Outer London Inquiry

Scope and Content

Papers of the Outer London Inquiry, 1890-1909, comprising material relating to life and labour in West Ham, notably correspondence and administrative papers, including correspondence and papers of the Inquiry Committee, the scheme of the Inquiry and related material regarding methodology, and records of visits to employers and factories; and financial material, 1905-1909, notably account books, papers concerning the financial appeal, and subscription lists. The material was published as West Ham: A Study in Social and Industrial Problems (J.M. Dent and Co, London, 1907), by Edward Goldie Howarth and Mona Wilson.

Administrative / Biographical History

A report dealing with life and labour in West Ham, with particular emphasis on the problems of unemployment and casual labour. The 'Inquiry' was initially planned to extend to other areas of the East End once the West Ham survey was complete. However, funding was only just sufficient to produce the survey of West Ham. The findings were published as a book: West Ham: A Study in Social and Industrial Problems (J.M. Dent and Co, London, 1907), by Howarth and Wilson. Unlike Booth's investigation, there is no actual household survey. The inquiry relied upon rent books, obtained from house agents, and contains no actual survey data, being a collection of indirectly related material, including examples of analysis drawn from other surveys.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into two sections: correspondence and administrative papers, and financial material.

Access Information

Open

Other Finding Aids

Printed handlist and on-line catalogue available.

Archivist's Note

Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science Archives catalogue. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright unknown

Custodial History

Unknown

Related Material

The British Library of Political and Economic Science also holds the papers of Charles Booth's Survey of London (Ref: Booth).

Bibliography

Howarth and Wilson, West Ham: A Study in Social and Industrial Problems (J.M. Dent and Co, London, 1907).

Corporate Names