own studies. 

Jeremy left me a portrait from his childhood that I treasure and is my support.

Bentham cites Joseph Priestly and David Hume as his influences, which shaped his belief that all legislation should focus on “greatest happiness of the greatest number.” Dear Bentham is also has impacted the current prison system, and says “pain and pleasure are the sovereign masters governing man’s conduct.” Since each man gives in to his own self-interests, it is the job of the government to regulate their behaviors by enforcing a system of “pain and pleasure” for their acts.

Bentham has been a friend of many of the great social reformers, who each have helped shape his ideas as much as he has shaped theirs. These include Sir Francis Burdett, Leigh Hunt, William Cobbett, Henry Brougham, and James Mill. His recent publication, Constitutional Code, has been seen as extremely radical because of his beliefs about the abolition of slavery, and the equal rights of women. He is deeply sympathetic to the rights of all men, and this is something that we agree upon and builds our mutual respect for each other. Lately his health has not been well, and I feel he will not be with us for too much longer.

Here is what Jeremy looks like now.

An Industrial Revolution??!

What an age in which we live! In my lifetime, I have seen more rapid change than I could have ever imagined in my youth. The population in England has increased almost two times since 1750, and today it approaches 275 million. This is because the death rate is also decreasing due to the decline in epidemics and the rise in agriculture for increased food production. Even still, I cannot believe the growth of the cities! I suppose this is the result of the rise in manufacturing and industry here in the cities. Whereas before, one would only see the town centers and government and princely courts, now have crowded around these the steam engines and large cotton factories, the textile and iron industries, and even the advent of the cheaper metal—steel, has come about. The most exciting local advancement was the start of the railroad line back in 1830, from Manchester to Liverpool. This is great for both the local industries and just taking trips to visit friends and family in Liverpool. Now, with the new government bureaucracy making everything more systematic, and the solid banking and financial institutions, we have become one of the wealthiest nations in the world!

As such, it is devastating to see that among all this wealth, progress and growth in our nation, we must also see the poverty and squalor in our great cities. I saw a lot of child  labor throughout the country, and

Here's a picture of some children working in horrific conditions.

Though my investigations from the Poor Law Commissions, I have seen how the filth in our cities has produced the most outrageous epidemics that spread through these overcrowded communities that cannot help the conditions in which they live. I hope to bring about a change in this system, so that all of the nation can enjoy a sanitary environment with efficient sewer systems, which they may access pure water. After seeing these miserable conditions with my own eyes, and leading extensive research on the causes of such filth, I am abhorrent that we allow our citizens to live in this manner! I will do everything in my power to advocate the Public Health Act so that all can live with a sanitary means. 

Below this, is a picture of the pollution caused by one factory. 

The Name is Chadwick

Hello, Blogosphere. My name is Edwin Chadwick, and I decided to enter this realm of blogging in order to share my story with you.

Here is a picture of me thinking of new ways to improve living conditions.

I was born at the mark of the nineteenth century on January 24th at Longsight, Manchester. My father was James Chadwick, a very admirable man and my role model. My mother passed away while I was at a very young age, however, this made my father and me very close. My father was always pushing me towards education and finding my "talents," since he was an instrumental figure in society. My father was known for teaching music and botany to the famous scientist John Dalton, and also for editing newspapers around different areas. When I was a young child, my father had already put me in a young village school by the Lancashire county for a few years. Then when I turned eight years old, I was sent to boarding school for two long years at Stockport. Finally, at the age of ten, I got to leave that miserable school, and move to the industrialized city of London. Great things were happening in this city, and I didn't have to attend a school as my father home-schooled me while he was a sub-editor for The Statesman. At last, I turned eighteen years old and set my own path for the goals I wished to accomplish. I was moving towards law because I enjoyed serving for the community. I took five years of my life and joined an attorney office where I was an apprentice. Although it was not the most entertaining career path, I definitely did learn a lot from my apprenticeship at the attorney office, but I also realized the need for a formal education if I wanted to pursue in becoming a court lawyer. This led me to the Inner Temple, a small law school at The Temple in London probably seven of the toughest years of my life.

Here is a picture of my law school.

I supported myself through reporting for metropolitan newspapers at the time. I also became familiar with radical politics and it became an amusement for me. During these few years, I met my dear friend Jeremy Bentham who was a big role model for me before his death (I will explain his influence in another post as I get time). Suddenly, I was 30 years old, but I passed my bar exam on November 26, 1830 and got an OFFICIAL license to court law (barrister). In 1832, I decided I would move to Orme Square where I desired to join the government. They offered me a job to become assistant commissioner of the Royal Commission of Enquiry on the Poor Laws. I was a large supporter of the Poor Law Act of 1834 which would reform working conditions throughout England. After observing child labor for one year, I was a proud supporter of the poor and started to advocate reforms in the sanitation of the working environment. Wow! I was only thirty-four years old, those were the highlights of my days. I will explain my destination as a sanitary reformer in one of my next posts. 

Here is quote that most people remember me for before sanitary reforms in Great Britain.

"The annual loss of life from filth and bad ventilation are greater than the loss from death or wounds in any wars in which the country has been engaged in modern times."


I am happy to share my experiences with you, and look forward to any comments or questions you may have. Have a good day!