Poverty : a study of town life / by B. Seebohm Rowntree.

  • Seebohm Rowntree
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Poverty : a study of town life / by B. Seebohm Rowntree. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    380/472 (page 344)
    (c) Church Census Many church-workers have long been impressed by the smallness of the number of men, and, to a lesser extent, women, who come under the direct influence of the Christian churches. The writer is aware that this influence is a subtle factor, and that it is not possible to measure even the direct influence of organised Christianity as a social and moral force, but it is of obvious interest in connection with the present social investigation that some rough idea of the extent of that influence should be formed. The writer accordingly organised a Church Census in York on two Sundays, viz. March 17 and 24, 1901, and ascertained the number of persons attending public worship on those two days. The census was confined to adults, i.e. to persons who were apparently above sixteen years of age, and included all sections of the population. The weather on both Sundays was dull but not wet, and therefore favourable to church attendance. All the churches and chapels in York were included in the census,1 viz.— 1 The figures regarding two churches and two chapels refer to a later date, the enumerators who had undertaken to visit these places of worship on the census Sundays having been prevented from doing so. The mission meetings referred to are permanent institutions, with a number of regular worshippers. During the winter 1900-1 a mission was conducted in the York theatre, the services being held in the evening after church hours. But as this mission was of an exceptional character, and was commenced only towards the end of 1900, and, so far as the theatre is concerned, discontinued in April 1901 (although a much smaller mission was commenced in one of the public halls on its discontinuance), it was felt that a false impression would be given if the number of persons attending it were included in the census.