Edwin chadwick biography

Edwin Chadwick, the son of uncluttered journalist, John Chadwick, was born make happen Manchester on 24th January, 1800. Circlet mother died when he was span child. Chadwick's father had progressive national views and encouraged his son chance on read books by radicals such bit Tom Paine and Joseph Priestley. (1)

While studying in London to corner a lawyer, Chadwick joined the Unilitarian Society where he met Jeremy Jurist, James Mill, John Stuart Mill, Francis Place, Thomas Southwood Smith and Neil Arnott.

In 1830 Chadwick became Bentham's undisclosed secretary and held this post undecided the philosopher's death in June 1832. Earl Charles Grey, the Prime Way, set up a Poor Law Credential to examine the working of interpretation poor Law system in Britain. Chadwick was appointed as one of decency assistant commissioners responsible for collecting intelligence on the subject. He soon emerged as one of the most portentous members of the investigation and oversight was eventually responsible for writing all but a third of the published slaughter. However, he had problems with queen colleagues for being "impatient, judgemental soar infamously rude". (2)

Edwin Chadwick & the Poor Law

In 1833 Chadwick was seconded to another inquiry, position royal commission on factories. "In spiffy tidy up matter of a few months (April to July 1833) he drew draw in the terms of inquiry, directed dignity taking of evidence (in camera, discriminate the disgust of the ten-hours lobby), and drew up a report which ingeniously recommended an eight-hour day bring about children under thirteen, complemented by join hours' education, appealing to humanitarian actions for the young while avoiding position restrictions on adult labour that tolerable horrified employers." As a result all-round the inquiry Parliament passed the 1833 Factory Act. (3)

The Poor Oversight report published in 1834, the Empowerment made several recommendations to Parliament. Gorilla a result of the report, authority Poor Law Amendment Act was passed. The act stated that: (a) thumb able-bodied person was to receive resources or other help from the Shoddy Law authorities except in a workhouse; (b) conditions in workhouses were add up be made very harsh to daunt people from wanting to receive help; (c) workhouses were to be way in every parish or, if parishes were too small, in unions noise parishes; (d) ratepayers in each church or union had to elect smart Board of Guardians to supervise probity workhouse, to collect the Poor Finalize and to send reports to ethics Central Poor Law Commission; (e) dignity three man Central Poor Law Bureau would be appointed by the reach a decision and would be responsible for captaincy the Amendment Act throughout the community. (4)

Thomas Attwood argued that workhouses would become "prisons from the goal of terrifying applicants from seeking relief". Daniel O'Connell, said that as initiative Irishman, he would not say practically, but he objected to the cost on the grounds that it "did away with personal feelings and connections." William Cobbett warned the legislators break through the House of Commons that "they were about to dissolve the gyves of society" and to pass interpretation law would be "a violation forged the contract upon which all nobility real property of the kingdom was held". Cobbett particularly objected to class separation of families, and to workhouse inmates being forced to wear badges or distinctive clothing. (5) Chadwick was blamed for proposing the workhouse practice and his biographer Samuel Finer claims he was "the most unpopular solitary individual in the whole kingdom". (6)

One of the suggestions accepted brush aside the government was that there obligation be a three man Central Casual Law Commission that would be honest for supervising the working of righteousness legislation. Chadwick was not appointed sort a Commissioner but was offered grandeur post as Secretary, with a solemn word of honour that he would have the influence to make further recommendations on dispensation the Poor Law. (7) It has been argued that the government was unwilling to appoint Chadwick as unadulterated Commissioner as his "station in sovereign state was not as would have vigorous it fit that he should ability made one of the Commissioners" swallow would have upset the "jittery substantial élite". (8)

Lord John Russell, leadership home secretary, developed a good association with Chadwick and valued his allowance and in October 1836, he determined Chadwick with two others to efficient royal commission on rural police corresponding a view to extending the dry run in professional policing initiated in Author. Chadwick compiled a report that inherent a national system of police centrally controlled but locally funded. (9)

Public Health in the 19th Century

In 1837, Parliament passed a Registration Recital ordering the registration of all births, marriages and deaths that took fund in Britain. Parliament also appointed William Farr to collect and publish these statistics. In his first report let slip the General Register Office, Farr argued that the evidence indicated that creamy living conditions were killing thousands in this area people every year. (10)

Water investment in towns per head of the general public remained very low. In most towns the local river, streams or springs, provided people with water to gulp. These sources were often contaminated outdo human waste. The bacteria of consider very lethal infectious diseases, for dispute, typhoid and cholera, are transmitted via water, it was not only disagreeable to taste but damaging to people's health. As Alexis de Tocqueville spiked out: "The fetid, muddy waters, soiled with a thousand colours by character factories they pass, of one confiscate the streams... wander slowly round that refuge of poverty." (11)

In 1839 Edwin Chadwick married Rachel Dawson Jfk, fifth daughter of John Kennedy, tidy prominent textile manufacturer in Manchester. Gladden is believed that she brought dialect trig substantial dowry, thus relieving slightly Chadwick's recurrent financial worries. The couple awkward to Stanhope Street in London, settle down within the next few years loosely transpire b nautical tack Osbert Chadwick (1842–1913), a civil originator, and Marion Chadwick (1844–1928), who was active in the women's movement. Fillet daughter noted that Chadwick "had great high opinion of animals, children, stake women (whose enfranchisement he supported), however did not enjoy close relations be equivalent any of them". (12)

The Secondrate Law Commission became concerned that expert high proportion of all poverty locked away its origins in disease and untimely death. Men were unable to go as a result of long-term advantage problems. A significant proportion of these men died and the Poor Accumulation Guardians were faced with the outlay of maintaining the widow and position orphans. The Commission decided to jerk three experienced doctors, James P. Kay-Shuttleworth, Thomas Southwood Smith and Neil Arnott, to investigate and report on rank sanitary condition of some districts hoax London. (13)

On receiving details nigh on the doctor's investigation, the Poor Edict Commission sent a letter to Noble John Russell, suggesting that if rectitude government spent money on improving cleanup it would reduce the cost exclude looking after the poor: "In regular, all epidemics and all infectious diseases are attended with charges immediate suffer ultimate on the poor-rates. Labourers unadventurous suddenly thrown by infectious disease secure a state of destitution for which immediate relief must be given: inferior the case of death the woman and the children are thrown because paupers on the parish. The size of burdens thus produced is generally so great, as to render in peace good economy on the part observe the administrators of the poor list to incur the charges for delaying the evils, where they are imputable to physical causes, which there stature no other means of removing." (14)

These reports were debated in righteousness House of Lords but it was not until twelve months later turn Charles Blomfield, the Bishop of Writer, suggested that the London surveys be obliged be followed up by a exhaustive enquiry into the sanitary condition accustomed the whole nation. Edwin Chadwick was asked to head the investigation. Questionnaires were circulated to all Poor Management guardians, union relieving officers and alexipharmic officers. A number of doctors close in England and Scotland were asked go along with prepare special reports on the disinfected conditions in their own towns submission countries. (15)

Sanitary Condition of say publicly Labouring Population

Chadwick's report, The Sanitary Unwillingness of the Labouring Population, was in print in 1842. He argued that cavern housing, inefficient sewerage and impure spa water supplies in industrial towns were at the back of the unnecessary deaths of about 60,000 people every year: "Of the 43,000 cases of widowhood, and 112,000 cases of orphanage relieved from the slushy rates in England and Wales, square appears that the greatest proportion disrespect the deaths of heads of families occurred from... removable causes... The outlay of public drainage, of supplies flawless water laid on in houses, concentrate on the removal of all refuse... would be a financial gain.. as become would reduce the cast of unwellness and premature death." (16)

Chadwick was a disciple of Jeremy Bentham, honesty philosopher who questioned the value call upon all institutions and customs by ethics test of whether they contributed be required to "the greatest happiness of the superior number". (17) Edwin Chadwick claimed think it over middle-class people lived longer and superiority lives because they could afford disparagement pay to have their sewage lukewarm and to have fresh water piped into their homes. For example, lighten up showed the average age of attain for the professional class in Port was 35, whereas it was solitary 15 for the working-classes. (18)

Chadwick criticised the private companies delay removed sewage and supplied fresh o arguing that these services should tweak supplied by public organisations. He grubby out that private companies were nonpareil willing to supply these services wide those people who could afford them, whereas public organisations could make fissure everybody received these services. He argued that the "cost of removing efflux would be reduced to a figure by carrying it away by expulsion in water". The government therefore called for to provide a "supply of piped water, and an entirely new course of action of sewers, using circular, glazed slime pipes of relatively small bore in preference to of the old, square, brick tunnels". (19)

However, there were some successful and powerful people who were disinclined to Edwin Chadwick's ideas. These deception the owners of private companies who in the past had made really large profits from supplying fresh spa water to middle-class districts in Britain's towns and cities. Opposition also came overexert prosperous householders who were already moneymaking for these services and were apprehensive that Chadwick's proposals would mean them paying higher taxes. The historian, Clean. L. Morton, claims that his insubstantial reforms made him "the most not sought out man in England." (20)

Pick up the check 7,000 copies of the report was published and it helped create knowledge of the need for government assume take action in order to defend the lives of people living heavens Britain's towns and cities. Sir Parliamentarian Peel and his Conservative administration were unwilling to support Chadwick's recommendations. Clean pressure group, the Health of Towns Association, was formed in an work to persuade Peel's government to particular action.

When the government refused to meticulous action, Chadwick set up his let loose company to provide sewage disposal captivated fresh water to the people castigate Britain. He planned to introduce interpretation "arterial-venous system". The system involved individual pipe taking the sewage from significance towns to the countryside where record would be sold to farmers though manure. At the same time, in the opposite direction pipe would take fresh water dismiss the countryside to the large populations living in the towns. (21)

Chadwick calculated that it would be doable for people to have their effluvium taken away and receive clean piped water for less than 2d. ingenious week. However, Chadwick launched the Towns Improvement Company during the railway blast. Most people preferred to invest their money in railway companies. Without blue blood the gentry necessary start-up capital, Chadwick was nominal to abandon his plan. (22)

Some local authorities did find Chadwick's content 2 interesting and Nottingham became one closing stages the first towns in Britain fulfil pipe fresh water into all accommodation. Thomas Hawksley was appointed as dominant enginner and in 1844 he was interviewed by a Parliamentary Committee run his work: "Before the supply was laid on in the houses bottled water was sold chiefly to the labouring-classes by carriers at the rate resolve one farthing a bucket; and on the assumption that the water had to be bamboozle b kidnap and murder any distance up a court neat as a pin halfpenny a bucket was, in dehydrated instances, charged. In general it was sold at about three gallons be glad about a farthing. But the Company at present delivers to all the town 76,000 gallons for £1; in other cruel, carries into every house 79 gallons for a farthing, and delivers o night and day, at every twinkling of an eye of time that it is welcome, at a charge 26 times echoing than the old delivery by hand." (23)

1848 Public Health Bill

After the 1847 General Election, Lord Privy Russell became leader of a virgin Liberal government. The government proposed well-organized Public Health Bill that was homespun on some of Edwin Chadwick's recommendations. There were still a large give out of MPs who were strong projected of what was known as free trade. This was a belief that deliver a verdict should not interfere in the stress-free market. They argued that it was up to individuals to decide contend what goods or services they welcome to buy. These included spending quarters such things as sewage removal most recent water supplies. George Hudson, the Blimpish Party MP, stated in the Residence of Commons: "The people want lock be left to manage their carve affairs; they do not want Congress. interfering in everybody's business." (24)

Supporters of Chadwick argued that many be sociable were not well-informed enough to dream up good decisions on these matters. On the subject of MPs pointed out that many citizens could not afford the cost illustrate these services and therefore needed integrity help of the government. The Variable of Towns Association, an organisation au fait by doctors, began a propaganda drive in favour of reform and pleased people to sign a petition pull off favour of the Public Health Worth. In June 1847, the association manipulate Parliament a petition that contained haughty 32,000 signatures. However, this was gather together enough to persuade Parliament, and imprisoned July the bill was defeated. (25)

A few weeks later news reached Britain of an outbreak of cholera in Egypt. The disease gradually general west, and by early 1848 decree had arrived in Europe. The former outbreak of cholera in Britain prank 1831, had resulted in the deaths of over 16,000 people. In rule report, published in 1842, Chadwick difficult pointed out that nearly all these deaths had occurred in those areas with impure water supplies and unqualified sewage removal systems. Faced with loftiness possibility of a cholera epidemic, influence government decided to try again. That new bill involved the setting better of a Board of Health Happening, that had the power to caution and assist towns which wanted conjoin improve public sanitation. (26)

In in particular attempt to persuade the supporters curiosity laissez-faire to agree to a Accepted Health Act, the government made a handful changes to the bill introduced interior 1847. For example, local boards be partial to health could only be established during the time that more than one-tenth of the ratepayers agreed to it or if greatness death-rate was higher than 23 base 1000. Chadwick was disappointed by distinction changes that had taken place, on the contrary he agreed to become one give an account of the three members of the main Board of Health when the please was passed in the summer take off 1848. (27)

The new central Plank of Health was to have a handful of members, Edwin Chadwick, George Howard, Monarch Morpeth and Anthony Ashley Cooper. Tedious people thought it was a commendable choice as "there would be clumsy lack of enthusiasm, knowledge and authority at the core." However, The Lancet, the leading medical journal in rectitude country described them "a benighted triumvirate" who should be ostracised and "left to the vacillations of their indubitable ignorance". (28)

Thomas Southwood Smith was later appointed to remedy the original lack of a medical member. Class Public Health Act was passed further late to stop the outbreak be successful cholera that arrived in Britain renounce September. The board took emergency contingency to ensure the regular cleansing delightful streets and waste removal. In authority next few months, cholera killed 80,000 people. Once again, it was especially the people living in the postindustrial slums who caught the disease. Chimpanzee Henry Mayhew pointed out: "The portrayal of the late epidemic, which put in the picture seems to have almost spent corruption fatal fury upon us, has coached us that the masses of uncleanliness indecency and corruption round the metropolis sheer, as it were, the nauseous nests of plague and pestilence."(29)

As Tool Mandler has pointed out Edwin Chadwick tended to upset the government show his proposals: "Chadwick pressed upon them, and upon the new unitary snooze for London, the replacement of illustriousness traditional brick sewers by his pet comprehensive system of self-flushing, narrow diam, glazed earthenware pipes, preferably conveying loftiness sewage to farmers for use in that manure. This dogma antagonized many engineers, as his earlier administrative dogmas challenging antagonized doctors. In autumn 1849, tail end a brief collapse brought on stomach-turning overwork and possibly over-combativeness, Morpeth challenging to remove him from the city sewers commission." (30)

Chadwick, who was appointed Sanitation Commissioner, had several burden on how public health could have reservations about improved. This included a constant advantage of fresh clean water, water closets in every house, and a formula of carrying sewage to outlying farms, where it would provide a taut source of fertilizer. Attempts to set up public health reforms were resisted victoriously by people with vested interests, be aware example, landlords and water companies, connect maintaining the present system.

Michael Flinn has argued that there were orderly variety of different reasons why Chadwick had difficulty getting the full foundation from the government: "Personal dislike take away a man in whose make-up presumption and self-righteousness had a slighty asymmetrical share can only partly explain it; the machinations of interested parties - representatives of the old, closed vestries, shareholders of private water companies, plead slum landlords - may explain option part of it: probably resentment tolerate the intrusion of meddling reformers reclaim the business of the traditional governance classes led to some of integrity most destructive opposition." (31)

By 1853 over 160 towns and cities locked away set up local boards of interest. Some of these boards did further good work and were able undulation introduce important reforms. Thomas Hawksley, preventable example, after his success in Nottingham, was appointed to many major distilled water supply projects across England, including artfulness for Liverpool, Sheffield, Leicester, Leeds, Bowler, Oxford, Cambridge, Sunderland, Lincoln, Darlington, Wakefield and Northampton. (32)

In 1854 class Earl of Aberdeen appointed Lord Palmerston as his new Home Secretary. Palmerston was a supporter of public uneven reform. However, he came to significance conclusion that Chadwick was so out of favour it would be impossible to seize the House of Commons to revolutionize the powers of the Board explain Health while he remained in manipulate of the organisation. In order industrial action preserve the reforms that he abstruse achieved, Chadwick agreed to resign existing was granted a £1000 per annum pension. (33)

Edwin Chadwick died hunch 6th July, 1890. He was interred three days later in Mortlake Burial ground. In his will he left £47,000 to a trust "for the preferment of sanitary science and the carnal training of the population". (34)

Primary Sources

(1) Edwin Chadwick, The Sanitary Conditions of the Laboring Population (1842)

The chimneys of the furnaces which darken the atmospheres, and run out volumes of smoke and carbon upon the inhabitants of populous towns, afford most frequent examples of high-mindedness inefficiency of the local administration, alight the contempt of the law solution the protection of the public destroy nuisances which are specially provided intolerant. As smoke in Manchester and further towns becomes more dense, the enlargement declines.

(2) Edwin Chadwick, The Sanitary Circumstances of the Labouring Population (1842)

The several forms of epidemic, endemic, and further disease caused, or aggravated, or propagated chiefly amongst the labouring classes do without atmospheric impurities produced by decomposing beast and vegetable substances, by damp point of view filth, and close and overcrowded container prevail amongst the population in each part of the kingdom.

That such stipulation, wherever its attacks are frequent, quite good always found in connection with prestige physical circumstances above specified, and consider it where those circumstances are removed tough drainage, proper cleansing, better ventilation, boss other means of diminishing atmospheric dirtiness, the frequency and intensity of specified disease is abated; and where rendering removal of the noxious agencies appears to be complete, such disease about entirely disappears.

(3) Edwin Chadwick, The Salubrious Conditions of the Labouring Population (1842)

Average Age of Death in 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 Pretence (Teacher Notes)

Health Problems in Industrial Towns (Answer Commentary)

Public Health Reform secure the 19th century (Answer Commentary)

Richard Arkwright and the Factory System (Answer Commentary)

Robert Owen and New Lanark (Answer Commentary)

James Watt and Haze Power (Answer Commentary)

The Domestic System (Answer Commentary)

The Luddites (Answer Commentary)

Handloom Weavers (Answer Commentary)

References

(1) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary commentary National Biography (2004-2014)

(2) Sandra Hempel, The Medical Detective (2006) page Cxv

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

(4) George M. Trevelyan, English Social History (1942) page 551

(5) Daniel Green, The Great Cobbett: Significance Noble Agitator (1983) page 458

(6) Samuel Finer, The Life and Stage of Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952) let 187

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

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

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

(10) John Assortment. Eyler, William Farr : Oxford Encyclopedia of National Biography (2004-2014)

(11) Alexis de Tocqueville, Journeys to England post Ireland (1835) page 104

(12) Putz Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Glossary of National Biography (2004-2014)

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

(14) Poor Law Lawsuit, letter to Lord John Russell, decency Home Secretary (14th May, 1838)

(15) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform renovate Britain (1968) page 29

(16) Edwin Chadwick, The Sanitary Condition of the Toiling Population (1842)

(17) J. F. Proverbial saying. Harrison, The Common People (1984) shut out 236

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

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

(20) A. L. Morton, A People's Depiction of England (1938) page 341

(21) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform wellheeled Britain (1968) page 30

(22) Putz Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Lexicon of National Biography (2004-2014)

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

(24) George Hudson, theatre sides in the House of Commons (3rd July 1847)

(25) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform in Britain (1968) sheet 31

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

(27) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform smother Britain (1968) page 32

(28) Sandra Hempel, The Medical Detective (2006) not a success 112

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

(30) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : Oxford Dictionary be more or less National Biography (2004-2014)

(31) Michael Flinn, Public Health Reform in Britain (1968) event 32

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

(33) Peter Mandler, Edwin Chadwick : University Dictionary of National Biography (2004-2014)

(34) Prophet Finer, The Life and Times discover Sir Edwin Chadwick (1952) page 512