Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster.

  • Webster, John
Date:
[1855?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics of grave-yards in Scotland / by John Webster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    3 data obtained regarding this district assumed altogether such a character, as must arrest the attention of all sanitary investigators, equally with philanthropists. In the old burying ground near the Cathedral, as also in the new Necropolis adjoining, very ^ew grave stones indicated persons there interred to have been beyond 80 ; although the registers showed that several from that age up to 85 and 88 had been buried; whilst a gravedigger mentioned that some years ago a man upwards of 100 was deposited near the cathedral. In the Sighthill Cemetery—the most extensive burying-ground within this city—80 to 85 were very unusual recorded ages, either on the grave-stones or register, but 30 to 50 appeared exceedingly nu¬ merous : but it was stated, that an individual aged 103 had been buried in this locality some time previously. In the southern Necropolis—also a large burying-ground—several persons interred had reached the age of 80 to 85 ; one was 88, a female 91, another female 93, and one man had attained 98 years at death; still the great majority were much younger. In the Gorbals old church¬ yard, I saw no age stated upon any grave-stone beyond 84 ; one was 83, and several from that period down to 80, many however being far below these figures. Other public receptacles for the dead, of which there are upwards of twenty, might be specified; but the general observations are of much the same character as those already detailed. Maturely weighing all the facts obtained, whether from inscriptions on grave-stones, from the registers of burials in cemeteries, many of which I carefully examined, or from the valuable official sanitary reports, which have been for some years past regularly published, to illustrate the social and economic statistics of Glasgow, it may be fairly asserted, that this locality is neither salubrious nor remarkable for the longevity of its inhabitants, when compared with numerous other populous districts. Many born within the city and suburbs, die in early life; 44-50 per cent, of the population perish before they attain the age of five years ; whilst the still-born amount to about one thousand annually. The deaths during adult life are also very large in proportion, since 84 in every 100 persons born never pass their 60th year; and further, among the 93,543 regis¬ tered burials, during the last seven years, only thirteen persons were reported as centenarians. Collaterally with these facts, and as corroborative evidence, it may be mentioned that in 1851, amongst the whole population of Glasgow, estimated at 329,097, only 79 individuals were 90 years or upwards, and not more than lour above 100 were stated to be then living. An authority of some weight, who spoke from his own knowledge, stated to me in conversation, that few persons, comparatively speaking, who have been long residents in this city, ever pass their 80th year; whilst among those reported to have died beyond that period, a large pro¬ portion were persons from the country, who had come to reside with relatives, and thus benefit by their bounty and protection.
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