Urban Populations, Sexes, Houses and Families
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The area of the parliamentary boroughs has been increased by the last Reform Act; and it may be interesting to show here in one view how their population has been affected in the last twenty years. *
This increase is affected by changes of electoral area as well as by natural growth of population. The facts are shown for the several boroughs and parliamentary divisions of counties in the Tables (pp. 4-6, and 9-15). The population of the municipal boroughs, including the city of London, was 6,581,599; while the population outside the boroughs was 16,122,509. The exclusion of all the metropolis, except the city, produces derangement in the proportions, which is got lid of if we take the population of the Divisions, exclusive of London; then the population of 6,506,625 in the municipal boroughs out of London will contrast with 12,945,779, also out of London, not incorporated, but under Vestries, Boards, or other substitutes for the well-approved English system of municipal government. The following table shows the movement of the population between the three Censuses of 1851, 1861, and 1871 in the districts containing the chief towns, distinguished from the rest of the country, as in the Quarterly Returns. The urban districts have in the last ten years grown more than twice as fast as the country districts; they contain nearly thirteen millions of people, and increase at the rate of 1.67 per cent, annually by birth and immigration. The more rapid growth of the rural districts implies that many of them are assuming the character of towns. The number of women and girls enumerated was 11,668,705; of men and boys, 11,040,403; so there was an excess of 623,802 women and girls in England and Wales on the Census night. To the men may he added a certain number of men abroad hi the army, navy, and merchant service, which are not yet known, but may be for the moment estimated at 149,254. By adding this number to the males, they become 11,189,657; and the disparity is reduced to 474,048. This subject will be referred to again. Besides a large maritime population in distant seas (97,700) on the Census night, and another large number yet unknown on shore at; home, 61,434 have been returned in boats and vessels on canals or navigable rivers, or round the coasts, within the limits of what is called the Homo trade, who have been added to the population of the respective ports to which their vessels belongs as there generally arc their wives, children, and homes. Their distribution is thus summarized; 5,251 were in vessels attached to London, 10,973 to the South Eastern division, 4,806 to the Eastern division, 9,831 to the South Western division; the coasts of the North Western, of the York, of the Northern, and of the Welsh divisions were also abundantly surrounded by mariners and fishermen. The number of inhabited houses has increased by more than half a million; and the average number of persons to a house was 5.3. The number of separate schedules distributed to families and lodgers exceeded five millions. The number of uninhabited houses was 184,694 in the year 1961, and 260,178 in the year 1871. It must be borne in mind that the term "uninhabited"
in the Census return simply implies that no person dwelt or slept in the house on the Sunday night
preceding the enumeration. In towns many of these houses were occupied during the day time. The enumerators were instructed to distinguish those cases in their memorandum books, which will be analyzed at a future period.
III. POPULATION IN PARLIAMENTARY BOROUGHS AND IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
—
Population as enumerated in:
Parlimentary
Boroughs.Counties outside
Parliamentary
Boroughs.Total.
1851
7,438,679
10,488,930
17,927,609
1861
8,638,569
11,427,655
20,066,224
1871
10,655,930
12,048,178
22,704,108
Increase in two periods each of Ten Years.
Between
1851-61
1,199,890
938,725
2,138,615
1861-71
2,017,361*
620,523*
2,637,884
IV. MUNICIPAL BOROUGHS.
V. URBAN AND RURAL POPULATIONS.
—
Area in Acres.
Years.
Population
enumerated.Decennial
Increase.Decennial
Increase
per Cent.Annual
Rate of
Increase
per Cent. ENGLAND AND WALES
37,324,883
{
1851
17,927,609
}
2,138,615
11.93
1.13
1861
20,066,224
1871
22,704,108
2,637,884
13.15
1.24
URBAN DISTRICTS:
141 Districts and 57 Sub-districts, including the Chief Towns
3,287,151
{
1851
9,155,964
}
1,774,877
19.39
1.79
1861
10,930,841
1871
12,900,297
1,969,456
18.12
1.67
RURAL DISTRICTS:
the remainder of England and Wales, comprising the Small Towns and Country Parishes
34,037,732
{
1851
8,771,645
}
363,738
4.15
0.41
1861
9,135,383
1871
9,803,811
668,428
7.32
0.71
VI. SEXES.
VII. MARITIME POPULATION.
VIII HOUSES AND FAMILIES.
—
Inhabited Houses
Families or single
Lodgers supplied
with Schedules1861 April 8
3,739,505
4,491,524
1871 April 3
425,032
5,030,895
10 years increase
519,527
539,371
Annual increase of Inhabited Houses
51,953
53,937
Houses building
27,305
37,807