Description:This image shows a fairly typical back yard of terraced housing in the late nineteenth century. There is no provision made for a garden and the outbuildings would have housed the toilet and washroom, in this case shared by three families. An official City Council photograph
Infant mortality in housing of this nature was particularly high. There is the tragic story of a three year old child named Evelyn from the Longton area who drowned on washday, falling into a tub of washing. However, this was an unusual accident; most infant mortality came from disease due to the appalling living conditions and generally unsanitary conditions.