Parish Register Abstract

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II. - PARISH REGISTER ABSTRACT

THE Second object of the Population Act of 1801, was to arrive at an Estimate of the Increase or Diminution of the Population during the preceding Century, by means of the PARISH REGISTERS; to effect which object certain Questions were appointed to be answered by the officiating Minister of every Church and Chapel in England and Wales; and the Population Acts of 1811, 1821, and 1831 repeat the same Questions, for the preceding Ten Years respectively; and Two additional Questions in 1831 aimed at ulterior objects.

QUESTIONS addressed to all OFFICIATING MINISTERS of Churches and Chapels in England and Wales.

1st. What was the Number of Baptisms and Burials in your Parish or Chapelry in the several Years 1821, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30; distinguishing Males from Females ?

2d. What has been the Number of Marriages in your Parish or Chapelry in the several Years 1821, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30?

3rd. Be pleased to specify, on the Schedule annexed for that Purpose, the Ages of Individuals registered in your Burial Register in the several Years from 1813 to 1830, both inclusive?

4th. What Number of illegitimate Children may have been born in your Parish or Chapelry during the Year 1830, according to the best Information you possessor can obtain; and distinguishing Male and Female Children ?

5th. Are there any Matters which you think it necessary to remark, in explanation of your Answers to either of the preceding Questions? Especially, whether any and what annual average Number of Births, Deaths, and Marriages may, in your opinion, have taken place in your Parish, without being noticed in the Parish Register ?

The Third Question appeared to require a particular Formula for Entry of the Ages of Individuals buried in the several years 1813-1830, with explanations and a specimen, as follows:

THIRD QUESTION; EXPLANATIONS.

It is found by Experience that the best mode of entering and noting the Ages of Individuals (especially in populous Parishes) is by causing an Assistant to read the Christian name rather than to specify the Sex of each Individual, adding always the Age; and the Sex also, in case any such Name be doubtful in pronunciation, such as Francis or Frances,

Whenever the Burial Register does not specify the Name or Age of an Individual (as may occur in case of Strangers found dead, or other rare circumstance) the Clergyman is requested to enter the Burial at the foot of Column 2. and if the Sex is unknown, to enter the said Burial as of a Male. So in case of a Surname used as a Christian name, let the Individual be deemed a Male, if not remembered to be Female,

All Burials since the Year 1812 being numbered in the Register, Subtraction of the Number of the first Burial of the Year from the Number next after the last Burial of the Year, will give the same result as the Summary of the Schedule of entered Burials; so that every Entry inserted in the Register between two others to preserve order of Date, or (on the contrary) every Entry purposely obliterated, or otherwise irregular, should be noted, and allowance made accordingly, otherwise the number of Burials may appear to be erroneous,

The Ages of Individuals known to have been buried, but not entered in the Parish Register, are not to be specified', 'but the numbers of such Individuals, Male and Female, are to be shewn next under the Defective Registry of Ages,

A Specimen of the manner of marking the Ages, and scoring them by Tens, is annexed, being a Schedule page representing the Burials of a Parish containing 50,000 Persons. The Burials of Individuals upwards of 84 Years of Age being rare, no inconvenience will result from entry of 'them as they occur, without regard to priority of Entry according to Age.

[Page xxvi is given over to a single figure.]

The Clergy of England and Waits were enabled to answer the two first Questions [p. xxv] by having recourse to the PARISH REGISTERS, which have been established in England ever since the Reformation; and the Third Question, by consulting the new form of Registry, as regulated by Law in the year 1812.

When, in the reign of Henry VIII., it was enacted, that the Church of England should no longer be subject to the Pope, Thomas Cromwell was appointed the King's Vicegerent for Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction; and in that capacity issued certain Injunctions to the Clergy in the year 1538.²²

One of these Injunctions ordains, That every officiating Minister shall, for every Church, keep a Book, wherein he shall register every Marriage, Christening, and Burial; and the Injunction goes on to direct the manner and time of making the Entries in the Register-Book weekly; any neglect therein "being made penal:- and in the first year of Edw. VI., (Anno 1547) all Episcopal authority was suspended for a time, while the ecclesiastical Visitors then appointed, went through the several Dioceses to enforce divers Injunctions, and among others that respecting Parish Registers. This Injunction was again repeated in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth, who also appointed a Protestation to be made by the Clergy, in which, among other things, they promised to keep the Register-Book in a proper manner.

The Canons of the Church of England, which are now in force, date their authority from the beginning of the reign of James I., (Anno 1603). One of these prescribes very minutely in what manner Entries¿are to be made in the Parish Registers; herein reciting the Injunction of 1538, and ordering an attested Copy of the Register of each successive year to be annually transmitted to the Bishop of the Diocese or his Chancellor, and to be preserved in the said Bishop's Registry.

This Canon also contains a retrospective Clause, appointing that the ancient Registers, so far as they could be procured, but especially since the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth, should be copied into a Parchment Book, to be provided by every Parish. This wise regulation appears to have been carried into full effect at the time; so that the ancient Parish Registers now extant, usually commence with that Queen's Reign, and some of them earlier, quite as far back as the Date of the original Injunction. That part of the Canon which directs the Register-Book to be kept in a Coffer in the Church, has not been enforced, as it was found by experience that the Book was liable to be damaged by the moisture prevalent in uninhabited Buildings, and also to be purloined with the other contents of the Church Coffer. The Register-Book was heretofore usually kept in custody of the Officiating Minister, at his own House, if resident on the Benefice, otherwise in that of the Parish Clerk; but the Act 52 Geo. III. c, 146, has made some alteration in this and other particulars.

This Law is intituled, "An Act for the better regulating and preserving Parish and other Registers of Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials in England," but does not appear to fulfil its intention as to Births . It received the Royal Assent on the 28th July 1812, and enacts that the Registers of Parishes, and of Chapelries (where the ceremonies of Baptism, Marriage and Burial are performed) shall be kept in Books of Parchment, or of good and durable paper, whereon shall be printed the Heads of Information required to be entered, also a printed number to be prefixed to each future entry, such entries to be divided by a printed line.

The King's Printer was charged to provide and transmit such Register Books as soon as conveniently might be after the passing of the Act, which was to take effect on the 1st January 1813: and with no small exertion on his part, the entire number of Register Books, upwards of 33,000, (three to each Parish and Chapelry) were printed, bound and transmitted before that time, although no preparation could be hazarded before the Act received the Royal Assent, as it was very likely to have been deferred to a future Session.

The provisions of this Act are not such (generally speaking) as were likely to affect the Returns of Registers under the Population Act of 1821, excepting only that a very distinct mention of the Registry of Baptisms, "whether Private or Public", has evidently added to the number of Registered Baptisms, (to an uncertain amount indeed) and in so far has been useful: but it thereby precludes any inference which otherwise might be drawn from a comparison of the respective numbers of Registered Baptisms which took place before and since the end of the year 1812.

The Act proceeds to direct, that the Register Books shall be kept in a dry well-painted iron chest, to be kept at the residence of the officiating Minister, or in the Parish Church or Chapel; also that Copies on Parchment of all Registers shall be sent annually to the Registrar of, each Diocese; enforcing in this respect the before mentioned Canon, with particular directions as to the form and manner of transmissal, and subsequent arrangement p> of these Copies by the Registrar; but this last intention cannot be accomplished until proper Buildings or Receptacles in each Diocese, and a fund for payment of the persons employed in such arrangement, shall have been provided.

The Act extends to Cathedrals, and to Churches and Chapels of all sorts, though not Parochial- and this has somewhat augmented the number of Returns received under the Population Act, although it has added very little to the total of Burials or of Marriages brought to account.

An important part of the new Parish Register Act, was to enquire the Dates of all extant Parish-Register Books; but experience has shown that the Act was incompetent to the attainment of this desirable purpose. For remedy of such defect, the same Question was inserted in the Schedule circulated under the Population Act of 1831, as follows:

"Referring to Section XIX of the Parish Register Act of 1812 (inserted in the Register Book of Baptisms), Be pleased hereunder to insert, or to affix, a List of all the Register Books of Baptisms, Burials and Marriages (whether bound or otherwise) remaining in your Parish or Chapelry containing Entries anterior to the Year 1813; stating the periods at which the several Registers respectively commence and terminate', and the periods (if any) during which they are deficient??If you retain Copy of such List transmitted to the Registrar of the Diocese in June 1813, a Transcript thereof would be satisfactory on the present occasion.

The Clergy (as might be expected) have readily availed themselves of this opportunity to comply with the directions of the Act, which therefore have now been fulfilled; and with this advantage, that the substance of their Answers is rendered accessible to the public as printed in a compressed form in the Parish-Register Abstract, and that a full Copy of their Answers is deposited in the British Museum with their Names severally inserted in the Margin; and where explanations were asked and obtained after perusal of such Answers, all such explanations to the number of 3,850 are annexed (in original) to the pages of the Manuscript Volumes in the British Museum [intituled, PARISH-REGISTERS EXTANT, 1831.] It may be thought that so many explanations indicate too severe a scrutiny, but the nature of the investigation involving obscure dates and ancient writing, is to be considered; and it is satisfactory to announce that in many instances Register Books have been found and, restored to their proper depository in consequence of these enquiries; which (it is not presumptuous, to believe) will have a prospective influence favourable to the safe custody of Parish-Registers in future. The preservation of Parish-Registers retrospectively is a question of degree; no person will be surprized that one-half of the Registers anterior to A.D. 1600 should have disappeared. If any other nation possesses similar Registers of that date, (a valuable proof of uninterrupted civilization), a comparison might be instituted, and the preservation of such Records through Three Hundred Years would not prove to have been of frequent occurrence; but in point of fact, examination shews that 812 English Parish-Registers commence in the year 1538, about 40 of which contain Entries (copied probably from family bibles and tomb-stones) anterior to the date of Cromwell's injunction; 1,822 Parish-Registers commence from A, D. 1538 to 1558, when Queen Elizabeth required a Protestation from the Clergy;-- 2,448 Parish-Registers commence from A. D. 1558 to 1603, when the Canons authorized by King James, directed a Copy of all extant Parish-Registers to be made and preserved; and nearly one half of them (5,082) have been preserved accordingly, and are now extant. Parish-Registers, to the number of 969, commence between that time to the year 1650;-- 2,757 from A. D. 1650 to 1700;-- 1,476 Parish-Registers from A, D. 1700 to the year, 1750; the rest (Six or Seven Hundred) since that time., Absolute exemption from defective or erroneous entry in these Registers must not be expected, but, it may fairly be doubted, whether such avowal of imperfection is not preferable to the official appearance of perfection which is offered to the enquirer in those nations where, by positive Law and severe Penalties, the acknowledgement of imperfection in civil Registers (as they ate called) is effectually prohibited, and where no allowance can be made by the calculator for negligence, which yet may sometimes have existed. In the first case (as in England) the degree of omission and defect is open to investigation and discussion, and reasonable approximation is attainable, as will be seen in the following pages under the respective descriptions of Marriage, Burial, and Baptismal Registers.

On the whole this national record of Baptisms, Burials and Marriages is highly respectable, and well worthy of the labour which has been bestowed in affording particular information of its extent in every Parish; whereby the investigation of family kindred and connections, and all the purposes of such Registry, cannot but be considerably and usefully promoted.

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THE Number of Returns of Parish Registers and Chapelry Registers received from, England and "Wales in the year 1801, (including a Supplementary Return) was supposed to be 11,065, which was not far from the number really due; but from the circumstances of a new enquiry, some of these were redundant, some were duplicate, and in many instances (on the contrary) no Return was made.

The discovery of a considerable degree of inaccuracy in the Supplement pf 1801, arising from these causes, and a certain knowledge that the Parish Register Abstract of that year had necessarily been formed with a degree of expedition not permitting sufficient investigation was a cogent reason for proceeding more cautiously on the next occasion; and this was the more necessary, as the Return of 1811 was to be compared with that of 1801, which standing alone and being intended to indicate the Increase or Diminution of the Population during the last Century, was not much less effectual for its own particular purpose, although a considerable proportion of the Parish-Register Returns were not brought to account; the result of a comparison of the several years with each other, not being much affected by it. This consideration, though a sufficient excuse for attending to expedition rather than to the completion of the Returns of 1801, was no longer valid in 1811; and particular care was then taken accordingly, both by marking the name of every supposed Benefice and Chapelry on a set of County Maps, and checking the Returns by that criterion, as well as by all other authorities which could be obtained; this was a laborious task, and gave rise to above Two Thousand Applications to officiating Clergymen and others, and, to a large correspondence, which however produced 857 additional Returns, and left ho room to doubt but that sufficient knowledge was thus procured to insure a complete Return on any future occasion.

It is obviously needless at this time, to detail the process by which the Returns of 1801 and 1811 were connected for the purpose of comparison; on a balance of the redundant and the deficient, the number of Baptisms was deemed to be deficient as One in Thirty-two; of Burials as One in Twenty-nine; of Marriages as One. in Fifty; and additions were made accordingly, to which it is sufficient to refer without repeating a page of figures and calculations, which was necessary in the Preliminary Observations of 1811. The corrected number of Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages, in the last Thirty years (1801-1830) is here subjoined, as not liable to suspicion of inaccuracy, such as was justly imputable to the original Return of 1801.

NUMBER OF BAPTISMS, BURIALS, AND MARRIAGES
YEAR	BAPTISMS			YEAR	BURIALS			MARRIAGES
	Males	Females	Total		Males	Females	Total
1801	120,521	116,508	237,029	1801	101,352	103,082	204,434	67,288
1802	139,889	133,948	273,837	1802	99,504	100,385	199,889	90,396
1803	150,220	143,888	294,108	1803	102,459	101,269	203,728	94,379
1804	150,583	144,009	294,592	1804	91,538	89,639	181,177	85,738
1805	149,333	142,868	292,201	1805	91,086	90,154	181,240	79,586
1806	147,376	144,553	291,929	1806	92,289	91,163	183,452	80,754
1807	153,787	146,507	300,294	1807	97,996	97,855	195,851	83,923
1808	151,565	144,509	296,074	1808	102,614	98,149	200,763	82,248
1809	152,812	147,177	299,989	1809	97,894	93,577	191,471	83,369
1810	152,591	146,262	298,853	1810	104,907	103,277	208,184	84,470
1811	155,671	149,186	304,857	1811	94,971	93,572	188,543	86,389
1812	153,949	148,005	301,954	1812	95,957	94,445	190,402	82,066
1813	160,685	153,747	314,432	1813	93,726	92,751	186,477	83,860
1814	163,282	155,524	318,806	1814	103,525	102,878	206,403	92,804
1815	176,233	168,698	344,931	1815	99,442	97,966	197,408	99,944
1816	168,801	161,398	330,199	1816	103,954	102,005	205,959	91,946
1817	169,337	162,246	331,583	1817	101,040	98,229	199,269	88,234
1818	169,181	162,203	331,384	1818	107,724	105,900	213,624	92,779
1819	171,107	162,154	333,261	1819	106,749	106,815	213,564	95,571
1820	176,311	167,349	343,660	1820	104,329	104,020	208,349	96,833
1821	181,811	173,496	355,307	1821	107,482	104,870	212,352	100,868
1822	190,508	182,063	372,571	1822	111,299	109,116	220,415	98,878
1823	189,144	180,616	369,760	1823	119,649	117,737	237,386	101,918
1824	189,401	182,043	371,444	1824	124,027	120,047	244,074	104,703
1825	192,003	183,050	375,053	1825	129,727	125,291	255,018	110,428
1826	194,527	185,886	380,413	1826	136,100	132,061	268,161	104,941
1827	191,428	182,758	374,186	1827	128,991	122,880	251,871	107,130
1828	200,333	192,121	392,454	1828	130,015	125,318	255,333	111,174
1829	194,089	186,156	380,245	1829	134,525	129,705	264,230	104,316
1830	194,200	187,860	382,060	1830	129,290	124,777	254,067	107,719

The Number of Returns of Parish Registers and Chapelry Registers collected under the Population Act of 1811 was 11,159, under the Act of 1821, the Number was increased to 11,342, from a cause which has been already stated, but which does not materially affect the comparison of the two Abstracts, and in the present the number is reduced to 11,301 by omission of Chapelry and other Registers, in which no Entries appear to have been made, or the Entries to have been copied into the Register of the Mother Church, and thence duly returned.

Further it may be proper to remark {and indeed has already been shown) that the Number of Benefices in England and Wales is by no means equal to the Number of Parishes; because in many instances Two or more Parishes are permanently united, as one Benefice; and in the Diocese of Norwich, which includes Norfolk and Suffolk, the Diocesan has the privilege of granting a personal Union of Parishes, on account of the small extent and value of many Benefices in those Counties.

The PARISH-REGISTER ABSTRACT has now as heretofore been framed with special Reference to the SUMMARY of each County and of each distinct part of every County, in the ENUMERATION ABSTRACT; so that every Total of Persons which there appears, may be compared with a corresponding Annual Total of Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages; and an Annual Average of these for each entire County, may be obtained by the easy process of dividing the Total (which appears under each County Summary ) by Ten; and to facilitate comparisons of the duration of human life, and of the proportion of Marriages in various Counties and at different periods, the Table inserted in the next page has been prepared; in consulting which it must not be forgotten that the comparative not the absolute Mortality, can only be relied on, unless the inquirer knows with what degree of accuracy the deaths which take place in any County or other limited district, are recorded in the Parish Registers

For in some few places Dissenters from the Established Church and persons inattentive to religious rites are so numerous, that the Marriage Register only is worthy of reliance. In Wentloog Hundred, Monmouthshire, where a mixed confluence of workmen drawn together by the prosperity of the Iron-works has increased the Population from 8,700 to 29,000 since the; year 1801,? the Baptisms and Burials respectively do not always out-number the Marriages, although Four Births to a Marriage is a very moderate calculation, and the mortality cannot be very different from that of the adjoining English Counties.²³ The Registers of the adjoining County of Glamorgan are defective from the same cause; and it must be remembered, that the Counties of Wales were not well defined nor regularly united to England till about the time of the first Injunction for keeping Parish Registers [See p. 834 of the Enumeration Abstract], and the difference of language has not been without its effect of estrangement in ecclesiastical affairs, especially in the Parish Registers, which are, generally speaking, defective, and therefore are not noticed in the following Table; which differs from the similar statement printed in the Observations preliminary to the Comparative Abstract of 1831, and from that which appears in the Maps now inserted in the Parish- Register Abstract, -inasmuch as the number of unregistered Baptisms and Burials (supplied by the Clergy in pursuance of the Fourth Question of the Schedule) has since that time been ascertained and included in the calculation.

But suppose the Parish Registers of England were nearly as accurate and complete as the Civil Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages are presumed to be in some other nations, the indication of comparative Mortality thus obtained would be greatly over-rated, were it deemed exact in all cases.

It has been heretofore suggested, "That the Increase of Population by increasing the proportion of youth, may lessen the per Centage of Mortality on the entire Population; and to what extent this effect may be so produced is not yet known by experience, observation and enquiry concerning such facts being of recent date. If the Population of England should become stationary, the former Ratio of mortality might possibly recur."²⁴ This suggestion may be generalized by observing, that human society is composed of individuals of every grade of age, which grades are liable to mortality, to a greater or less chance of death in the several years of progress from Infancy to old age. Now the number of existing individuals in each grade must depend on the Population existing at the time they were born. Suppose (for example) the Population of Lancashire to have doubled itself (as the fact is) within the last Thirty Years, it follows that infants, two to one, were born there in the Year 1831 as compared to the Year 1801; in other words, that such infants now compose a double proportion of the Population in comparison with the class Years old, than if the said Population-had been stationary since 1801.

The same sort of irregular proportion must prevail throughout all the grades of life, the comparative number in each grade relying on the rate of increase of Population since each came into existence, from the infant to the most aged individual: and as infancy and old age are much more liable to death than youth and middle-age, the result on such a Table as here follows, cannot be predicated without more knowledge of facts and more accuracy of inference than have hitherto been attainable.

This Table also differs from preceding Calculations, in adverting to the Burials of the last Five Years of each period, viz. 1796-1800; 1806-1810; 1826-1830; not only for the sake of comparing the number of Burials more nearly with the Population ascertained at the end of such quinquennial periods, but because variation is more strikingly exhibited by such intervening omissions.

The Comparative duration of average life in each County at these periods is exhibited in the foregoing Table; and as regarding parts of each County, a further enquiry has been instituted, Parish Register Limits of convenient dimensions having been formed for this purpose by the junction of Hundreds or similar Divisions. But the Results would be too vast, indeed would present to the enquirer but a Labyrinth of numbers and proportions, if printed on consecutive pages of the Parish-Register Abstract, wherefore Maps which speak to the eye have been chosen as the vehicle of this kind of information in detail; and perhaps it will be thought that the art of Lithography has seldom been more successfully employed. These Maps undertake to show, what was the Population of each County and of each Parish Register Limit in 1801, 1611, 1821, and 1831; and the proportion of Registered Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages to that Population in every instance. A further description of these Maps in words would not tend to elucidation; the facility of comparison afforded by them- cannot be misunderstood. The Scale is uniform, (about nine Miles to all Inch,) and such that more Counties than one are contained in each Map, the number of Maps being Sixteen, besides a General Map of England and Wales, also inserted in the Parish-Register Abstract, [pp. 491-2.].

Every place which has made Return of a Register, is distinguished in the Parish-Register Abstract, as Rectory (R.) Vicarage (V.) Parochial Chapelry (P.C.) Chapelry or Curacy;(C.).

As the" Marriage Register may be deemed nearly correct; next to it, the Register of Burials; and lastly, the Register of Baptisms, it will be found most convenient to treat of each distinctly, and in that order.

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CONCERNING THE REGISTRY OF MARRIAGES.

MANY Inconveniences having arisen from the undue Solemnization and Registry of Marriages, an Act was passed [26^o Geo. II.], which came into operation 25th March 1754, for the better preventing of Clandestine Marriages, directing a certain Formula for the Registry of Marriages, to be attested and signed by the Minister officiating, the individuals married, and two or more Witnesses, and declaring any Erasure or Mutilation of the Marriage. Register, or any False Entry therein, to be Felony without Benefit of Clergy ; nor can a Marriage be legally solemnized in any Chapel consecrated since this Law was made, A retrospective Relaxation of the Act²⁵ in this particular took place in 1781, under an Act by which Marriages already solemnized in such Chapels, were declared to be valid; but the Registers of such Marriages were ordered to be forthwith removed to the Parish Church.

Some Persons are known to evade the provisions of the Marriage Act, by a Marriage in Scotland; and, this practice perceptibly lessens the number of Registered Marriages in the Border Counties;²⁶ but the Registry of Marriages in other parts of England is not much affected thereby, because the Parents or friends of the Females who have been thus iregularly married at Graitney (Gretna) Green (about 63 annually) usually cause such Marriages to be afterwards solemnized according to the Law of England.

The Marriages of Dissenters of every denomination take place in the Established Church excepting those of the Society of Friends, usually called Quakers, who are permitted to intermarry in their own Congregation; and to this exception may be added the Jews, who marry according to their own peculiar Ceremonial; and the number of the first of these religious Sects rather exceeds 20,000 persons, the number of Jews is about 25,000; both these sects producing a defect of about 350 Registered Marriages annually; but this does not affect the comparative number of Marriages in a series of years.

A great variation in the annual Number of Marriages is caused by the circumstances of the times, and especially by the price of provisions; the difference arising from this cause is such, that no safe inference concerning the Increase or Diminution of Population can be drawn from the comparison of any single Years with each other; But the average Amount of the Marriages for five years together, or for a longer period is the best evidence on the subject, because the Register of Marriages may be deemed perfectly correct.

As it is intended, throughout the present Observations, to give the most important Results of all the Decennial Population Acts, the following TABLE not only shows the Number of Marriages in each Year since the 1754, but also the average Amount of Marriages for every Five, and for every Ten Years since the Marriages Act has been fully in force. It will appear in the sequel of these Remarks, that Results drawn from this Table would be very similar to the Results drawn from the Registered Baptisms

Number of Registered Marriages in each Year, from 1755 to 1800						PERIOD	Medium Average of Five Years.	Medium Average of Ten Years.
A.D.	Marriages	A.D.	Marriages	A.D.	Marriages	-
1755	49,379	1771	60,612	1786	68,992	1755-1760	52,666	56,275
1756	50,972	1772	60,337	1787	76,448	1761-1765	59,883
1757	48,300	1773	59,769	1788	70,032	1766-1770	59,043	59,892
1758	50,672	1774	60,512	1789	70,696	1771-1775	60,741
1759	55,537	1775	62,473	1790	70,648	1776-1780	64,238	64,479
1760	57,848	1776	65,462	1791	72,590	1781-1785	66,722
1761	58,101	1777	65,020	1792	74,919	1786-1790	71,363	71,784
1762	56,543	1778	62,727	1793	72,880	1791-1795	72,205
1763	62,233	1779	63,671	1794	71,797	1796-1800	74,998	79,231
1764	63,310	1780	64,309	1795	68,839	1801-1805	83,465
1765	59,227	1781	63,768	1796	73,107	1806-1810	82,953	85,985
1766	57,043	1782	63,071	1797	74,997	1811-1815	89,012
1767	55,324	1783	66,287	1798	79,477	1816-1820	93,073	100,064
1768	58,331	1784	68,935	1799	77,557	1821-1826	103,363
1769	61,825	1785	71,509	1800	69,851	1821-1827	107,056	-
1770	62,693
For the Marriages in each Year 1801-1830, see p. xxx.

The Annual proportion of Marriages to the Population during the last Five Years pre ceding 1831, was as one to 128 in England, the several Counties ranging from one in 103 to one in 175; [See p. xxxii.] the extremes take place in Middlesex and in Hertfordshire, the custom of surreptitiously marrying in the Metropolis increasing the number of Marriages therein, at the expense of the adjacent Counties.

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CONCERNING THE REGISTRY OF BURIALS.

THE Registry of Burials maybe supposed to be deficient, on the following considerations

1. Many Congregations of Dissenters, inhabiting Towns, have their own peculiar Burying-grounds; as have the Jews, and the Roman Catholics, who reside in London, and in some other places.
2. Some Persons, from motives of poverty or convenience, inter their Dead without any religious ceremony. But in estimating the deficiency from this cause, it should be considered that a place must be very populous before the establishment of cheap Burial-grounds can become a profitable speculation. Such there are in the Metropolis, at Manchester, and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Number of these Interments within the London Bills of Mortality has been estimated at 7,000 annually; at the other places here mentioned a Register or Account is kept, of which a Return was received, and entered; as indeed of some of the, Burial-grounds in and near the Metropolis.
3. Children who die before Baptism are interred without any religious ceremony, and consequently are not registered.
4. Negligence may be supposed to cause some omissions in the Registers, especially in those of small Benefices, where the Officiating Minister is not resident.
5. Many Persons employed in the Army, and in Navigation, die Abroad; and consequently their Burials remain unregistered.

The Annual Number of Burials, as collected in pursuance of the Population Acts, authorizes a satisfactory inference of diminished Mortality in England,- the average Number of Burials not differing materially from the Year 1780 to the Year 1815 the first Five Years of that period, the last Five Years, and the whole period of Thirty-six years, giving the same average result of 193,000 Registered Burials, the Population having increased 3,300,000 in the mean time; not but that the effect of the Deaths by which England was afflicted in 1795 and 1800, is very perceptible in the increased Mortality of those years, Many other, and no doubt very various considerations would occur to every Investigator of such a subject; especially the doubt as to how many years of the Burial Register ought to be applied as a: Divisor to existing Population. The Mortality of the Inhabitants of England appears to have sunk to its Minimum in the decade preceding the Population Abstract of 1821; and since that time it seems to have risen as fast as it descended after the year 1800.

The causes of increase in the duration of human life up to the Year 1821, remain to be investigated by those who are able to elucidate the subject; houses less crowded, better food, better clothing, and more cleanliness among the numerous classes of Society, cannot have been without some effect j and to these may be added the increased extent of surface drainage, and of underground drainage, both which may have acted beneficially on the health of the Agricultural Population. The improved treatment of Diseases was stated in some of the Returns, as a cause of increasing Population, and especially the substitution of Vaccination, for the Small Pox; infectious Fevers have almost disappeared, even in the Metropolis; and Intermittents, which heretofore under the name of Ague, infested the Country very extensively (especially the Fen Districts) are no longer spoken of. So in former times, the Plague (as it was called) disappeared as soon as the City of London had been rebuilt after the great Fire of 1666; so the Land-Scurvy, and before that the Leprosy, became gradually extinct when the Reformation of Religion, and improvements in Agriculture, had removed the necessity of eating Salt-fish and Salted Meat during the greater portion of the year.

The Registered Mortality in the several Counties of England (1826-1830) ranges between one in 41, and one in 64; Middlesex and Cornwall being the extremes. The Registry of Monmouthshire cannot be relied on in this comparison of Counties. Including unregistered Deaths, the Mortality of England and Wales is estimated at one in Forty-nine since the year 1820. [See p. xlv.] But supposing, for the sake of argument, that One-sixth may be justly added to the Average of the Registered Burials (1820-1830), and assuming the Medium Population at 12,938,030, then [246,290 + 41,048 = 287,338) 12,938,030 (45] the proportion of deaths has been One in Forty-five of the Population. Add (in like manner) One-sixth to the Registered Burials of 1780, or rather (as above explained) to 193,000, then [193,000, 32,166 = 225,166) 7,814,827 (34] the proportion of deaths was in 1780 as one in Thirty-four or Thirty-five of the Population. A proportion was unlikely in amount beyond the Mortality of other European nations in the same climate, as one in Forty-nine during the last ten years falls short of that mortality. The question is thus laid open for discussion; for it must be confessed, that the defective Registry of Burials in Monmouthshire and in Wales, and in very large towns, cannot be subjected to satisfactory estimate, so that resort must be had to argumentative inference.

The present Return of the Number of Registered Burials produces no unusual information; but the Third Question, requiring the Ages of Individuals entered in the Burial Registers during the Eighteen years preceding 1831, has produced a Total of nearly Four Millions of persons deceased, not unequally divided between the two sexes, and forming one of the elements requisite in calculating the expectancy of human life.

It was impossible to arrange the following Table without remarking the excess of Mortality which falls upon the Decennary years, especially, on 60 and 70, where the Burials are recorded to nearly double in amount, as compared to the preceding year and to the succeeding year. Hence the tendency to speak in round, numbers may be estimated with considerable exactness, one person in Four or Five who dies at 59 and 61, at 69 and 71 years of age, being thereby transferred to 60 and 70; so that in computation it is necessary to combine the years which exhibit palpable irregularity from this cause.

AGES OF 3,938,496 PERSONS BURIED IN ENGLAND AND WALES (Of whom 1,996,195 Males, 1,942,301 Females), during Eighteen Years, 1813-1830.
Age	Males	Females	Both Sexes	Age	Males	Females	Both Sexes	Age	Males	Females	Both Sexes
Under one Year	436,946	341,137	778,083	40	16,209	17,304	33,513	80	20,666	24,951	45,617
1	139,426	127,017	266,443	41	10,083	10,906	20,989	81	13,146	14,279	27,425
2	78,114	75,900	154,014	42	13,493	14,073	27,566	82	15,523	17,582	33,105
3	47,860	46,773	94,633	43	10,828	11,489	22,317	83	12,072	13,721	25,793
4	33,693	32,076	65,769	44	12,292	12,666	24,958	84	15,920	18,477	34,397
5	24,854	23,340	48,194	45	15,532	14,548	30,080	85	12,245	14,187	26,432
6	19,376	18,091	37,467	46	12,601	12,334	24,935	86	8,854	10,437	19,291
7	16,467	14,668	31,135	47	12,633	12,103	24,736	87	7,070	8,489	15,559
8	13,895	12,363	26,258	48	13,801	13,230	27,031	88	6,762	8,325	15,087
9	12,671	11,270	23,941	49	12,203	11,486	23,689	89	4,468	5,637	10,105
10	11,610	10,527	22,137	50	17,468	16,059	33,527	90	4,549	6,624	11,173
11	10,441	9,777	20,218	51	10,792	10,119	20,911	91	2,293	3,057	5,350
12	9,996	9,800	19,796	52	14,544	13,875	28,419	92	2,038	2,867	4,905
13	9,688	10,261	19,949	53	13,050	12,009	25,059	93	1,598	2,258	3,856
14	10,589	11,790	22,379	54	13,148	12,346	25,494	94	1,129	1,685	2,814
15	10,096	12,527	22,623	55	16,303	15,209	31,512	95	977	1,582	2,559
16	11,385	13,737	25,122	56	15,705	14,589	30,294	96	715	1,182	1,897
17	12,568	14,212	26,780	57	14,067	12,995	27,062	97	494	846	1,340
18	14,212	14,998	29,210	58	14,287	13,414	27,701	98	426	708	1,134
19	15,144	16,061	31,205	59	13,479	12,303	25,782	99	267	495	762
20	15,245	16,041	31,286	60	21,835	21,438	43,273	100	239	468	707
21	15,834	16,237	32,071	61	13,533	12,551	26,084	101	133	225	358
22	16,188	17,597	33,785	62	16,693	16,253	32,946	102	70	174	244
23	14,850	16,803	31,653	63	18,631	18,282	36,913	103	63	134	197
24	14,515	16,722	31,237	64	17,761	17,629	35,390	104	41	90	131
25	14,569	16,586	31,155	65	18,911	18,723	37,634	105	29	72	101
26	13,785	16,318	30,103	66	20,160	20,332	40,492	106	17	29	46
27	13,623	16,133	29,756	67	19,352	19,523	38,875	107	13	21	34
28	13,778	16,272	30,050	68	18,315	18,298	36,613	108	10	18	28
29	12,199	14,431	26,630	69	16,816	16,222	33,038	109	6	12	18
30	14,513	16,514	31,027	70	26,187	27,766	53,953	110	7	11	18
31	10,338	11,963	22,301	71	16,008	16,154	32,162	111	2	3	5
32	12,597	14,427	27,024	72	21,085	21,868	42,953	112	1	1	2
33	12,409	14,227	26,636	73	20,562	21,363	41,925	113	1	1	2
34	11,605	13,279	24,884	74	20,652	21,163	41,815	114		2	2
35	13,741	15,200	28,941	75	21,936	22,884	44,820	117		1	1
36	13,234	14,950	28,184	76	19,595	20,522	40,117	118	1		1
37	11,873	13,409	25,282	77	21,012	21,845	42,857	119	1		1
38	12,519	14,268	26,787	78	19,595	21,030	40,625	120	2	1	3
39	11,167	12,611	23,778	79	15,576	16,433	32,009	124	1		1

Another element requisite for calculating the expectancy of life, is a knowledge of the Ages of those living concurrently with the deceased; an extensive inquiry which cannot be repeated.

Eighteen years consecutively, and in this instance is supplied by an approximation arising from the Enumeration of 1821, when the Ages of Ten Millions and a half of persons in England and Wales were ascertained with a view to the present occasion, and are here inserted,

AGES of PERSONS enumerated in England and Wales, 28th May 1821; with proportions annexed, supposing each Sex and the Total to have been 10,000,000 in number.
AGES	MALES.	MALES.	FEMALES.	FEMALES.	TOTAL.	TOTAL.
Under Five Years.	791,579	1,536,732	774,689	1,440,044	1,566,268	1,487,339
5-9	693,858	1,347,022	682,457	1,268,597	1,376,315	1,306,958
10-14	603,613	1,171,824	569,366	1,058,376	1,172,979	1,113,869
15-19	509,586	989,285	535,569	995,552	1,045,155	992,487
20-29	755,780	1,467,234	901,338	1,675,468	1,657,118	1,573,611
30-39	593,662	1,152,506	649,507	1,207,348	1,243,169	1,180,522
40-49	482,329	936,370	500,977	931,250	983,306	933,755
50-59	342,204	664,338	352,160	654,619	694,364	659,373
60-69	231,509	449,440	249,184	463,200	480,693	456,470
70-79	115,032	223,317	124,648	231,704	239,680	227,602
80-89	29,587	57,438	36,315	67,505	65,902	62,581
90-99	2,253	4,378	3,280	6,097	5,533	5,254
100 and upwards	60	116	129	240	189	179
TOTALS	5,151,052	10,000,000	5,379,619	10,000,000	10,530,671	10,000,000

The question addressed to the several Overseers in the year 1821, regarding the Ages of persons, was as follows: "If you are of opinion that in making the preceding Enquiries (as to the number of Families and of persons) the Ages of the several individuals can be obtained in a manner satisfactory to yourself, and not inconvenient to the parties, Be pleased to state,-- The Number of those who are under Five Years of Age, of those between 5 and 10 Years of Age, &c. &c." It will be perceived that an option, was thus left to' the Overseer, whether or not to inquire and make Return of the Ages of persons; and to every individual person, whether or not to be included in the Return: For a Statement of Ages is not much less valuable as extending to 10,530,671 persons, than if it extended one Ninth part further, to 11,978,875 persons (the entire Population of England and Wales); and it is much more valuable, as being voluntary in all the parties concerned, thereby excluding defects and inaccuracy to which such a Statement would otherwise be liable from carelessness or repugnance.

The 28th day of May is so nearly in the middle of the year, that no over-scrupulous objection is likely to occur as to any combination of the Ages of the Living and the Ages of the Buried in the Year 1821; still less to the Three, Five, or Seven Years respectively, of which 1821 is the middle year. A period of Seven Years was therefore chosen, as affording scope enough for insuring a fair average of Mortality, and not departing too far from the time when the Ages of the Living were ascertained.

[Table: "AGES of 1,497,511 PERSONS BURIED in ENGLAND and WALES, (of whom 756,163 MALES, 741,348 FEMALES), during SEVEN YEARS (1818-1824), of which the AVERAGE only appears elsewhere." appears here.]

Afterwards it was suggested, that other and valuable sources of knowledge might be expected to accrue from a distinct Statement of Mortality in every other year of the series, as exhibiting the comparative decrement of the two sexes, and at various ages throughout life; wherefore a laborious operation to that effect has been undertaken and accomplished, in honour also (so to speak) of the ample materials collected in detail by the willing labour of the Clergy, and afterwards classed and methodized at the public expense. The following extensive Table therefore shows the average of Seven Years I818-l824, the particulars of Eleven Years (1813-1817, and 1825-1830), and the Average of all the Eighteen Years; which Average, except for the sake of comparison in every column and every year, will never be used in preference to the foregoing general Table [p. xxxvi] of the Ages of 3,938,496 Persons buried during Eighteen Years. If any calculator should prefer the mortality of Seventeen Years instead of Eighteen Years, as placing the enumerated Ages of the Living more accurately in the middle of the period, he will have to deduct the Burials of 1830 as a preliminary to his further labour.

[Series of tables, "AGES of MALES and FEMALES BURIED and REGISTERED in England and Wales , 1813-1830.", occupying five pages, appears here.]

The only remaining element requisite for accurate calculation of the expectancy of life, is the Amount of Population retrospectively during the life of Man; which will appear under its proper head. The details of the Burial Register -will best be concluded, by remarking, that among 8,988,496 persons, 1,900 nave attained to the age of One Hundred Years, of whom no more than one-third (637) were Males, two-thirds (1,263) Females. Eighteen Individuals, have attained to the age of One Hundred and Eleven and upwards, Nine of each Sex; and it may gratify local curiosity to add, That those of 111 years of age, died at Maker (North-Riding of Yorkshire), at Cloford (Somersetshire), at Dent (in the West-Riding of Yorkshire), at Tanworth (Warwickshire), and at Houghton-le-Spring (Durham), in the years; 1814, 1815, 1817, 1822 and 1826 respectively. Those who were 112 years of age died at Llangattock (Brecon), and at Tytherington (Gloucestershire), in the years 1817 and 1825 respectively. Those of 113 years of age died at Shadwell (Middlesex) and at Standon (Herts), in the years 1814 and 1819 respectively. 'Those of 114 years of age died at Langford (Bedfordshire), and in St. Martin's Parish (Birmingham), in the year 1823. A Female, 117 years of age, died at Sutton-Courteney (Berks), in 1822. A Male, 118 years of age, died at Irthington (Cumberland), in 1823. A Male, 119 years of age, died at Allensmore (Herefordshire), in 1822. Two Males, of 120 years of age, died at St. John's (Swansea), and at Topsham (Devon), in the years 1822 and 1824 respectively; one Female, of 120, at Camrose (Pembrokeshire), in 1830. One Male, 124 years of age, died at Boughton-under-Blean (Kent), in the year 1824.

Nineteen Hundred Centenarians (persons who have attained to One hundred years and upwards) appearing to have died in Eighteen years [1813-1830], produces an annual average of 105 such deaths, and is in the proportion of one death in 2,073 other deaths. The Centenarians existing in the year 1821 in England and Wales were 189, or one in 55,717; and supposing the defect in the Burial Register of Ages, and in the Enumeration of Ages in 1821 to have been equal (which is not far from the fact), 105 Centenarians in 189 (or 55 per cent.) thus appear to have died annually;

Further; as the Population of England doubled itself between the years 1730 and 1821, and for all practical purposes may be taken as stationary from 1700 to 1730, the Centenarians now in existence are no more than Half, as compared to those who would have now been in existence had the Population of 1730 been the same as it is now; in other words, they would have been as one in 28,000, instead of one in 56,000 [55,717], the proportion ascertained, by the Enumeration of 1821. Apart from such considerations, the proportion of existing Centenarians is no valid indication of national health or longevity.

---

CONCERNING THE REGISTRY OF BAPTISMS.

THE Registry of Baptisms is deficient from the same causes as that of Burials, and from most of those causes in a greater degree.

1. Many Dissenters of every denomination (those especially who reside at a distance from any other Burial-place) from motives of decency or convenience bury their dead in the Ceme- teries of the Established Church, though they baptize after their own manner, or not at all.
2. Some irreligious Persons, especially in large Towns, neglect the Rite of Baptism altogether.
3. Some Children die immediately after Birth, unbaptized; these however not being registered among the Burials, the Comparison is not affected from this cause. A great defect in Baptismal Registers heretofore arose from Private Baptism, which is carried to an extent not at all in the contemplation of the Founders of the Church of England; for the Canon ordaining Registers applies to Christenings, without further explanation; and this word is usually understood to mean Public Baptism only. The practice of the Clergy has not been uniform on this point; and it appears from the Remarks subjoined to some of the Parish-Register Returns of 1811, that the Registry of Private Baptisms was refused in many places, from a conscientious desire thereby to induce persons to cause their Children to be publicly received into the Congregation: but the Parish Register Act of 1812 no longer leaves this optional, and the effect of it has; been such, that Registered Baptisms, which heretofore were 147 to 100 as compared to the Burials, are increased since the year 1811, so as to exceed the Burials in the proportion of 157 to 100.
4. Negligence may be supposed to cause the same proportion of omissions in the Registry of Baptisms as in that of Burials.

The joint effect of all these causes will hereinafter be estimated in discussing the Increase of Population.

The whole Number of Baptisms collected for the purposes of the Four Population Acts, appears, to be 16,323,576: of these, 8,335,866 Males 7,987,710 Females: So that the Baptisms of Males are 10,435 to 10,000 Females. The whole Number of Burials appears to be 11,588,938; of these, 5,819,923 Males, 5,769,015 Females; a very small disparity in so large a number; whence it may be inferred, that the larger proportion of Males born (4¿ per cent.) is also the proportion dying Abroad in the employments of War and Commerce: not forgetting, that of unregistered infants a larger portion are Males than Females. Previously to the year 1821, the Burials of the two Sexes were in equal number, and the effect of settled peace is now shown by the increased proportion of Males who die and are buried at home.

The proportion of Registered Baptisms to the Population is as one to 34 in England; the several Counties ranging between one in 31, and one in 38; Cambridgeshire, with Middlesex, Notts, and Worcester being equally of the first class; Surrey the other extreme, Monmouthshire always excepted. Including unregistered Births, the proportion of Births to the Population of England and Wales has been one in 28, since the Year 1820. [See p. xlv]: but this is liable to the same sort of question as the proportion of Deaths relying indeed upon the same argument, [See p. XXXV.]

The Number and Sex of illegitimate children born in the Year 1830 formed part of the enquiry of 1831, and the Laws regarding the maintenance of the Poor, added to the facility of collecting facts which occurred in the preceding Twelvemonth, tend very much to establish the accuracy of the Return. The total number in England and Wales was 20,039; of whom, Males 10,147, Females 9,892; the proportion as one in Nineteen Baptisms [Par, Reg. Abstract, p. 490] the Males not exceeding the Females much more than 2¿ per cent. In Middlesex (the Metropolis County) the proportion of Illegitimates is no more than one in Thirty-eight Baptisms. This may be deemed remarkable, considering the opposite result in other European nations, in more than one of which the Capital City is said to produce Illegitimates as one Birth in Three or Four, although elsewhere in the same nations such Births do not exceed one-tenth. But the cause of this seeming disparity exists in applying the word Illegitimate to all who are deposited in Hospitals for the reception of deserted Children; that is, to all infants whose parents are too poor to maintain them. This grievous necessity is obviated in England by the Poor Relief Law, and the general opulence as well as the density of population in the Metropolis, facilitates the concealment of illegitimate birth. The so-called Foundling Hospital in London has long since [A. D. 1760) ceased to be such in reality.

---

FOOTNOTES

22 . The alarm produced by this novelty, in a reign of innovation and, severity, is curiously developed in a contemporary Letter from the Ancestor of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe:

"Sir Piers Eggecomb to Crumwell.

"Plesse it, ywr goode Lordeshyp to be advertyssyd, that the Kynggs Majesty hath commandyd me, at my beynge in hys gracius presens, that in casse I parceyvyd any grugge, Or myscontentacyon a mongge hys sojectes, I shulde tber off advertysse ywr Lordeshyp by my wrytynge. Hyt ys now comme to ray knolegge, this 20 daye of Apryll, by a ryght trew honest man, a servant off myn; that ther ys moche secrett, and severall communycacyons amongges the Kyngge's sqjettes; and that off them, in sundry places within the scberesoff Cornwall and Devonsher, be in greate feer and mystrust, what the Kyngges Hyghnes and hys Couseyll schulde meane, to geve in commaundement to the parsons and vycars off every parisse, that they schulde make a booke, and surely to be kept, wher in to be specyffyyd the namys off as many as be weddyd, and the namys off them that be buryyd, and of "all those that be crystynyd. Now ye maye perceyve the myndes off many, what ys to be don, to avoyde ther unserteyri cpnjecturys, and to contynue and stablysse therhartes in trew naturell loff, accordynge ther dewties, I refferre to ywr wyssdom. Ther mystrust ys, that somme charges, more than hath byn in tymys past, schall growe to theym by this occacyon off regesstrynge of thes thyngges; wher in, yff hyt schall please the Kyngges Majeste to put them yowte off dowte, in my poar myiide schall encresse moche harty loff. And I besseche our towie preserve yow ever, to Hys pleasser, 20th daye off Apryll. Scrybelyd in hast.

(superscribed) (signed) "P. EGGECOMB."

To my Lorde Privy Scale ys goode Lordesshyp, be this gevyn."/

From Cromwell's Correspondence in the Chapter House (Bundle E.) The letter is wholly in Sir Pier's handwriting.

Cromwell's first Instructions to the Clergy after he became Vice-gerent, which were issued in 1536, did not require Parish Registers to be kept. They were first enjoined y the 12th Article of his Instructions of 1538, (printed at length by Burnet, in the Collection appended to the first volume of his History of the Reformation, p. 178), and as they were not issued, according to Strype, till the months of September and October, the date of this letter must have been in 1539, Mr. Burn's History of Parish Registers , published 1829, contains what is promised in its title; and much curious matter is contained in his History of Fleet Marriages , published 1833.

23 . Par. Reg. Abstract p.200.

24 . Evidence before the Committee on the Population Bill, 18 May 1830.

25 . 1 G.III.c.53.

26 . 200 Marriages from Cumberland (chiefly from the neighbourhood of Carlisle) take place at and near Graitney Green annually; 23 from Northumberland; 6 or 7 from Westmorland.

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