A Map of Southwark Bridge, Borough High Street, London Bridge & the Tower of London circa 1877

A Map of London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Borough High Street, & the Tower of London first published circa 1877.

When this map was published:

The population of Great Britain rose from less than 7 million in 1700 to over 26 million in 1850. London's population continued to expand at a rapid pace as people flocked to the city in search of employment. Additional housing was needed for the workers, and the urban areas of London spread west, east, north, and south. Convent Garden in London, first developed in the 1630s, was the first place in Britain to introduce the principle square with houses arranged in an orderly fashion around an open space, with a church at one end. This remained popular until the middle of the 19th century. Estates like this were planned by developers, who leased land from the land owner, built the houses, and then sold the houses. The facades were always brick or stone after timber was banned after the Great Fire 1666. Working class housing was built quickly and cheaply, living conditions were greatly overcrowded, and often lacked even the most basic of sanitary provision. By the middle of the 19th century the existence of these slums was being recognised as an important social problem