Vital statistics of Glasgow, illustrating the sanatory condition of the population / by Robert Cowan, M.D.

  • Robert Cowan
Date:
[1840]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Vital statistics of Glasgow, illustrating the sanatory condition of the population / by Robert Cowan, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Marriages —From the natural and laudable anxiety of the female, and of her relations, to possess legal and undoubted evidence of a mar- riage having taken place, the marriage register of Glasgow, and of its suburbs, may be held as correct for all statistical purposes. Such is the opinion of Dr. Cleland, and in its truth I feel quite disposed to concur. If there is any error, it must be in stating the actual number of mar- riages too low, for many marriages termed “ irregular marriages,” though strictly legal, are not inserted in the register. From the very accurate abstract of the proclamations of mariiages, drawn up for Mr. Watt for the Mortality Bill for 1839, it is quite evident that where the parties reside in different parishes, there must be two pro- clamations and only one marriage, and for 1839 this would make a dif- ference of 218. On the other hand, there are only two marriages en- tered in the register for 1839 as celebrated irregularly; while every person acquainted with the character of the population, must be aware that the irregular marriages are very numerous, and their omission from the register must much more than counterbalance any surplus arising from parties being proclaimed in different parishes. From the fol- lowing Table it appears that the ratio of marriages to the population, though always high, is also fluctuating, depending on the state of trade and the prices of provisions. The extremes are to be found in the year 1825, which was remarkable for its “prosperity;” and in 1837, which was distinguished by the reality of the destitution and suffering which then prevailed. The mortality of 1831 and 1832 was, as usual, fol- lowed by an increased number of marriages in 1833 and 1834. Table of the Proclamations of Marriages in Glasgow, and their Annual Patio to the Population, during Eighteen Years, from 1822 to 1839. Years. Mar- riages. Population. Ratio of Mar- riages to Population. Years. Mar- riages. Population. Ratio of Mar- riages to Population. 1822 1,470 151 ,440 1 to 103-08 1831 1,867 202,420 1 to 108-42 1823 1,650 156,170 94-64 1832 1,979 209,230 ,, 105-72 1824 1,732 161,120 93-02 1833 2,335 216,450 ,, 92-69 1825 1,982 166,280 83-98 1834 2.359 223,940 ,, 94-93 1826 1,576 171,660 108-92 1835 2,297 235,000 ,, 102-30 1827 1,635 177,280 108-42 1836 2,370 244,000 ,, 102-95 1828 1,866 183,150 98-15 1837 2,095 253,000 ,, 120-76 1829 1,829 189,270 103-48 1838 2,406 263,000 ,, 109-31 1830 1,919 195,650 101-95 1839 2,413 272,000 ,, 112-72 Still born, Births, and Baptisms.—The registration of births is not attended to in Glasgow, and the register of baptisms is very defective, as a great number of dissenters decline to register the baptism of their children, and many members of the Establishment omit to do so from carelessness. The table of baptisms registered is here subjoined, not for the pur- pose of comparing the numbers with the population in order to as- certain the ratio of births, but merely to exhibit the relative number of the sexes born in Glasgow, in so far as it can be drawn from the numbers baptized and the numbers still-born. Dr. Cleland, impressed with the importance of ascertaining the
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