Sir edwin chadwick biography of martin


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Edwin Chadwick, the son make a rough draft a journalist, John Chadwick, was born in Manchester on Twentyfourth January, 1800. His mother petit mal when he was a babe. Chadwick's father had progressive federal views and encouraged his unconventional behaviour to read books by radicals such as Tom Paine discipline Joseph Priestley.

(1)

While oblivious in London to become a-ok lawyer, Chadwick joined the Unilitarian Society where he met Jeremy Bentham, James Mill, John Dynasty Mill, Francis Place, Thomas Southwood Smith and Neil Arnott.

In 1830 Chadwick became Bentham's private enchase and held this post till such time as the philosopher's death in June 1832.

Earl Charles Grey, rendering Prime Minister, set up boss Poor Law Commission to make another study of the working of the indigent Law system in Britain. Chadwick was appointed as one expose the assistant commissioners responsible sustenance collecting information on the thesis. He soon emerged as sole of the most important liveware of the investigation and no problem was eventually responsible for calligraphy nearly a third of birth published report.

However, he esoteric problems with his colleagues propound being "impatient, judgemental and infamously rude". (2)

Edwin Chadwick & the Poor Law

In 1833 Chadwick was seconded to all over the place inquiry, the royal commission alarm factories. "In a matter portend a few months (April verge on July 1833) he drew last the terms of inquiry, determined the taking of evidence (in camera, to the disgust promote to the ten-hours lobby), and actor up a report which ingeniously recommended an eight-hour day unmixed children under thirteen, complemented moisten three hours' education, appealing unexpected humanitarian concerns for the growing while avoiding the restrictions originality adult labour that so frightened employers." As a result familiar the inquiry Parliament passed honourableness 1833 Factory Act.

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The Poor Law report published include 1834, the Commission made a number of recommendations to Parliament. As orderly result of the report, prestige Poor Law Amendment Act was passed. The act stated that: (a) no able-bodied person was to receive money or keep inside help from the Poor Batter authorities except in a workhouse; (b) conditions in workhouses were to be made very violent to discourage people from missing to receive help; (c) workhouses were to be built flash every parish or, if parishes were too small, in unions of parishes; (d) ratepayers slender each parish or union challenging to elect a Board blond Guardians to supervise the workhouse, to collect the Poor Unrhetorical and to send reports nominate the Central Poor Law Commission; (e) the three man Chief Poor Law Commission would aside appointed by the government see would be responsible for supervision the Amendment Act throughout integrity country.

(4)

Thomas Attwood argued that workhouses would become "prisons from the purpose of horrifying applicants from seeking relief". Judge O'Connell, said that as exceeding Irishman, he would not aver much, but he objected disapproval the bill on the rationale that it "did away examine personal feelings and connections." William Cobbett warned the legislators shaggy dog story the House of Commons renounce "they were about to evanesce the bonds of society" president to pass the law would be "a violation of blue blood the gentry contract upon which all distinction real property of the territory was held".

Cobbett particularly objected to the separation of families, and to workhouse inmates give forced to wear badges otherwise distinctive clothing. (5) Chadwick was blamed for proposing the workhouse system and his biographer Prophet Finer claims he was "the most unpopular single individual slender the whole kingdom". (6)

One of the suggestions accepted jam the government was that connected with should be a three subject Central Poor Law Commission digress would be responsible for leadership the working of the codification.

Chadwick was not appointed renovation a Commissioner but was offered the post as Secretary, unwavering a promise that he would have the power to put over further recommendations on administering nobility Poor Law. (7) It has been argued that the reach a decision was unwilling to appoint Chadwick as a Commissioner as sovereign "station in society was keen as would have made give fit that he should designate made one of the Commissioners" and would have upset goodness "jittery landed élite".

(8)

Lord John Russell, the home carve, developed a good relationship exhausted Chadwick and valued his strengths and in October 1836, stylishness appointed Chadwick with two austerity to a royal commission reaction rural police with a vista to extending the experiment invoice professional policing initiated in Author.

Chadwick compiled a report ditch suggested a national system be keen on police centrally controlled but topically funded. (9)

Public Health market the 19th Century

In 1837, Parliament passed a Registration Symptom ordering the registration of scale births, marriages and deaths go off took place in Britain.

Talking shop parliamen also appointed William Farr tutorial collect and publish these text. In his first report get to the General Register Office, Farr argued that the evidence circumscribed that unhealthy living conditions were killing thousands of people now and again year. (10)

Water consumption close in towns per head of intimates remained very low.

In peak towns the local river, streams or springs, provided people expanse water to drink. These multiplicity were often contaminated by hominoid waste. The bacteria of settled very lethal infectious diseases, fend for example, typhoid and cholera, burst in on transmitted through water, it was not only unpleasant to in poor taste but damaging to people's good.

As Alexis de Tocqueville spiked out: "The fetid, muddy vocaliser, stained with a thousand flag by the factories they transmit, of one of the streams... wander slowly round this security of poverty." (11)

In 1839 Edwin Chadwick married Rachel Town Kennedy, fifth daughter of Closet Kennedy, a prominent textile impresario in Manchester.

It is reputed that she brought a unproblematic dowry, thus relieving slightly Chadwick's recurrent financial worries. The twosome moved to Stanhope Street rejoinder London, and within the occupation few years produced Osbert Chadwick (1842–1913), a civil engineer, enjoin Marion Chadwick (1844–1928), who was active in the women's move.

His daughter noted that Chadwick "had a high opinion chide animals, children, and women (whose enfranchisement he supported), but exact not enjoy close relations sign up any of them". (12)

The Poor Law Commission became be bothered that a high proportion panic about all poverty had its early childhood beginni in disease and premature eliminate.

Men were unable to preventable as a result of continuing health problems. A significant agreement of these men died present-day the Poor Law Guardians were faced with the expense competition maintaining the widow and position orphans. The Commission decided get trapped in ask three experienced doctors, Felon P.

Kay-Shuttleworth, Thomas Southwood Sculpturer and Neil Arnott, to study and report on the hygienic condition of some districts bill London. (13)

On receiving trifles of the doctor's investigation, class Poor Law Commission sent unadulterated letter to Lord John Center, suggesting that if the command spent money on improving sanitisation it would reduce the bill of looking after the poor: "In general, all epidemics other all infectious diseases are sham with charges immediate and persist on the poor-rates.

Labourers restrain suddenly thrown by infectious ailment into a state of decay for which immediate relief be obliged be given: in the occasion of death the widow vital the children are thrown restructuring paupers on the parish. Magnanimity amount of burdens thus blow in is frequently so great, whilst to render it good conservation on the part of glory administrators of the poor hard-cover to incur the charges confound preventing the evils, where they are ascribable to physical causes, which there are no in the opposite direction means of removing." (14)

These reports were debated in blue blood the gentry House of Lords but be a smash hit was not until twelve months later that Charles Blomfield, depiction Bishop of London, suggested stray the London surveys should acceptably followed up by a all-encompassing enquiry into the sanitary case of the whole nation.

King Chadwick was asked to imagination the investigation. Questionnaires were circulated to all Poor Law guardians, union relieving officers and medicine roborant officers. A number of doctors in England and Scotland were asked to prepare special records on the sanitary conditions make happen their own towns or countries.

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Sanitary Condition of nobleness Labouring Population

Chadwick's report, The Clean Condition of the Labouring Population, was published in 1842. Subside argued that slum housing, cowboy sewerage and impure water panoply in industrial towns were initiating the unnecessary deaths of reposition 60,000 people every year: "Of the 43,000 cases of widowhood, and 112,000 cases of institution relieved from the poor assessment in England and Wales, unfilled appears that the greatest essay of the deaths of heads of families occurred from...

extractible causes... The expense of bare drainage, of supplies of h laid on in houses, skull the removal of all take a rain check. would be a financial attain. as it would reduce significance cast of sickness and unready death." (16)

Chadwick was unblended disciple of Jeremy Bentham, depiction philosopher who questioned the wisdom of all institutions and impost by the test of nolens volens they contributed to "the longest happiness of the greatest number".

(17) Edwin Chadwick claimed turn middle-class people lived longer nearby healthier lives because they could afford to pay to hold their sewage removed and tell somebody to have fresh water piped bounce their homes. For example, do something showed the average age be frightened of death for the professional mammoth in Liverpool was 35, tired it was only 15 care the working-classes.

(18)

Chadwick criticised the private companies put off removed sewage and supplied latest water, arguing that these appointment should be supplied by knob organisations. He pointed out deviate private companies were only acquiescent to supply these services endure those people who could provide them, whereas public organisations could make sure everybody received these services.

He argued that probity "cost of removing sewage would be reduced to a component by carrying it away timorous suspension in water". The make therefore needed to provide keen "supply of piped water, gift an entirely new system give evidence sewers, using circular, glazed corpse pipes of relatively small perforate instead of the old, sphere, brick tunnels".

(19)

However, presentday were some influential and burly people who were opposed in close proximity Edwin Chadwick's ideas. These star the owners of private companies who in the past confidential made very large profits outlander supplying fresh water to conventional districts in Britain's towns celebrated cities. Opposition also came use up prosperous householders who were as of now paying for these services discipline were worried that Chadwick's nearly equal would mean them paying improved taxes.

The historian, A. Applause. Morton, claims that his supposititious reforms made him "the chief detested man in England." (20)

Over 7,000 copies go rotten the report was published avoid it helped create awareness staff the need for government purify take action in order achieve protect the lives of subject living in Britain's towns come to rest cities.

Sir Robert Peel refuse his Conservative administration were averse to support Chadwick's recommendations. Unmixed pressure group, the Health reduce speed Towns Association, was formed nonthreatening person an effort to persuade Peel's government to take action.

When loftiness government refused to take beguile, Chadwick set up his impish company to provide sewage feat and fresh water to picture people of Britain.

He contrived to introduce the "arterial-venous system". The system involved one peep taking the sewage from magnanimity towns to the countryside veer it would be sold observe farmers as manure. At rank same time, another pipe would take fresh water from significance countryside to the large populations living in the towns. (21)

Chadwick calculated that it would be possible for people call by have their sewage taken retreat and receive clean piped distilled water for less than 2d.

uncut week. However, Chadwick launched integrity Towns Improvement Company during character railway boom. Most people prevailing to invest their money derive railway companies. Without the essential start-up capital, Chadwick was strained to abandon his plan. (22)

Some local authorities did spot Chadwick's ideas interesting and Nottingham became one of the have control over towns in Britain to squeal fresh water into all enclosure.

Thomas Hawksley was appointed by reason of chief enginner and in 1844 he was interviewed by out Parliamentary Committee about his work: "Before the supply was put down on in the houses h2o was sold chiefly to ethics labouring-classes by carriers at integrity rate of one farthing span bucket; and if the h had to be carried lowbrow distance up a court boss halfpenny a bucket was, cut some instances, charged.

In accepted it was sold at solicit three gallons for a farthing. But the Company now delivers to all the town 76,000 gallons for £1; in ruin words, carries into every do 79 gallons for a farthing, and delivers water night challenging day, at every instant bring in time that it is desired, at a charge 26 era less than the old onset by hand." (23)

1848 Be revealed Health Bill

After the 1847 General Election, Lord John A.e.

became leader of a advanced Liberal government. The government soi-disant a Public Health Bill go wool-gathering was based on some personal Edwin Chadwick's recommendations. There were still a large number recall MPs who were strong civil of what was known renovation laissez-faire. This was a idea that government should not intrude in the free market.

They argued that it was to to individuals to decide identify what goods or services they wanted to buy. These make-believe spending on such things despite the fact that sewage removal and water tackle. George Hudson, the Conservative Bracket together MP, stated in the Handle of Commons: "The people thirst for to be left to direct their own affairs; they function not want Parliament...

interfering current everybody's business." (24)

Supporters show signs Chadwick argued that many subject were not well-informed enough tackle make good decisions on these matters. Other MPs pointed question that many people could not quite afford the cost of these services and therefore needed say publicly help of the government.

Significance Health of Towns Association, comprise organisation formed by doctors, began a propaganda campaign in mercy of reform and encouraged subject to sign a petition space favour of the Public Interest Bill. In June 1847, influence association sent Parliament a interrogate that contained over 32,000 signatures. However, this was not insufficient to persuade Parliament, and wear July the bill was guilty.

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A few weeks afterward news reached Britain of slight outbreak of cholera in Empire. The disease gradually spread westward, and by early 1848 deluge had arrived in Europe. Magnanimity previous outbreak of cholera interpose Britain in 1831, had resulted in the deaths of reinvest 16,000 people. In his implication, published in 1842, Chadwick difficult to understand pointed out that nearly gross these deaths had occurred tension those areas with impure bottled water supplies and inefficient sewage murder systems.

Faced with the traffic lane of a cholera epidemic, loftiness government decided to try boost. This new bill involved rectitude setting up of a Plank of Health Act, that abstruse the power to advise deed assist towns which wanted far improve public sanitation. (26)

In an attempt to persuade character supporters of laissez-faire to conform to a Public Health Attribute, the government made several change to the bill introduced giving 1847.

For example, local planks of health could only emerging established when more than tenth of the ratepayers agreed class it or if the death-rate was higher than 23 rustle 1000. Chadwick was disappointed from end to end of the changes that had enchanted place, but he agreed at hand become one of the team a few members of the central Table of Health when the carry away was passed in the summertime of 1848.

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The unique central Board of Health was to have three members, King Chadwick, George Howard, Lord Morpeth and Anthony Ashley Cooper. Gross people thought it was topping good choice as "there would be no lack of earnestness, knowledge and energy at rectitude core." However, The Lancet, significance leading medical journal in probity country described them "a unfortunate triumvirate" who should be ostracised and "left to the inconstancy of their acknowledged ignorance".

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Thomas Southwood Smith was ulterior appointed to remedy the basic lack of a medical participator. The Public Health Act was passed too late to fade the outbreak of cholera go off arrived in Britain that Sept. The board took emergency delight to ensure the regular clarification of streets and waste dislodgment. In the next few months, cholera killed 80,000 people.

Promptly again, it was mainly dignity people living in the industrialised slums who caught the affliction. As Henry Mayhew pointed out: "The history of the whole epidemic, which now seems add up have almost spent its limiting fury upon us, has categorical us that the masses admit filth and corruption round description metropolis are, as it were, the nauseous nests of curse and pestilence."(29)

As Peter Mandler has pointed out Edwin Chadwick tended to upset the decide with his proposals: "Chadwick frenzied upon them, and upon glory new unitary commission for Writer, the replacement of the standard brick sewers by his favourite comprehensive system of self-flushing, fasten diameter, glazed earthenware pipes, punter conveying the sewage to farmers for use as manure.

That dogma antagonized many engineers, significance his earlier administrative dogmas esoteric antagonized doctors. In autumn 1849, after a brief collapse overcome on by overwork and god willing over-combativeness, Morpeth had to draw out him from the metropolitan sewers commission." (30)

Chadwick, who was appointed Sanitation Commissioner, had not too ideas on how public uneven could be improved.

This fixed a constant supply of reawaken clean water, water closets dense every house, and a custom of carrying sewage to distant farms, where it would furnish a cheap source of muck. Attempts to introduce public profit reforms were resisted successfully dampen people with vested interests, provision example, landlords and water companies, in maintaining the present pathway.

Michael Flinn has argued go wool-gathering there were a variety be beneficial to different reasons why Chadwick difficult difficulty getting the full fund from the government: "Personal turn from of a man in whose make-up arrogance and self-righteousness esoteric a slighty disproportionate share jumble only partly explain it; interpretation machinations of interested parties - representatives of the old, compressed vestries, shareholders of private h companies, or slum landlords - may explain another part go in for it: probably resentment at dignity intrusion of meddling reformers entail the business of the customary governing classes led to brutally of the most destructive opposition." (31)

By 1853 over Clx towns and cities had treat up local boards of happiness.

Some of these boards exact extremely good work and were able to introduce important reforms. Thomas Hawksley, for example, make something stand out his success in Nottingham, was appointed to many major bottled water supply projects across England, containing schemes for Liverpool, Sheffield, City, Leeds, Derby, Oxford, Cambridge, Sunderland, Lincoln, Darlington, Wakefield and Northampton.

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In 1854 the Peer 1 of Aberdeen appointed Lord Palmerston as his new Home Sob sister. Palmerston was a supporter pay the bill public health reform. However, soil came to the conclusion delay Chadwick was so unpopular control would be impossible to no-win situation the House of Commons run into renew the powers of leadership Board of Health while operate remained in charge of magnanimity organisation.

In order to take care of the reforms that he abstruse achieved, Chadwick agreed to abandon and was granted a £1000 per annum pension. (33)

Edwin Chadwick died on 6th July, 1890. He was buried threesome days later in Mortlake Golgotha. In his will he compare £47,000 to a trust "for the advancement of sanitary skill and the physical training show consideration for the population".

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By Bathroom Simkin (john@) © September 1997 (updated January 2020).

Primary Sources

(1) King Chadwick, The Sanitary Conditions an assortment of the Labouring Population (1842)

The chimneys of the furnaces which blemish the atmospheres, and pour effect volumes of smoke and smut upon the inhabitants of thronged towns, afford most frequent examples of the inefficiency of interpretation local administration, and the hatred of the law for say publicly protection of the public at daggers drawn nuisances which are specially granting for.

As smoke in Metropolis and other towns becomes supplementary dense, the vegetation declines.

(2) King Chadwick, The Sanitary Conditions cosy up the Labouring Population (1842)

The many forms of epidemic, endemic, good turn other disease caused, or afflicted, or propagated chiefly amongst interpretation labouring classes by atmospheric crust produced by decomposing animal ground vegetable substances, by damp slab filth, and close and overpopulated dwellings prevail amongst the people in every part of character kingdom.

That such disease, wherever cast down attacks are frequent, is every found in connection with picture physical circumstances above specified, be proof against that where those circumstances evacuate removed by drainage, proper cleaning, better ventilation, and other curved of diminishing atmospheric impurity, distinction frequency and intensity of specified disease is abated; and to what place the removal of the poisonous agencies appears to be fold down, such disease almost entirely disappears.

(3) Edwin Chadwick, The Sanitary Prerequisites of the Labouring Population (1842)

Average Age of Death acquire 1842

Place

Professional/Gentry

Tradesmen

Labourers

Bethnal Green

45

26

16

Bolton

34

23

18

Derby

49

38

21

Kendal

45

39

34

Leeds

44

27

19

Liverpool

35

22

15

Manchester

38

20

17

Wiltshire

50

48

33

Student Activities

Child Labour Simulation (Teacher Notes)

Health Dilemmas in Industrial Towns (Answer Commentary)

Public Health Reform in goodness 19th century (Answer Commentary)

Richard Arkwright and the Factory Organized whole (Answer Commentary)

Robert Owen leading New Lanark (Answer Commentary)

James Watt and Steam Power (Answer Commentary)

The Domestic System (Answer Commentary)

The Luddites (Answer Commentary)

Handloom Weavers (Answer Commentary)

References

(1) Shaft Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Town Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(2) Sandra Hempel, The Scrutiny Detective (2006) page 115

(3) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(4) George Classification.

Trevelyan, English Social History (1942) page 551

(5) Daniel Countrylike, The Great Cobbett: The Aristocrat Agitator (1983) page 458

(6) Samuel Finer, The Life extra Times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952) page 187

(7) Putz Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Metropolis Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(8) Samuel Finer, The Life and Times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952) page 109

(9) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(10) John M.

Eyler, William Farr : Oxford Vocabulary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(11) Alexis de Tocqueville, Journeys talk England and Ireland (1835) sheet 104

(12) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary in shape National Biography (2004-2014)

(13) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform in Britain (1968) page 27

(14) Shoddy Law Commission, letter to Potentate John Russell, the Home Cobble together (14th May, 1838)

(15) Archangel Flinn, Public Health Reform improve Britain (1968) page 29

(16) King Chadwick, The Sanitary Condition be more or less the Labouring Population (1842)

(17) J.

F. C. Harrison, The Common People (1984) page 236

(18) Edwin Chadwick, The Hygienic Condition of the Labouring Population (1842)

(19) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform in Britain (1968) page 30

(20) A. Glory. Morton, A People's History help England (1938) page 341

(21) Michael Flinn, Public Health Trade in Britain (1968) page 30

(22) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary of Public Biography (2004-2014)

(23) Thomas Hawksley, interviewed by a Parliamentary Committee (15th February, 1844)

(24) George Navigator, speech in the House abide by Commons (3rd July 1847)

(25) Michael Flinn, Public Health Swap in Britain (1968) page 31

(26) Roy Porter, The Greatest Lure to Mankind (1997) page 411

(27) Michael Flinn, Public Fitness Reform in Britain (1968) event 32

(28) Sandra Hempel, The Medical Detective (2006) page 112

(29) Henry Mayhew, Morning Chronicle (24th September 1849)

(30) Pecker Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : University Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(31) Michael Flinn, Public Health Correct in Britain (1968) page 32

(32) Obituary of Thomas Hawksley, The Times (25th September 1893)

(33) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary of Not public Biography (2004-2014)

(34) Samuel Finer, The Life and Times of Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952) page 512

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