the baptismal register for the year 1589, one leaf is lost, which contained the registers for five months of that year; and during the period of the usurpation, a chasm occurs in all the registers for eight years and nearly three months. With these exceptions, the registers are perfect. I have caused the returns to be made out monthly, quarterly, annually, and in periods of 20 years; so that they may be inspected either minutely, or in a more summary manner. I am in justice bound to add that the following abstract was compiled according to my wishes by Mr. Palmer, who combines much antiquarian reading and architectural skill, with unwearied industry. It will, perhaps, be sufficient for our present object, to read the summary drawn up in periods of 20 years. Number of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials recorded in the Register Books of the Collegiate Church, Manchester, from their commencement in the year 1573, to the end of the year 1841, showing the total amount every 20 years. I ought to state, that I have procured also the registers of the churches of St. Mary, St. John, and St. Ann, so as to make the registers of the townships of Manchester and Salford, up to a certain period, tolerably complete. But the numbers in these churches have been so stationary, and bear so small a proportion to the total number, as to affect very little any question which regards the comparison of one period with another. I will venture now to make a few remarks arising out of the consideration of these voluminous registers. With regard to baptisms-they are, of course, no guide as to the actual amount of the population of the place at any given time; but they may be extremely useful in ascertaining the advance or retrogression of the population, by comparing their numbers at one period and at another, when there is no cause in operation to affect them except the number of births. But in later periods, the vast immigration of Irish Roman Catholics, who do not of course appear in this register, greatly reduces their value for any such purpose. The register of burials is tolerably complete up to the opening of the Rushholme burial-ground, which took place in the year 1822. Since that time many burial-grounds have been opened, and this return ceases to be of much value for statistical purposes. But the most complete portion of the register is that of marriages, which is perfect for the whole parish up to July, 1837, when the new system of registration commenced. Now it would appear that, taking extensive periods of time into view, which we are here enabled to do, an accurate record of all the marriages solemnized in any given place is the best criterion that can be taken to ascertain the progress of population in such place, next to that of actual enumeration. Taking this test as our guide, the marriage register before us will show the progress of population in Manchester and Salford (though of course only as an approximation to the truth) in a very striking manner. The marriage register, as I have said, embraces the whole parish; but as the fluctuations in population chiefly affect the townships of Manchester and Salford, we will confine our attention to these alone. Now the population of these townships in the year 1773, as taken by the Rev. John Whittaker and Dr. Percival, amounted to 27,246. The annual number of marriages at that period, taken on an average of 10 years, is 444, which, multiplied by 65,* gives a result of nearly 2,000 more than the number ascertained by actual enumeration. The average number of the marriages, taken in the same manner, at the respective periods of 1801, 1811, 1821, and 1831, also multiplied by 65, agrees with a considerable degree of accuracy with the censuses of these respective periods; and this seems to justify us in applying the same proceeding backwards, and in this way tracing the population to the earliest period of this register. By pursuing this process, we find the average population of these townships, taken in periods of 20 years, to have been as follows: Though it may appear at first sight that so small an amount of population as 3,000 assigned to the townships of Manchester and Salford between 1573 and 1580 is hardly consistent with the statement contained in a petition to the Crown by the inhabitants in the year 1578, * It appears, from statistical returns, that the number of persons married in any one year in the towns of Leith and Aberdeen, is, to the whole population, in the proportion of 1 to 130, which is the number assumed in the present case. that the parish* contained "nigh 10,000 souls," yet we must remember that probably that statement might be a little exaggerated to answer a present purpose; and more especially, that the population of the agricultural parts of this vast parish, filled with the tenants and dependants of a numerous resident gentry, bore a much larger proportion to that of these townships than it does at present. Whoever looks at Hollingworth's map of these townships, taken so late as 1650, nearly 100 years after the time referred to, will see at once how little of the present town was then in existence. Market-stead-lane (not street), Deansgate, Cateaton-street, Fennel-street, and Long Millgate, composed nearly the whole town. Taking then this table to be, for the purposes of comparison, substantially correct, we find that the population rather retrograded from 1570 to 1600; advanced rapidly from 1600 to 1640; fell back by about one-third at and about the period of the usurpation; advanced to the point from which it had receded by the year 1700; more than doubled itself in the next 40 years; repeated this duplication in the next similar period, viz., from 1740 to 1780; nearly trebled itself in the succeeding 20 years, from 1780 to 1800; advanced in the proportion of 3 to 2 from 1800 to 1820; and has about doubled itself in the last 20 years. It thus appears that by far the most rapid increase took place between 1780 and 1800. Many interesting memoranda occur in these registers, which it would be thought, perhaps, tedious minutely to enumerate. In 1581, "Margaret Willson, a Kendal woman, was slayne with a tree in the churchyard." Such an accident could hardly now happen in either of the townships! In 1589, probably during the plague, the number of funerals is 70 in one month, the average at that time being not more than 20. This fact is mentioned by Hollingworth. The plague seems to have prevailed also in 1598. The average of funerals suddenly starts up from about 18 or 19 per month to about 50, for four months successively. In 1605 the plague made sad inroads on the inhabitants, the register showing 188, 289, and 252 funerals per month; and all marriages and christenings cease for these three months! This must have been a most melancholy visitation. In 1623 again, the funerals are suddenly doubled, probably from the same cause. In 1645 this visitation again returns. The funerals now are as high as 310 in one month, though the average is only about 20 ! In 1686 there seems to be a partial return of the plague; probably also in 1711. In 1715 there is a great mortality. During the cholera in 1832, the number of funerals in one month was 513, the average per month at that period being little more than 100. On the 26th February, 1837, there were 369 baptisms in one day.† * The parish consists of 32 townships, of which the townships of Manchester and Salford are two, though much the largest in point of present population. †This was just before the new Registration Act came into operation. The service was performed by the Rev. Henry Fielding, M.A., at that time one of the chaplains of the college. It may be added, that the number of banns of marriage published each Sunday in the Collegiate Church averages more than 150 couples. But I must now bring these remarks to a close, apologizing to the audience, and especially to those who are strangers in Manchester, for having detained them so long with a subject which has probably more interest for myself than for many of those whom I have now had the honour of addressing. I felt that matters of local interest would not be unacceptable to an Association which considers such topics to be not beneath its regard, and have therefore ventured to draw your attention to a subject which required, perhaps. the apology of being connected with the locality which the Association has now honoured with its presence, to justify its introduction, in this prominent manner, to your notice. Capital Punishments in Lancashire during the last Sixty Years. By R. W. HOPKINS, Esq. SIR, [Read before the Statistical Section of the British Association, at Manchester, 24th June, 1812.] Preston, June 22, 1842. THE subject of capital punishments having excited much attention of late years, it occurred to me that the enclosed paper might possibly be interesting to some of the members of the British Association, attending the proceedings of the Statistical Section, of which I understand you are the president. It contains "An Account of the Number of Persons capitally convicted who were executed, within the County Palatine of Lancaster, in each Year, from the Year 1782, inclusive, and the crimes for which they severally received sentence of Death.' It appears that within a period of less than 60 years last past, 260 persons have undergone the extreme penalty of the law, in this county, 10 of whom were females. The last execution comprised in this statement took place at Kirkdale, in April, 1838. The crimes of which the females were severally convicted may be ascertained by tracing the finger backwards to an asterisk (*) under the proper title, in the same line of figures. I believe the contents of this paper to be very nearly if not quite, accurate; but it must not be considered as an official document. With this understanding, I request you to exercise your own discretion as to laying it before the Statistical Section, or not, I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, To G. W. Wood, Esq., M.P. R. W. HOPKINS. &c. &c. &c. [A glance at the several classes of offences will show how much of the decline in the number of executions results merely from changes in our criminal code. ED.] |