To render the results obtained more certain I have divided the intermediate parishes into portions, and made two classes out of them. The mean altitude of the higher class is 49 feet, of the lower 38 feet. In the former there was one death from epidemical disease annually in 398 persons living on the average of the 5 years; in the latter there was one death of this kind in 224 persons living. The years 1839, 1840, 1841, were more remarkable for epidemical affections than 1842 and 1843. During the latter years only one death in 371 occurred from this class of diseases in the low lying portions of the intermediate parishes; but in the higher parts of the same parishes there was one death in 607 only, so that the relative sanatory state is still preserved. I have three tables here, first for the 5 years; next for the first 3 years of the 5; and, thirdly, for the 2 remaining years. Upon inspection it will be seen that the mean age at death and the general mortality present a uniform contrast. I will now explain how the data of these tables were obtained. My first object was to get the simple facts from the Registrars' books, and have them VOL. VIII.-PART I. F tabulated. The first tabulation was topographical. I had each death extracted from the registry and entered on sheets of paper according with the locality. The formula was purposely made as simple as possible, I then had these facts re-tabulated according to this form, the fundamental principles of which are two, the exact locality and the occupation of the deceased. The aggregates of these afford the aggregate of the whole city. These statistical details would, of course, be of little value if nothing were known of the locality to which they refer. A map then, and a map of a particular kind, is requisite. An outline map of York, drawn on the scale of 20 inches to the mile, has accordingly been constructed under the superintendence of Captain Tucker, the able officer in command here of the Royal Engineers. It was constructed expressly to facilitate the inquiry in York. On inspecting the map it will be seen that the boundary of each parish is laid down; that each is divided into blocks and numbered, the numbers referring to this document in which the areas in each block occupied by buildings, public edifices, water, gardens, yards, courts, and streets is stated. The numerals in blue ink indicate the altitude of that point above the datum plane of mean tide. Having been supplied by the Health of Towns' Commission with the Population Returns of York in such a way as to show the numbers living in 1841 in each parish, I was enabled to estimate, with tolerable accuracy, the density of the population not only in each parish but in any given portion of the surface of the city. The ratio of density of population in each parish and district was obtained, however, not by dividing the total area by the numbers living in 1841, but by making the area occupied by buildings the dividend. This was necessary to a true estimate of the sanatory effect of density, as the poorer classes in some instances live in dense masses, surrounded by large open spaces. The great deficiency in this map is, that the drainage and sewerage are not shown, but I believe the Ordnance Survey is not in possession of the requisite data. This short paper is presented only as supplementary to the Report printed by the Health of Towns' Commission. The facts as to the occupations of the deceased are only approximatively accurate. Statistics of Old and New Malton. By WILLIAM CHARLES COPPERTHWAITE, F.S.S., Borough Bailiff of Malton. [Read before the Statistical Section of the British Association at York, Sept. 27th, 1844.] THIS paper contains an elaborate report of the statistics of the town and parishes of New and Old Malton; and, comprising as it does the details of almost every branch of parochial statistics, it is impossible in any space which can here be devoted to it, to present any farther abstract of its contents than an index to the subjects discussed. If, however, opportunity should hereafter permit us to lay before our readers some of its most interesting sections at length, their value as a model of local research, directed to the correction of general principles by specific experience, will be found to give them a value far beyond that of merely local information. An historical essay, tracing the family genealogy and the descent of property from the earliest dates, through the Roman, Saxon, and Norman eras down to the present times, introduces the statistical survey, which is arranged under the following heads :— 1. Description and Topography of the district, which consists of the town of New Malton, the parish of Old Malton, the village of the same name, and the hamlets of Whykeham and Howe. The distribution of the population in the streets, the condition of the streets as to surface, lighting, sewerage, &c., and the shops, public houses, beer-shops, &c. are described. 2. Division and Tenure of Property.-Thirty-four landowners, owning 3,833 acres, and the extent owned by each, three only being above the value of 50l. per annum: 75 proprietors of 1,086 houses, and the number owned by each. The annual value of the houses— 21 per cent. being rented at or under £2 per annum. 42 from £2 to 5 ,, above £20 The changes which have taken place in the division of property since 1625. 3. Population and Vital Statistics.-The present population is 5,317, consisting of 1,136 families, and of 2,592 males and 2,725 females. The progress of population from 1801 to 1811 was 23.3 per cent. increase. 1811 to 1821 8.4 1821 to 1831 1.1 per cent. decrease. Tables of the Births, Deaths, and Marriages are given for each year, and for each parish from the year 1606. Tables of the recorded ages at death of 2,922 persons, show that 23.12 per cent. die under one year of age, 33.01 under three years of age, 54.13 under 30 years, and 81 72 under 70 years. In the North Riding of Yorkshire 21. per cent. survive 70 years of age. Tables are also formed of the MORBILITY or liability to disease, but are too long to be here alluded to. The immigration into the parish is as follows; 5.2 per cent. were born out of the county; of these 0.9 per cent. are Irish, and 0.3 per cent. Scotch. The proportion of the single to the married is— From 30 to 40 years of age, Males 20 per cent. single, Females 23 per cent. The number of persons to a family has not varied much during the four decennial periods since 1801: The number of living children to a marriage is 4.7 each. the residence of the poorer classes generally. The proportion of legitimate and illegitimate children is, on an average of 40 years, 7.5 per cent. on the whole births. The progress of this crime is as follows: 10 years ending 1810 there were 5.3 per cent. illegitimate. 4. Industry. Under this head the relative number of persons employed in each description of industry, and the amount of wages by day and by piece-work, &c. are given. 5. The Mechanical power used in the parishes. 6. Agriculture.-Under this head very minute details are given of the size, soil, condition, crops, stock, labour employed, produce of wool, poultry, &c., the rent, public burthens, &c. of each farm in the parish. The price of land in the parish and in the adjoining parishes, and the changes which have taken place in the price of land, and much other agricultural information too long to be here inserted. 7. The Condition of the Labouring Classes.-Details of the allotment system which has been adopted since 1810, of the Friendly and other Societies established for the benefit of the labouring classes. An investigation at great length into the money and other earnings, weekly and yearly, of the poor; and of their expenditure in the several items of outgo. The average income from all sources of each working man's family is about 371., or 8l. 14s. each person in the family. The expenditure is as follows: Potatoes generally supplied from gardens and allotments. Butchers' meat 14.5 per cent. of the whole earnings. 35.7 Cheese, ale, and groceries Milk Land rent, &c. Schooling, clubs, &c. Clothing, Shoes, Bedding House rent. 8. Markets and Prices. 9. Education. Under this head are tables, giving the details of each school, public and private, in the district. The number, age, sex, &c. of the scholars, the subjects taught, the payments, and other particulars. Amongst children from 5 to 15 years of age in Malton, 75 per cent. receive some degree of education, the proportion in the following places, is in Bury, in Lancashire, 87; Salford, 77; York, 66; Newcastle, 51; Birmingham, 48; Liverpool, 47. The cost of each scholar in every description of school, of course exclusive of boarding, is, on a rough estimate, 24s. per annum. 10. Religion. The details of each place of worship are given; from which it appears that, taking all the places of worship together, there are sittings for the entire population of the district. Whilst upon a rough estimate, the maintenance of the clergy and ministers (including the Church living) amounts to about 13s. each family; the amount paid for church rates about 2s. 1d. each family, and the contributions to various religious and missionary societies, &c. amounts to 8s. 6d. each family. On the Duration of Life among the Families of the Peerage and Baronetage of the United Kingdom. By WILLIAM A. GUY, M.B. Cantab, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor of Forensic Medicine in the King's College, Physician to King's College Hospital, Honorary Secretary of the Statistical Society, &c. In the course of some inquiries undertaken with a view of illustrating the influence of employments upon health, the want of a standard with which to compare the duration of life in the several classes of society, and in persons following different occupations, made itself strongly felt. There are two principal means of determining the influence of professions and employments on longevity; the one by comparing the age at death of persons following those professions and employments with the age at death of a class placed in the most favourable circumstances; the other by instituting a similar comparison between the ages of the living. In either case it is necessary that the comparison should be exact. For this purpose, whether the average age at death or the average age of the living is to be our test, we must commence the inquiry from the same age in each class. If, for instance, we wish to determine the influence of literary pursuits on longevity, we must first ascertain at what average age men engage in such pursuits, and then compare the mean age of the living and the mean age at death of that class with those members of the standard class who have attained the same age. For want of such simple precautions, and of the necessary standards of comparison, little real progress has been made in this most interesting department of vital statistics. may The standard of comparison which we select for use ought to be one presenting as favourable an average age as possible. This age is most likely to be attained by the class that combines the greatest number of physical advantages, and has at its command all the means by which health be preserved, and the best advice and assistance procured in case of accident or illness. There is no class which possesses all these advantages in so eminent a degree as that which is the subject of the present communication. The first object, then, which I had in view was to combine the materials afforded by the peerage and baronetage, so as to form some useful standards of comparison. But the facts which were thus collected evidently admitted of being applied to the solution of some other questions of considerable interest, though of less practical importance, which are accordingly discussed in the course of this inquiry. That I might collect as large a number of facts as possible, the peerage and baronetage were jointly laid under contribution; and, for the same reason, I did not limit myself to the successors to titles, but extracted the age at death of all males 21 years old and upwards, whose age is distinctly stated or admits of calculation,* excepting only such as died in battle or came to their death by accident. It is not pretended that facts thus gleaned from books of the peerage and baronetage, without further verification, are worthy of implicit confidence; but it is probable that the error to which they are subject is not * Sharpe's Peerage, 1830, and Debrett's Baronetage, 1832, were employed, as being at hand. |