Ranger report Northowram and Southowram
Report for Halifax, West Yorkshire, documenting health, social and economic conditions.
Author: William Ranger
Date: 1850
Location: Northowram
Format: Report
Document ID: 100398
Library ID: SPC88
A young engineer, William Ranger, visited Halifax for the first time in 1850. Nothing could prepare him for the shock of seeing people living in overcrowded, dirty conditions.
The Public Health Act had been introduced in 1848; two years later a petition was raised by the Halifax ratepayers to the General Board of Health in order that the Act could be enforced - hence the reason for William Ranger's visit.
A view of an open sewer above Cornmarket is included in the Halifax Report.
The main enquiry concentrated on the areas surrounding Orange Street, Crib Lane, Cross Hills and the City, as well as Winding Road, Square and the north side of the Parish Church. These were areas that lay in the shadow of the mills and where the homes of the unskilled workers were situated.
If the inspector recommended improvements, which Ranger did, the Council would then be entitled to borrow money to improve sanitation.
In the Northowram and Southowram townships, Ranger concentrated on certain areas. Parts of Haley Hill were very overcrowded; there were instances of twelve people occupying three beds. In Middle Street, one privy served two hundred and twenty one people.
In his conclusion, Ranger urged the introduction of the Public Health Act in order that families would be provided with "a greater prospect of immunity from sickness and an addition to their too scanty comfort".
At the end of the report there are some interesting statistical tables which list life expectancy by rank: gentry and merchants could expect an average life of 55 years. This was in stark contrast to the 22 years of a labourer.
