Growth of the Village, and Public Health
The industrialisation of Burley brought about a significant increase in its population. In 1801 there were less than a thousand inhabitants and by the mid–century the figure had doubled. Housing was needed for the growing numbers but in the early part of the 19th century little was done to ensure that basic amenities were provided with the houses. Overflowing privies, flooded cellars, uncleared night soil heaps and animal dung heaps were common place in the early 1850s. There was a higher incidence of tuberculosis and other diseases than would be expected in a semi-rural industrial village.
The leading employers at the mill, W. Fison and W.E. Forster, along with the local clergy determined to apply for powers to remedy the worst abuses. The establishment of a Local Board of Health was their aim. The first step was a petition by the ratepayers of Burley for a formal Inquiry to be made into conditions in the village. There was opposition from some ratepayers who feared big increases in their rates. Nevertheless the General Board of Health in London agreed to appoint William Ranger to carry out a formal Inquiry.
William Ranger commenced his enquiry at the Mechanics Institute (at the bottom of Station Road) on 4th January 1854 calling witnesses to tell him about the state of the village. On the following day, despite a heavy fall of snow, he managed to examine some of the defects he had heard about the day before. When he completed his report on 15th February, he was in no doubt that Burley needed a Board of Health to govern the Township of Burley and improve its sewerage and drainage, hopefully reducing sickness and early deaths. See the quotations from the Ranger Report below.
Burley elected its first Board of nine members in November 1854. The Board members, acting under powers vested in them by The Public Health Act of 1848, were allowed to raise a rate to pay for basic improvements in the village. Better systems for the disposal of sewage and regular collections of rubbish were the main priorities. Bye Laws such as the ones shown were passed by the Board in 1855 to give it powers to control some obvious abuses.
Extracts From Evidence Given To The Ranger Report 1854 Evidence given by Revd H. G. Robinson (a leading promoter of Inquiry) He had been Incumbent of Burley for the last 18 months. He considered the health of the population bad, and that the rate of mortality during the last half year had been higher than that of many populous towns. Consumption was the fatal disorder. It was most prevalent amongst the young women, and excessively rapid from a certain point. Its ravages, in his opinion, were aggravated by the bad sewerage and drainage, and other evils arising from a deficiency of these two aids to health and cleanliness The more modern parts of the village, such as Peel Place, Pleasant Row, and West Terrace etc., had for the most part been built by working men, who had saved enough to build themselves houses. He considered the men of this class one of the most valuable in the place, (and they deserved better).
Evidence given by George Holmes, a Joiner, of West Terrace He had lived at West Terrace for the last three years. There was an open gutter at the back of his house. He remembered it a clear running stream, but since that time, twenty new houses had been built, all of which drain into this stream, which was now a stinking gutter. It was not more than five feet from the back door of the house. His wife was ill; he believed bad drainage was the cause...The gutter was now stagnant, except in wet weather.
Evidence given by Benjamin Waterhouse (Assistant Overseer of the Poor of Peel Place) He resided in Peel Place, and his cellar was sometimes flooded to a depth of 24 inches for want of proper drainage. The smell from the cellar was very bad in hot weather. There were some of his neighbours who did not seem to care for having their drainage better, but he was not of that mind himself. He knew it could not be done without its costing money, but for his part he would rather spend a little money in making good drainage, than bear all the annoyance and discomfort he now had for want of it, let alone the bad health it might bring upon him; when the proposal for a petition came up at a public meeting some gentlemen came forward and offered to lend ten pounds each to the owners of the houses in Peel Place and elsewhere on their personal security if they would not sign the petition. But he for one wanted no such arrangement – and he would rather do it out of his own pocket than be beholden to any one for a loan.
A copy of the full Ranger Report is in Burley Archives (in the village library), and it contains William Ranger’s summary of the evidence, examples of evidence given, minutes of meetings of Burley Sanitary Committee, and statistics showing the population, incidence of diseases and deaths in the village during the previous decade.
Some extracts from the bye laws on Street Cleansing, Removal of Refuse, etc. Rubbish No person shall deposit, throw, or allow to run, lodge, or accumulate on the surface of any street, square, court, highway or place, or on any waste or occupied ground, or in any uncovered drain, ditch, or watercourse, sink, pond, or other collection of water, or expose or cause to be exposed in any other manner whatever, within the district, any animal or vegetable matter, fish, offal, ordure, blood, bones, manure, shells, broken glass, china, or earthenware, dust, ashes, house refuse, waste, refuse, or runnings from any manufactory, or any other offensive or noxious matter whatever. (In time of frost ashes could be thrown on icy patches!)
Night Soil No night soil, sewage, or other contents of any cesspool, shall be conveyed through any public street, passage, or thoroughfare within the special district, between the hours of seven in the morning and twelve at night, during the summer months, from the 15th April to 15th October, and between the hours of nine in the morning and twelve at night, during the winter months, from 15th October to 15th April; nor shall such night soil, sewage, or any contents of any cesspool, or any other noxious or offensive matter, under any pretence whatever be laid or deposited in or upon the surface of any street, square, court, highway, or any public place; but be conveyed direct from the ashpit, privy, cesspool, or other place intended to be, or in process of time, being emptied to the cart, or other conveyance employed to take the same away.
Parking of Carts No cart, waggon, or carriage of any kind, whether with or without horses, loaded or unloaded, shall be allowed to stand or be stationary in any public street, lane, or highway, for a longer time than 40 minutes…
Highways It is enacted:
That if any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway, by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers, or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle, or carriage of any description or any truck or sledge on any such footpath or causeway, or shall tether any horse, or ass, mule, swine, or cattle on highway , so as to suffer or permit the tethered animal to be thereon, or shall cause any injury or damage to be done to the said highway, or the hedges, posts, rails, walls or fences thereof, or shall wilfully obstruct the passage of any footway; every person so offending in any of the cases aforesaid, shall for each and every such offence over and above the damages occasioned thereby, forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Two Pounds.
That if any person play at football, or any other game on any part of the said highways to the annoyance of any passenger or passengers, every person so offending in any of the cases as aforesaid, shall for each and every such offence, over and above the damages occasioned thereby, forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Two Pounds.
That if any person riding any horse, or beast, or driving any sort of carriage, shall ride or drive the same furiously, so as to endanger the life, or limb of any passenger, every person so offending in any of the cases aforesaid, and being convicted of any such offence either by his own confession, the view of a Justice, or by the oath of one or more credible witnesses, before any two Justices of the Peace, shall in addition to any civil action to which he may make himself liable for every such offence (in case such driver shall not be the owner of such waggon, cart, or other carriage) forfeit any sum not exceeding Five Pounds And in case the owner of such waggon, cart, or other carriage, then any sum not exceeding Ten Pounds.
Margaret and Dennis Warwick are the authors of several books on local historical subjects.
See the Local History Group page "Publications"
The leading employers at the mill, W. Fison and W.E. Forster, along with the local clergy determined to apply for powers to remedy the worst abuses. The establishment of a Local Board of Health was their aim. The first step was a petition by the ratepayers of Burley for a formal Inquiry to be made into conditions in the village. There was opposition from some ratepayers who feared big increases in their rates. Nevertheless the General Board of Health in London agreed to appoint William Ranger to carry out a formal Inquiry.
William Ranger commenced his enquiry at the Mechanics Institute (at the bottom of Station Road) on 4th January 1854 calling witnesses to tell him about the state of the village. On the following day, despite a heavy fall of snow, he managed to examine some of the defects he had heard about the day before. When he completed his report on 15th February, he was in no doubt that Burley needed a Board of Health to govern the Township of Burley and improve its sewerage and drainage, hopefully reducing sickness and early deaths. See the quotations from the Ranger Report below.
Burley elected its first Board of nine members in November 1854. The Board members, acting under powers vested in them by The Public Health Act of 1848, were allowed to raise a rate to pay for basic improvements in the village. Better systems for the disposal of sewage and regular collections of rubbish were the main priorities. Bye Laws such as the ones shown were passed by the Board in 1855 to give it powers to control some obvious abuses.
Extracts From Evidence Given To The Ranger Report 1854 Evidence given by Revd H. G. Robinson (a leading promoter of Inquiry) He had been Incumbent of Burley for the last 18 months. He considered the health of the population bad, and that the rate of mortality during the last half year had been higher than that of many populous towns. Consumption was the fatal disorder. It was most prevalent amongst the young women, and excessively rapid from a certain point. Its ravages, in his opinion, were aggravated by the bad sewerage and drainage, and other evils arising from a deficiency of these two aids to health and cleanliness The more modern parts of the village, such as Peel Place, Pleasant Row, and West Terrace etc., had for the most part been built by working men, who had saved enough to build themselves houses. He considered the men of this class one of the most valuable in the place, (and they deserved better).
Evidence given by George Holmes, a Joiner, of West Terrace He had lived at West Terrace for the last three years. There was an open gutter at the back of his house. He remembered it a clear running stream, but since that time, twenty new houses had been built, all of which drain into this stream, which was now a stinking gutter. It was not more than five feet from the back door of the house. His wife was ill; he believed bad drainage was the cause...The gutter was now stagnant, except in wet weather.
Evidence given by Benjamin Waterhouse (Assistant Overseer of the Poor of Peel Place) He resided in Peel Place, and his cellar was sometimes flooded to a depth of 24 inches for want of proper drainage. The smell from the cellar was very bad in hot weather. There were some of his neighbours who did not seem to care for having their drainage better, but he was not of that mind himself. He knew it could not be done without its costing money, but for his part he would rather spend a little money in making good drainage, than bear all the annoyance and discomfort he now had for want of it, let alone the bad health it might bring upon him; when the proposal for a petition came up at a public meeting some gentlemen came forward and offered to lend ten pounds each to the owners of the houses in Peel Place and elsewhere on their personal security if they would not sign the petition. But he for one wanted no such arrangement – and he would rather do it out of his own pocket than be beholden to any one for a loan.
A copy of the full Ranger Report is in Burley Archives (in the village library), and it contains William Ranger’s summary of the evidence, examples of evidence given, minutes of meetings of Burley Sanitary Committee, and statistics showing the population, incidence of diseases and deaths in the village during the previous decade.
Some extracts from the bye laws on Street Cleansing, Removal of Refuse, etc. Rubbish No person shall deposit, throw, or allow to run, lodge, or accumulate on the surface of any street, square, court, highway or place, or on any waste or occupied ground, or in any uncovered drain, ditch, or watercourse, sink, pond, or other collection of water, or expose or cause to be exposed in any other manner whatever, within the district, any animal or vegetable matter, fish, offal, ordure, blood, bones, manure, shells, broken glass, china, or earthenware, dust, ashes, house refuse, waste, refuse, or runnings from any manufactory, or any other offensive or noxious matter whatever. (In time of frost ashes could be thrown on icy patches!)
Night Soil No night soil, sewage, or other contents of any cesspool, shall be conveyed through any public street, passage, or thoroughfare within the special district, between the hours of seven in the morning and twelve at night, during the summer months, from the 15th April to 15th October, and between the hours of nine in the morning and twelve at night, during the winter months, from 15th October to 15th April; nor shall such night soil, sewage, or any contents of any cesspool, or any other noxious or offensive matter, under any pretence whatever be laid or deposited in or upon the surface of any street, square, court, highway, or any public place; but be conveyed direct from the ashpit, privy, cesspool, or other place intended to be, or in process of time, being emptied to the cart, or other conveyance employed to take the same away.
Parking of Carts No cart, waggon, or carriage of any kind, whether with or without horses, loaded or unloaded, shall be allowed to stand or be stationary in any public street, lane, or highway, for a longer time than 40 minutes…
Highways It is enacted:
That if any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway, by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers, or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle, or carriage of any description or any truck or sledge on any such footpath or causeway, or shall tether any horse, or ass, mule, swine, or cattle on highway , so as to suffer or permit the tethered animal to be thereon, or shall cause any injury or damage to be done to the said highway, or the hedges, posts, rails, walls or fences thereof, or shall wilfully obstruct the passage of any footway; every person so offending in any of the cases aforesaid, shall for each and every such offence over and above the damages occasioned thereby, forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Two Pounds.
That if any person play at football, or any other game on any part of the said highways to the annoyance of any passenger or passengers, every person so offending in any of the cases as aforesaid, shall for each and every such offence, over and above the damages occasioned thereby, forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding Two Pounds.
That if any person riding any horse, or beast, or driving any sort of carriage, shall ride or drive the same furiously, so as to endanger the life, or limb of any passenger, every person so offending in any of the cases aforesaid, and being convicted of any such offence either by his own confession, the view of a Justice, or by the oath of one or more credible witnesses, before any two Justices of the Peace, shall in addition to any civil action to which he may make himself liable for every such offence (in case such driver shall not be the owner of such waggon, cart, or other carriage) forfeit any sum not exceeding Five Pounds And in case the owner of such waggon, cart, or other carriage, then any sum not exceeding Ten Pounds.
Margaret and Dennis Warwick are the authors of several books on local historical subjects.
See the Local History Group page "Publications"