Slums and the Conditions in London during the 19th Century

Poverty in London was almost always visually discrete to elite eyes as slums were moved away from their upper class homes. This allowed the rich to attempt to live their lives comfortably so that they wouldn¹t have to recognize the extreme poverty that existed right next door. Most upper classmen wanted to keep their eyes shut and their minds naïve about what was happening to certain people as a result of their wealth. Others were very conscious of the poverty that had existed and advertently decided to drive the poor into another location because they were considered inferior to them. The dwellings of the working class were "approached by covered passages between the houses."

The general slums of England owned the worst houses found in the worst districts. Their "houses were two-storied terrace houses built of brick", the streets they lived on were unpaved, filled with holes and always filthy. The air smelled of farm animals and rotten vegetables. There were no drains or gutters, so there were large puddles that accumulated throughout the rainy days. The towns were crowded which left little room for adequate ventilation. There were thousands of hidden alleys and passage ways which led to these housing conditions. St. Giles was the name of one of them.

St. Giles¹ slum consisted of the worst paid workers who were mostly from Ireland or of Irish decent. The conditions of the working class slums were so awful, "No human being would willingly inhabit such dens." St. Giles was the most densely populated area in London, hidden by narrow passage ways that made small supermarkets look wide. These markets sold baskets of inedible fruits and vegetables, yet these foods remained on sale because the desperate conditions. Further stenches came from butcher stalls and dirty streets. "Respectable" people during that time described St. Giles as Œa large number of Irish demoralized by dirt and poverty¹, and where the women wore rags as the children were half starved. Surprisingly, these dens, which were also called inns, were often found nearby the mansions of the wealthy. The working class condition was unnoticeable, despite how hard elitists tried to avoid the scene. The extreme poverty of the working class in London was the cause of the elite¹s lack of sympathy towards the working class.

Why did the Irish remain in poor districts and living conditions?

The Irish remained poor because the wages they received from British government were very meager and unfairly distributed. This left them with unaffordable housing and rotten food in local markets left over by Brtish elites. The Irish were unable to afford the basic needs for themselves to live in London especially after coming from another country without any money.

Link to Alberto Monegro's Culture page for description