An estimate of the comparative strength of Britain during the present and four preceding reigns; and of the losses of her trade from every war since the Revolution ... To which is added an essay on population / by the Lord Chief Justice Hale.
- George Chalmers
- Date:
- 1782
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An estimate of the comparative strength of Britain during the present and four preceding reigns; and of the losses of her trade from every war since the Revolution ... To which is added an essay on population / by the Lord Chief Justice Hale. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![“ Again, the borough and manor of Barclay, with the members thereof enu-^ merated in Doomfday^ viz. Alkington, Hinton, Cam, Gofington, Derfiloge, Cowly, Ewly, Nimsfield, Wotton, Simondfhall, Kingfcote, Beverfcote, Ofel- word, Aldmondfbury, part of Cromhall, Harefell, Wefion, Elberton, Cromale, Erlingham, Efcelword, are furveyed to contain in the whole to 590 families ; whereas at this time there are near 50SO families in this precinft the parifh of Wotton yielding upon the point of 2000 communicants, and that of Derfilege above 500 at this day. “ Again,Tetbury and the hamlet of Upton belonging to it, thefurveyof Doomfday gives us an account of about 73 families of all kinds belonging to it: but now I believe there are little lefs than 1500 comm.unicants in that parilh. “ Sodbury : the furvey gives us an account of about 46 families of all forts ; they, are now near twenty times as many. “ Thornbury^ with the hamlets thereunto belonging : the account of Doomfday is of 105 families of all forts ; there is now near fix times fo many. “ Aderty^ a little village at the time of making of that furvey, confifting not of above feventeen families of all forts ; now above twice as many. “ The like inftances might be produced, with the like evidence of very great in- creafes, in the towns of Cirencefter, Minchin Hampton, Teuxbury, Campden, Winchcomb, Avening, Weftbury near Briftol, and generally through the whole county of Gloucefter •, which’I do not without juft reafon fuppofe hath more than’ twenty times the inhabitants which it had at the time of the coming-in of William the Firft, which is not now above 604 years fince. “ And if we (hould inftitute a later comparifon, vi-z,. between the prefenttime f 1670], and the beginn-ing of Qiieen Elizabeth, which is not above 112 years ilnce, and compare the number of trained foldiers then and now, the number of fubfidy-men then and now, they will eafily give us an account of a very great in- ereafe and multiplication of people within this kingdom, even to admiration. “ And let any man but confider the increafe of London within the compafs of forty or fifty years, we (hall accot’ding to the obfervatlons framed to my hands find, that the in-parifties, until the late fire, in-that time have increafed from nine to ten, or a tenth, partand that the fixteen out-parifties have in that time increafed from feven to twelve j and yet without any decrement or decay of the reft of the king- dom. “ By which, and infinite undeniable inftances that might be given, it is apparent, that within the compafs of the laft 600 years this kingdom hath increafed mightily in its number of native inhabitants. “ And yet it is moft apparent, that it hath had as great allays and abatements of the multiplications of mankind in it, as any kingdom in the world. For inftance,- “ 1. In refpedt of the nature of its fituation, which is all maritime, and con- fifts much in navigation,which exhaufts abundance of people by difeafes and ca- fualties at fea. “ 2. It hath been as often vifited with fore peftilences, epidemical difeafes, and mortality by reafon thereof, as any country : the experience of the laft fixty years gives us abundance of inftances thereof, and former ages were as frequently vifited in this kind as later. “ 3. Foreign wars, both at fea and land, have devoured great multitudes of our inhabitants ; as thofe formerly with Scotland, France, Spain, and lately with the Netherlands and French. “ 4. No kingdom of Europe hath had greater experience of civil wars nor greater confumption of men thereby, than England hath had fince the time of vV^illiam the 10 Firft:](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28757671_0203.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
