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The houses of the higher classes and all the more respectable house
recently built have water - closets which empty into drains or cesspools.
In the newly built ranges of cottages tenements, one privy is appropriated to
from four to eight, twelve, and even fourteen families; sometimes however, there
is a privy to each house.
The position of the privy is selected evidently without any reference to health
or comfort of the inhabitants.
In a new range of cottages in Long Close-Lane, there may be seen the door of a
common privy at each end exactly opposite to the door of a tenement, so situated
that it is impossible there can be any ventilation.
In "Plow's building", the privies of the houses are in front.
The soilholes are usually open, and run over, and flood back courts (as in Court
No. 46, Hope-Street, Beedham's-Court, Skelder-Gate, etc)
In St. John's-Place, Haver-Lane, during wet weather, the privies have to be
emptied by bucket into the open channel in the middle of the street.
In the Water-Lanes there are several houses without privies, so that the
inhabitants have to use those of their neighbours by stealth or go into the
street.
The pigsties attached to numerous cottages and yards constitute a most
unnecessary and unpleasant nuisance.
The state of the parochial burying - grounds of York must have
a considerable and noxious influence on the atmosphere within the churches,
and on that of the city generally, and on the water.
The greater number of these grounds are of extreme antiquity, and must have
been buried over very often.
In fact, many of them are raised above the street level from the
accumulated remains of generations.
That of St. Michael, Spurrier-gate (now closed), is at least three feet above
the floor of the church.
A few years ago the ground of St. Helen's, Stonegate, was raised three
feet by fresh soil in consequence of the great number of bodies placed
there.
York having now an excellent cemetery, a strong feeling is very
generally expressed against the continued use of these grounds for the
purpose of interment.
Graves are dug in the public thoroughfares and putrescent human remains
exposed; nor is it an uncommon circumstance to see bones lying about.
The analysis of the water from wells near St. Cuthbert's and St.
Sampson's churchyards show that the wells are tainted by the drainage from
these burying grounds, and there can be no doubt the air is also
polluted, not only by the direct emanations, but as well from the drainage
from these bodies into the public sewers. Indeed, individuals have
stated that they perceive the stench as they pass along the city street.
The courts and alleys inhabited by the poorer classes are cleaned by
appointed scavengers. The night-soil is retained, giving off its impurities,
until a sufficient quantity is accumulated, when it is removed from the yard
during the night in barrows ( and this is the method also in private houses ),
and put into the street; from thence it is carted away to large dung-hills
within the city.
There is an immense heap of this kind at the side of the river Foss, close to
Layerthorpe bridge, and the inhabitants all round complain loudly of the stench.
There is another such dung-heap behind St.Margaret's church, which quite
pollutes the atmosphere around it.
Minor similar heaps are placed ( for the convenience of Water-carriage ) in the
neighbourhood of the Foss, into which the liquid contents of all are
discharged.
The night -soil of the city is usually sold to proprietors of these dunghills,
who are manure merchants by trade.
Sometimes the inhabitants of a court, having a common privy, sell the soil from
the soil-hole, and appropriate the proceeds to the payment of water-rates in
other cases the landlord of the tenements takes the night-soil, and in return
pays the water-rates.
A load and a half is on average taken from each house annually, and the cost of
getting out and loading it is about 2s. per load; so that the city pays at least
£900 per annum for this labour.
The annual value of the manure of all kinds made in the city cannot be less than
£8,000 to £10,000.
In addition to the night-soil, there is the manure of the pigsties, cowhouses,
and stables,
all of which are found in great numbers in the court and yards, especially of
the poorer classes.
Houses are built both in wide streets and in narrow courts. To some cottages tenements lately built there is no drainage or sewer in the street, it is also unpaved and so full of ruts and ashes and all kinds of filth as to be quite impassable to pedestrians or even to persons on horseback. The road is higher than the adjoining yards, and the filthy mud flows into the back premises and even houses in the next street. The city act gives no control over the builders of houses, nor can they be compelled to sewer, drain, or prepare the ground in any way for health and convenience of the inhabitants except as their own judgement dictates. The consequence is, that several new streets in York are unpaved and undrained, full of deep holes, ruts, and mud, and traversed with difficulty even by carts.
Of 98 families living in the Bedern quarter, 67 have only one room for all purposes, 18 two rooms, and 13 three rooms or more. One entire building is let off in single rooms. The stair-case windows are so made that they cannot open, the rooms are low and confined, the light of day almost excluded, and the walls and ground damp and undrained. The building is occupied by 16 families, two abominable filthy privies being appropriated to all, the situate, with there accompanying "ash-hole" or "bog-hole". In a little back court. As might be expected the smell in rooms of this kind is most disgusting and oppressive. Against the back wall of a cottage there is sometimes a dung-hill. The fluid from which soaks into the house. Indeed this circumstance is repeatedly complained of by poor people.
The general state of the air in the dwellings of the poor classes, as is amply shown by observations of the District Visitors, is bad ; the courts and yards are confined, the inhabitants numerous; the privies, sewers, and drains defective the latter, indeed, generally, wanting; and yet there is usually an evident desire to keep all clean and neat as possible, even under circumstances the most unfavourable to personal and domestic cleanliness. There were some instances of extreme poverty observed in Beddern. In a yard, also in Hungate there was a family without either bed or bedding, and in another a man, his son of, aged 18, and his two daughters, aged 10 and 15, occupied one bed made upon the floor. In St. Margaret's a family of seven were found in one room with no other bed than a few shavings in a corner.
The quantity of soot which falls is very great. Some idea of the amount may be learnt from the fact that a drawing-room window not having been opened for two or three months, the soot had collected between the bars just as in a chimney, the current of air passing from without into the room being loaded with and depositing the soot there as it passed through the bars.
The state of the parochial burying - grounds of York must have a
considerable and noxious influence on the atmosphere within the churches, and on
that of the city generally, and on the water. The greater number of these
grounds are of extreme antiquity, and must have been buried over very often. In
fact, many of them are raised above the street level from the accumulated
remains of generations. That of St. Michael, Spurrier-gate (now closed), is at
least three feet above the floor of the church. A few years ago the ground of
St. Helen's, Stonegate, was raised three feet by fresh soil in consequence of
the great number of bodies placed there. York having now an excellent cemetery,
a strong feeling is very generally expressed against the continued use of these
grounds for the purpose of interment. Graves are dug in the public thoroughfares
and putrescent human remains exposed; nor is it an uncommon circumstance to see
bones lying about. The analysis of the water from wells ne!
ar St. Cuthbert's and St. Sampson's churchyards show that the wells are tainted
by the drainage from these burying grounds, and there can be no doubt the air is
also polluted, not only by the direct emanations, but as well from the drainage
from these bodies into the public sewers. Indeed, individuals have stated that
they perceive the stench as they pass along the city street.
Water is supplied to the city from wells cisterns, but principally for all purposes, from the river Ouse, by a company first established in 1677, and subsequently by Act of Parliament.
The causes of the unhealthiness of York, as compared with the country, have in some degree been indicated. Bad sewerage and drainage, bad water, bad air, not only from the decomposition of refuse animal and vegetable matter, but from the crowding of artisan class into a confined space. In addition to these noxious agencies, their employments and their workshops are often unhealthy; sickness makes them poor, and their food and clothing are consequently scanty. It is difficult to estimate the influence of all these cause on the health in York. The city is divided into wards and parishes, and in these good streets and bad streets, open thoroughfares and gardens, and densely populated badly ventilate courts, are closely intermingled.