The Grimy 1800s by Andre Gren

The Grimy 1800s by Andre Gren ISBN-13: 9781526731401 Paperback: 136 pages Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Released: December 19, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the nineteenth century, as towns grew, Britain became increasingly grimy. The causes of dirt and pollution were defined legally as 'nuisances' and, in 1835, the new local authorities very rapidly appointed an army of 'inspectors of nuisances'.

This book is the inspectors' chronicle: it offers their eye-witness accounts and a plethora of details pertaining to the workings of the scrutinising Parliamentary Committees that were set up in an attempt to ease the struggles against filth. Inspectors battled untreated human excreta in rivers black as ink, as well as insanitary drinking water, home to tadpoles and portions of frogs so large that they blocked taps. They dealt with putrid animal carcases in cattle markets and slaughter-houses, not to mention the unabated smoke from mill chimneys that covered towns with a thick layer of black grime. Boggle Hole Pond was a source of drinking water full of dead dogs; ice cream was coated in bugs; stinking rotting crabs, poultry and pigeon smells polluted the air. Even the dead floating out of badly drained burial grounds were 'nuisances', leading to the practice of burning the remains of the dead.


My Review:
The Grimy 1800s summarizes reports given by Inspectors of Nuisances in England on various sanitation topics between 1846 and 1915. These inspectors were created in the mid 1800s and reports were recorded by Parliamentary Committees over the years. The author summarized the contents of these reports, selecting ones that he felt were the most interesting. He covered overcrowding, privies, poor or no drainage, improper human waste disposal, lack of availability of clean water, water pollution, food safety, bad smells, reporting of infectious diseases, excess smoke from mills and such, and what type of ground made for a good cemetery. I'd recommend this to anyone researching specific examples of these problems (what town and at what time). It gets a little repetitive if you just want a general overview of the problem.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.