|DEATHS in the four| CITY OF LONDON UNION. |
|quarterly periods,+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|terminating as | S. W. | N. W. |South. | S. E. | N. E. | Work- |
|follows:-- | | | | | |house. |
| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|In the quarter | M. F. | M. F. | M. F. | M. F. | M. F. | M. F. |
|ending: | | | | | | |
| I. Dec. } =675={| 23 14| 21 22| 31 26| 18 15| 25 29| 10 7|
| 25th } {| 37 | 43 | 57 | 33 | 54 | 17 |
| | | | | | | |
| II. March} =878={| 19 30| 38 19| 32 33| 29 20| 40 35| 15 17|
| 26th } {| 49 | 57 | 65 | 49 | 75 | 32 |
| | | | | | | |
|III. June } =817={| 20 25| 27 20| 30 29| 24 26| 27 20| 19 14|
| 25th } {| 45 | 47 | 59 | 50 | 47 | 33 |
| | | | | | | |
| IV. Sept.} =670={| 16 23| 18 23| 25 17| 18 14| 28 20| 10 12|
| 24th } {| 39 | 41 | 42 | 32 | 48 | 22 |
+------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|Sum of the four {| 78 92|104 84|118 105| 89 75|120 104| 54 50|
|quarters =3040={| 170 | 188 | 223 | 164 | 224 | 104 |
| | =1073= |
|TOTAL FOR THE YEAR |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
No. VIII.--_Quinquennial Mortality, classified by Age, first for the
entire City, next for the three Unions severally._
+--------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+
| | Under| From| From| From| From | From | From |
|Deaths in the Popu- | 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 30 | 40 |
|lation of the City | Years| to | to | to | to | to | to |
|of London. | of | 10.| 15.| 20.| 30. | 40. | 50. |
| | Age. | | | | | | |
+--------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+
|Year by year{1848-49| 1243 | 202 | 92 | 90 | 292 | 345 | 396 |
|dating from {1849-50| 1032 | 83 | 44 | 70 | 166 | 200 | 251 |
|Michaelmas {1850-51| 1194 | 124 | 48 | 60 | 169 | 227 | 248 |
|to {1851-52| 1197 | 113 | 57 | 84 | 196 | 253 | 267 |
|Michaelmas. {1852-53| 1135 | 94 | 37 | 59 | 179 | 258 | 268 |
+--------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+
|Sum of five year’s |=5801=|=616=|=278=|=363=|=1002=|=1283=|=1430=|
|deaths | | | | | | | |
+--------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+
|Deaths East London | 2471 | 215 | 80 | 105 | 338 | 432 | 488 |
|of five Union | | | | | | | |
|years West London | 1416 | 141 | 75 | 122 | 305 | 376 | 405 |
|in Union | | | | | | | |
|their City of Lon-| 1914 | 260 | 123 | 136 | 359 | 475 | 537 |
|Local don Union | | | | | | | |
|Distri- Uncertain | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
|bution. Address | | | | | | | |
+--------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+
+--------------------+------+------+------+----+-------+
| | From | From | From | Age| Total.|
|Deaths in the Popu- | 50 | 60 | 70 | not| |
|lation of the City | to | to | up- | re-| |
|of London. | 60. | 70. |wards.|por-| |
| | | | |ted.| |
+--------------------+------+------+------+----+-------+
|Year by year{1848-49| 355 | 366 | 367 | 15 | 3763 |
|dating from {1849-50| 254 | 318 | 334 | 0 | 2752 |
|Michaelmas {1850-51| 261 | 303 | 342 | 2 | 2978 |
|to {1851-52| 260 | 287 | 350 | 0 | 3064 |
|Michaelmas. {1852-53| 297 | 320 | 393 | 0 | 3040 |
+--------------------+------+------+------+----+-------+
|Sum of five year’s |=1427=|=1594=|=1786=|=17=|=15597=|
|deaths | | | | | |
+--------------------+------+------+------+----+-------+
|Deaths East London | 444 | 551 | 619 | 0 | 5743 |
|of five Union | | | | | |
|years West London | 393 | 420 | 398 | 1 | 4052 |
|in Union | | | | | |
|their City of Lon-| 590 | 623 | 769 | 1 | 5787 |
|Local don Union | | | | | |
|Distri- Uncertain | * | * | * | 15 | 15 |
|bution. Address | | | | | |
+--------------------+------+------+------+----+-------+
No. IX.--_Number of Deaths occasioned, during the last Five Years, by
certain Acute Diseases, chiefly Epidemic, Infectious, and Endemic._
+-------------------+------+----------+--------+------+-----------+
| | | Acute |Scarlet-| | |
| | | Diarrhœa | Fever | |Erysipelas,|
|In the successive | | (not of | and |Small-| Pyæmia, |
|years terminating |Fever.| infants),|Cynanche| Pox. | and |
|severally as | |Dysentery,|maligna.| | Puerperal |
|follows:-- | | and | | | Fever. |
| | | Cholera. | | | |
| | | | | | |
+-------------------+------+----------+--------+------+-----------+
|At Michaelmas, 1849| 166 | 825 | 135 | 17 | 44 |
|„ „ 1850| 118 | 54 | 32 | 33 | 40 |
|„ „ 1851| 107 | 23 | 46 | 41 | 17 |
|„ „ 1852| 165 | 37 | 86 | 96 | 24 |
|„ „ 1853| 145 | 43 | 85 | 15 | 26 |
+-------------------+------+----------+--------+------+-----------+
|Total number of | | | | | |
|such Deaths in the | =701=| =982= | =384= | =202=| =151= |
|Five Years 1848-53.| | | | | |
+-------------------+------+----------+--------+------+-----------+
+-------------------+----------+--------+--------+---------+
| |Diarrhœa, | | | |
| |Bronchitis|Measles,| Hydro- | Total |
|In the successive | and |Hooping-|cephalus| of |
|years terminating |Pneumonia | cough | and |preceding|
|severally as |of Infants| and | Convul-| columns.|
|follows:-- | under | Croup. |sions of| |
| | 3 years | |Infancy.| |
| | of age. | | | |
+-------------------+----------+--------+--------+---------+
|At Michaelmas, 1849| 285 | 196 | 264 | =1932= |
|„ „ 1850| 243 | 124 | 219 | =863= |
|„ „ 1851| 340 | 272 | 282 | =1128= |
|„ „ 1852| 330 | 132 | 308 | =1178= |
|„ „ 1853| 304 | 190 | 289 | =1097= |
+-------------------+----------+--------+--------+---------+
|Total number of | | | | |
|such Deaths in the | =1502= | =914= | =1362= | =6198= |
|Five Years 1848-53.| | | | |
+-------------------+----------+--------+--------+---------+
No. X.--_Comparative Mortality in different seasons of the Year; namely,
in the Autumn Quarters (Oct., Nov., Dec.) in the Winter Quarters (Jan.,
Feb., March,) in the Spring Quarters (April, May, June) and in the
Summer Quarters (July, Aug., Sept.) of the Five Years from Michaelmas,
1848, to Michaelmas, 1853._
SYNOPSIS.
+------------------+-------------------------+--------------------+
|DEATHS in the dif-| EAST LONDON UNION. | WEST LONDON UNION. |
|ferent seasons of +--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
|five years, as | Saint |Cripple-| Work- | | |Work- |
|follows:-- |Botolph.| gate. |houses.|North.|South.|house.|
+------------------+--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
|In five Autumn | 616 | 613 | 201 | 357 | 392 | 129 |
|Quarters | =1430= | =878= |
+------------------+--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
|In five Winter | 641 | 623 | 223 | 371 | 464 | 183 |
|Quarters | =1487= | =1018= |
+------------------+--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
|In five Spring | 519 | 583 | 195 | 402 | 471 | 159 |
|Quarters | =1297= | =1032= |
+------------------+--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
|In five Summer | 682 | 664 | 183 | 438 | 562 | 124 |
|Quarters | =1529= | =1124= |
+------------------+--------+--------+-------+------+------+------+
+------------------+-------------------------------------+------+
|DEATHS in the dif-| CITY OF LONDON UNION. | Total|
|ferent seasons of +-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+ for |
|five years, as |S. W.|N. W.|South.|S. E.|N. E.|Work- |entire|
|follows:-- | | | | | |house.|City. |
+------------------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+------+
|In five Autumn | 245 | 236 | 272 | 227 | 271 | 119 |=3678=|
|Quarters | =1370= |
+------------------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+------+
|In five Winter | 248 | 274 | 347 | 265 | 360 | 153 |=4152=|
|Quarters | =1647= |
+------------------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+------+
|In five Spring | 226 | 230 | 273 | 255 | 262 | 137 |=3712=|
|Quarters | =1383= |
+------------------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+------+
|In five Summer | 307 | 228 | 273 | 202 | 260 | 117 |=4040=|
|Quarters | =1387= |
+------------------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+------+------+
No. XI.--_Comparative Mortality in Different Seasons of the Year._
AUTUMN QUARTERS.
+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------+
| | EAST LONDON UNION. | WEST LONDON UNION. |
|DEATHS in five +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Autumn Quarters | Saint |Cripple-| Work- |North.|South.|Work- |
|as follows:-- |Botolph.| gate. |houses. | | |house.|
| +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Oct., Nov., Dec.,| | | | | | |
| 1848| 127 | 128 | 31 | 74 | 103 | 29 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1849| 118 | 137 | 44 | 85 | 70 | 23 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1850| 101 | 125 | 32 | 62 | 72 | 14 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1851| 140 | 117 | 64 | 68 | 80 | 30 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1852| 130 | 106 | 30 | 68 | 67 | 33 |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =616= | =613= | =201= | =357=|=392= |=129= |
|Seasons | | | | | | |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------+------+
| | CITY OF LONDON UNION. |Totals|
|DEATHS in five +------+------+------+------+------+------+ for |
|Autumn Quarters | S.W. | N.W. |South.| S.E. | N.E. |Work- |entire|
|as follows:-- | | | | | |house.|City. |
| +------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Oct., Nov., Dec.,| | | | | | | |
| 1848| 40 | 50 | 59 | 40 | 62 | 23 | =766=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1849| 57 | 45 | 55 | 51 | 52 | 28 | =765=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1850| 48 | 44 | 49 | 55 | 48 | 22 | =672=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1851| 63 | 54 | 52 | 48 | 55 | 29 | =800=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1852| 37 | 43 | 57 | 33 | 54 | 17 | =675=|
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Total of five |=245= |=236= |=272= |=227= |=271= |=119= |=3678=|
|Seasons | | | | | | | |
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
No. XII.--_Comparative Mortality in Different Seasons of the Year._
WINTER QUARTERS.
+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------+
| | EAST LONDON UNION. | WEST LONDON UNION. |
|DEATHS in five +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Autumn Quarters | Saint |Cripple-| Work- |North.|South.|Work- |
|as follows:-- |Botolph.| gate. |houses. | | |house.|
| +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Jan., Feb., Mar.,| | | | | | |
| 1849| 136 | 117 | 36 | 73 | 90 | 30 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1850| 96 | 124 | 36 | 91 | 84 | 40 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1851| 154 | 140 | 49 | 87 | 89 | 22 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1852| 124 | 96 | 48 | 54 | 101 | 37 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1853| 131 | 146 | 54 | 66 | 100 | 54 |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =641= | =623= | =223= | =371=| =464=| =183=|
|Seasons | | | | | | |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------+------+
| | CITY OF LONDON UNION. |Totals|
|DEATHS in five +------+------+------+------+------+------+ for |
|Autumn Quarters | S.W. | N.W. |South.| S.E. | N.E. |Work- |entire|
|as follows:-- | | | | | |house.|City. |
| +------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Jan., Feb., Mar.,| | | | | | | |
| 1849| 52 | 63 | 60 | 52 | 77 | 36 | =822=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1850| 46 | 45 | 80 | 58 | 74 | 29 | =803=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1851| 59 | 48 | 81 | 56 | 67 | 24 | =876=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1852| 42 | 61 | 61 | 50 | 67 | 32 | =773=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1853| 49 | 57 | 65 | 49 | 75 | 32 | =878=|
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =248=| =274=| =347=| =265=| =360=| =153=|=4152=|
|Seasons | | | | | | | |
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
No. XIII.--_Comparative Mortality in Different Seasons of the Year._
SPRING QUARTERS.
+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------+
| | EAST LONDON UNION. | WEST LONDON UNION. |
|DEATHS in five +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Autumn Quarters | Saint |Cripple-| Work- |North.|South.|Work- |
|as follows:-- |Botolph.| gate. |houses. | | |house.|
| +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|April, May, June,| | | | | | |
| 1849| 85 | 130 | 39 | 77 | 110 | 34 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1850| 80 | 90 | 19 | 74 | 71 | 27 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1851| 115 | 101 | 48 | 92 | 79 | 21 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1852| 110 | 131 | 38 | 70 | 121 | 31 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1853| 129 | 131 | 51 | 89 | 90 | 46 |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =519= | =583= | =195= | =402=| =471=| =159=|
|Seasons | | | | | | |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------+------+
| | CITY OF LONDON UNION. |Totals|
|DEATHS in five +------+------+------+------+------+------+ for |
|Autumn Quarters | S.W. | N.W. |South.| S.E. | N.E. |Work- |entire|
|as follows:-- | | | | | |house.|City. |
| +------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|April, May, June,| | | | | | | |
| 1849| 56 | 55 | 58 | 45 | 50 | 26 | =765=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1850| 34 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 50 | 22 | =589=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1851| 44 | 38 | 75 | 70 | 56 | 28 | =767=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1852| 47 | 51 | 41 | 47 | 59 | 28 | =774=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1853| 45 | 47 | 59 | 50 | 47 | 33 | =817=|
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =226=| =230=| =273=| =255=| =262=| =137=|=3712=|
|Seasons | | | | | | | |
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
No. XIV.--_Comparative Mortality in Different Seasons of the Year._
SUMMER QUARTERS.
+-----------------+--------------------------+--------------------+
| | EAST LONDON UNION. | WEST LONDON UNION. |
|DEATHS in five +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Autumn Quarters | Saint |Cripple-| Work- |North.|South.|Work- |
|as follows:-- |Botolph.| gate. |houses. | | |house.|
| +--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|July, Aug., Sep.,| | | | | | |
| 1849| 171 | 199 | 73 | 148 | 295 | 33 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1850| 102 | 93 | 26 | 74 | 65 | 18 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1851| 123 | 105 | 38 | 76 | 73 | 11 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1852| 160 | 116 | 26 | 74 | 77 | 31 |
| „ „ „ | | | | | | |
| 1853| 126 | 151 | 20 | 66 | 52 | 31 |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =682= | =664= | =183= | =438=| =562=| =124=|
|Seasons | | | | | | |
+-----------------+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------+
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------+------+
| | CITY OF LONDON UNION. |Totals|
|DEATHS in five +------+------+------+------+------+------+ for |
|Autumn Quarters | S.W. | N.W. |South.| S.E. | N.E. |Work- |entire|
|as follows:-- | | | | | |house.|City. |
| +------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|July, Aug., Sep.,| | | | | | | |
| 1849| 145 | 77 | 86 | 77 | 73 | 18 |=1395=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1850| 39 | 39 | 43 | 31 | 43 | 22 | =595=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1851| 40 | 39 | 53 | 36 | 42 | 27 | =663=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1852| 44 | 32 | 49 | 26 | 54 | 28 | =717=|
| „ „ „ | | | | | | | |
| 1853| 39 | 41 | 42 | 32 | 48 | 22 | =670=|
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|Total of five | =307=| =228=| =273=| =202=| =260=| =117=|=4040=|
|Seasons | | | | | | | |
+-----------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
ON THE PRESENT
BURIAL-PLACES OF THE CITY.
TO THE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE HON. THE COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS
OF THE CITY OF LONDON.
_December 10th, 1852._
GENTLEMEN,
In order to an application of the Metropolitan Burials Act by the
constituted authorities of the City, you have requested me to report how
far, in my judgment, the existing burial-places within this jurisdiction
are fit for further reception of the dead.
I have little to add to the information which I have laid before the
Commission in my successive annual reports--especially in that of 1849,
and which long since induced me to express my conviction ‘that the City
of London could no longer with safety or propriety be allowed to furnish
intramural burial to its dead.’
It would, indeed, be ridiculous if I should pretend to you that this
part of the subject requires any further inquiry. Putrefactive
decomposition of one kind and another is the principal cause of
town-unhealthiness. Against its occurrence round about our houses all
your legislation is directed. The human body, once destitute of life,
furnishes no exception to the laws of organic decay: under the common
laws of chemical change, it soon dissolves itself into products neither
less offensive, nor less poisonous, than those of any brute’s
decomposition. And you cannot take a juster view of the subject--you
cannot arrive at stronger arguments for the immediate abolition of
intramural interment, than by forcing yourselves to discard for a moment
all memory of the fading human outline which masks this dreadful
nuisance, and to conceive it as _a mere bulk of animal matter_, planted
every year to undergo decomposition within the City, beneath our
Churches, and before our thresholds.[91]
[91] The right of interment in the City may at present be claimed in
respect probably of more than three thousand corpses _per_ annum. The
number actually interred of late years has, I believe, not exceeded an
average of two thousand _per_ annum.
Dead bodies thus buried contribute importantly in their neighbourhood to
the vitiation of air and water. Those that lie shelved in vaults,
eventually, if not at first, spread through the atmosphere every product
of their decomposition. Those that are dug into the soil have their
decay modified by its influence, mingle with its drainage the products
of their transformation, and thus (as I have shown in my remarks on the
Bishopsgate pump water) find their issue in the nearest land-spring of
the spot, polluting the drink of the population. Further, in all the
more frequented burial-grounds, the soil seems to be saturated with
animal matters only partially transformed; and at every new disturbance
by the spade, a fresh quantity of this unctuous clay comes upmost,
tainting the air with materials of fœtid decomposition, often to the
great distress of persons who dwell in the vicinity.
On such grounds as these, I cannot hesitate in renewing my report that
the City of London is absolutely unfit to serve as a further
burial-place for the dead; and this, whether by inhumation or in vaults,
whether in parochial burying-grounds, or in those of other communities.
Regard being had to the object of your reference, you would probably not
desire me at present to enter on the ulterior questions of extramural
interment.
On such representations as I have made, the Court of Common Council
(acting under the Metropolitan Act already referred to) has authority to
determine in respect of the City of London, whether the existing places
of burial, either from their insufficiency, or from their dangerousness
to health, are so unfit for their purpose as to render it necessary that
other burial-space be provided.
Should they affirm this view, they can then ‘authorise and direct the
Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London to exercise for the said
City and Liberties all the powers and authorities vested in
Burial-Boards under the Act.’
This course being taken, the Commission (subject to approval from the
Secretary of State) will have authority to make all arrangements
requisite for the final closure of burial-places within the City.
In approaching the subject of extramural sepulture, with its innumerable
details of inquiry, for site, for conveyance, and for burial--details
which form the knowledge and experience of a special class of persons,
the Commission may perhaps first consider whether works so foreign to
their usual functions shall be undertaken by themselves directly, or
shall be made matter of contract with existing Cemetery Companies, or
other associations or individuals. Till this decision is made, it seems
impossible to conjecture what topics you may wish to entertain, or
within what limits the industry of your officers may most usefully be
exercised.
There are many very important parts of the subject with which it may
hereafter become my duty to deal; but till the preliminary questions are
settled, it would be idle to detain you with sanitary considerations
belonging to a later stage of your inquiry.
As my Report for 1849 had long been out of print, I subjoin an extract
from it of so much as relates to the matter in hand.[92]
[92] The passages here referred to form a separate section of the
First Annual Report; and therefore need not be reprinted in this part
of the present volume.--J. S., 1854.
NOTE.
_On considering the above Report, the Improvement Committee of the
Commissioners (to whom the subject had been specially referred) at
once resolved to report to the General Court that, in their ‘judgment,
steps should be taken for closing the several burial-places within the
City;’ and at the same time they desired that the Officer of Health
would prepare for them his opinion on those ulterior arrangements
which such closure might render necessary._
_The following Report was written accordingly._
INTRODUCTORY REPORT
SUGGESTING THE
OUTLINE OF A SCHEME
FOR
EXTRAMURAL INTERMENT.
TO THE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE
OF THE
HON. THE COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS OF THE CITY OF
LONDON.
GENTLEMEN,
Under the several clauses of the Metropolitan Burials Act, and under
certain clauses of the City Sewers Act 1848, the Commissioners of
Sewers, acting as a Burial-Board for the City of London, will be subject
to the following responsibilities--viz.:
_First_,--That a sufficient extramural burial-place be provided for
those classes of persons who have heretofore had right of interment
within the City;
_Secondly_,--That the facilities of transit and conveyance to such
burial-place be commensurate with the purposes for which it is
established;
_Thirdly_,--That evil no longer accrue to the health of the City from
unnecessary delays of interment, or from the keeping of dead bodies in
the dwelling-rooms of the poor.
* * * * *
I. To measure the sufficiency of a burial-place, one must know for what
numbers of population it is intended to suffice.
Burial-Boards under the new Act are obliged to provide accommodation for
all _parishioners_ or _inhabitants_ of the several parishes within their
jurisdiction.
Under the term ‘parishioners’ as relating to the City, there may be
included, I am told, an indefinite number of non-resident rate-payers:
and although, at first, interment might not be claimed under the latter
head to any considerable extent, yet, with the completion and success of
your Cemetery, the applications might year by year become more numerous.
From the nature of the case, such claimants would in most instances be
of the wealthier classes, and might consequently be expected to apply
for special allotments of ground. It seems therefore desirable that you
should have some knowledge of the number for whom you may thus be
required to provide.
I would accordingly suggest as expedient, that a legal opinion should be
obtained on your exact liabilities under the law referred to; and
especially as to whether the right of burial possessed by non-resident
rate-payers does likewise extend to the non-resident households of such
rate-payers.
In the meantime I will leave this set of claimants out of my argument;
assuming that, whenever you have reckoned their number, you will be
able, on their account, to add to your general estimate, according to a
fixed proportion, the assessment of whatever additional accommodation
they may legally require.
The number of deaths belonging to the ‘inhabitants’ of the City of
London may be more precisely given. It would probably lie, as an
average, within 3200 per annum.
In attempting to fix the extent of ground required for your purpose in
respect of this mortality, I must bring before you some preliminary
considerations.