_And of the Measures_, _Periods_, _Causes_, _and Consequences thereof_.
BY the city of London we mean the housing within the walls of the old
city, with the liberties thereof, Westminster, the Borough of Southwark,
and so much of the built ground in Middlesex and Surrey, whose houses are
contiguous unto, or within call of those aforementioned. Or else we mean
the housing which stand upon the ninety-seven parishes within the walls
of London; upon the sixteen parishes next without them; the six parishes
of Westminster, and the fourteen out-parishes in Middlesex and Surrey,
contiguous to the former, all which, 133 parishes, are comprehended
within the weekly bills of mortality.
The growth of this city is measured. (1) By the quantity of ground, or
number of acres upon which it stands. (2) By the number of houses, as
the same appears by the hearth-books and late maps. (3) By the cubical
content of the said housing. (4) By the flooring of the same. (5) By
the number of days’ work, or charge of building the said houses. (6) By
the value of the said houses, according to their yearly rent, and number
of years’ purchase. (7) By the number of inhabitants; according to which
latter sense only we make our computations in this essay.
Till a better rule can be obtained, we conceive that the proportion of
the people may be sufficiently measured by the proportion of the burials
in such years as were neither remarkable for extraordinary healthfulness
or sickliness.
That the city hath increased in this latter sense appears from the bills
of mortality represented in the two following tables, viz., one whereof
is a continuation for eighteen years, ending 1682, of that table which
was published in the 117th page of the book of the observations upon the
London bills of mortality, printed in the year 1676. The other showeth
what number of people died at a medium of two years, indifferently taken,
at about twenty years’ distance from each other.
The first of the said two tables.
A.D. 97 Parishes. 16 Parishes. Out Parishes. Buried in Besides of Christened.
all. the Plague.
1665 5,320 12,463 10,925 28,708 68,596 9,967
1666 1,689 3,969 5,082 10,740 1,998 8,997
1667 761 6,405 8,641 15,807 35 10,938
1668 796 6,865 9,603 17,267 14 11,633
1669 1,323 7,500 10,440 19,263 3 12,335
1670 1,890 7,808 10,500 20,198 11,997
1671 1,723 5,938 8,063 15,724 5 12,510
1672 2,237 6,788 9,200 18,225 5 12,593
1673 2,307 6,302 8,890 17,499 5 11,895
1674 2,801 7,522 10,875 21,198 3 11,851
1675 2,555 5,986 8,702 17,243 1 11,775
1676 2,756 6,508 9,466 18,730 2 12,399
1677 2,817 6,632 9,616 19,065 2 12,626
1678 3,060 6,705 10,908 20,673 5 12,601
1679 3,074 7,481 11,173 21,728 2 12,288
1680 3,076 7,066 10,911 21,053 12,747
1681 3,669 8,136 12,166 23,971 13,355
1682 2,975 7,009 10,707 20,691 12,653