Mankind and Political Arithmetic | Page 6

stand upon the ninety-seven parishes
within the walls of London; upon the sixteen parishes next without
them; the six parishes of Westminster, and the fourteen out-parishes in

Middlesex and Surrey, contiguous to the former, all which, 133
parishes, are comprehended within the weekly bills of mortality.
The growth of this city is measured. (1) By the quantity of ground, or
number of acres upon which it stands. (2) By the number of houses, as
the same appears by the hearth-books and late maps. (3) By the cubical
content of the said housing. (4) By the flooring of the same. (5) By the
number of days' work, or charge of building the said houses. (6) By the
value of the said houses, according to their yearly rent, and number of
years' purchase. (7) By the number of inhabitants; according to which
latter sense only we make our computations in this essay.
Till a better rule can be obtained, we conceive that the proportion of the
people may be sufficiently measured by the proportion of the burials in
such years as were neither remarkable for extraordinary healthfulness
or sickliness.
That the city hath increased in this latter sense appears from the bills of
mortality represented in the two following tables, viz., one whereof is a
continuation for eighteen years, ending 1682, of that table which was
published in the 117th page of the book of the observations upon the
London bills of mortality, printed in the year 1676. The other showeth
what number of people died at a medium of two years, indifferently
taken, at about twenty years' distance from each other.
The first of the said two tables.
A.D. 97 16 Out Buried Besides of Christened Parishes Parishes
Parishes in all the Plague 1665 5,320 12,463 10,925 28,708 68,596
9,967 1666 1,689 3,969 5,082 10,740 1,998 8,997 1667 761 6,405
8,641 15,807 35 10,938 1668 796 6,865 9,603 17,267 14 11,633 1669
1,323 7,500 10,440 19,263 3 12,335 1670 1,890 7,808 10,500 20,198
11,997 1671 1,723 5,938 8,063 15,724 5 12,510 1672 2,237 6,788
9,200 18,225 5 12,593 1673 2,307 6,302 8,890 17,499 5 11,895 1674
2,801 7,522 10,875 21,198 3 11,851 1675 2,555 5,986 8,702 17,243 1
11,775 1676 2,756 6,508 9,466 18,730 2 12,399 1677 2,817 6,632
9,616 19,065 2 12,626 1678 3,060 6,705 10,908 20,673 5 12,601 1679
3,074 7,481 11,173 21,728 2 12,288 1680 3,076 7,066 10,911 21,053
12,747 1681 3,669 8,136 12,166 23,971 13,355 1682 2,975 7,009
10,707 20,691 12,653
According to which latter table there died as follows:-
THE LATTER OF THE SAID TWO TABLES

There died in London at the medium between the years -
1604 and 1605 . . . 5,135. A. 1621 and 1622 . . . 8,527. B. 1641 and
1642 . . . 11,883. C. 1661 and 1662 . . . 15,148. D. 1681 and 1682 . . .
22,331. E.
Wherein observe, that the number C is double to A and 806 over. That
D is double to B within 1,906. That C and D is double to A and B
within 293. That E is double to C within 1,435. That D and E is double
to B and C within 3,341; and that C and D and E are double to A and B
and C within 1,736; and that E is above quadruple to A. All which
differences (every way considered) do allow the doubling of the people
of London in 40 years to be a sufficient estimate thereof in round
numbers, and without the trouble of fractions. We also say that 669,930
is near the number of people now in London, because the burials are
22,331, which, multiplied by 30 (one dying yearly out of 30, as appears
in the 94th page of the aforementioned observations), maketh the said
number; and because there are 84,000 tenanted houses (as we are
credibly informed), which, at 8 in each, makes 672,000 souls; the said
two accounts differing inconsiderably from each other.
We have thus pretty well found out in what number of years (viz., in
about 40) that the city of London hath doubled, and the present number
of inhabitants to be about 670,000. We must now also endeavour the
same for the whole territory of England and Wales. In order whereunto,
we first say that the assessment of London is about an eleventh part of
the whole territory, and, therefore, that the people of the whole may
well be eleven times that of London, viz., about 7,369,000 souls; with
which account that of the poll-money, hearth-money, and the bishop's
late numbering of the communicants, do pretty well agree; wherefore,
although the said number of 7,369,000 be not (as it cannot be) a
demonstrated truth, yet it will serve for a good supposition, which is as
much as we