Charles Booth, philanthropist set out to map social deprivation in C19th London

School attendance officers were tasked with the job of collecting detailed information about the social conditions in every street across London.

Booth used these records to produce maps that would categorise social class across the whole spectrum.

There was a seven point system

• Black – lowest class
• Dark blue – very poor
• Light blue – poor
• Purple – mixed
• Pink – fairly comfortable
• Red – middle class
• Yellow – upper middle and upper class

Use these maps to give a very clear understanding of the conditions your ancestors were living in but don’t forget to look at the streets surrounding them, also, look at where they went to work, where their relatives lived….

The online Booth Archive also offers a comparison of new and old London through maps

Many more sites that offer  historical contexts can be accessed through Intriguing Family History.