- Bills of Mortality
The
London Bills of Mortality were the main source of mortality statistics, designed to monitor deaths from the plague from the 1600s-1830s. They were used mainly as a way of warning about plague epidemics.They began to be made in
London after an outbreak of plague in 1592 (although there are a few earlier instances). From 1603, after anotheroutbreak , they were made regularly on a weekly basis, with the view to giving authorities and inhabitants full information as to the increases or decreases in the number of deaths. The information was collected by Parish Clerks and published every week.By 1570 the bills included
baptism s; in 1629 thecause of death was given, and in the early 18th century the age at death. In 1836 they were superseded by theRegistrar General's returns under theBirths and Deaths Registrations Act .The following places were within the boundaries of the Bills of Mortality: [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0959-5341%28184404%297%3A1%3C69%3ATMIBEA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B Joseph Fletcher, "The Metropolis: Its Boundaries, Extent, and Divisions for Local Government", "Journal of the Statistical Society of London", Vol. 7, No. 1. (April 1844), pp. 69-85. (JSTOR), accessed February 6, 2008] ]
1Formed 1767 by separating the Middlesex portion of the parish St Andrew Holborn from the remainder in the City of London and merging with the parish of St George the Martyr.Frederic A Youngs Jr., "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England", Vol. I: Southerrn England, London, 1979]
2Formed from part of Stepney in 1743.
3Formed from part of Stepney in 1729.
4The remainder of the parish lay in the Liberty of Westminster.
5The parish of St John was formed from part of St James in 1723.
6The two parishes of St Giles and St George were united in 1774.
7Formed from of Stepney in 1725.
8Parish created 1733 from the part ofSt Giles Cripplegate outside the City of London.
9The remainder of the parish lay in the City of London.
10Formed from part of Stepney in 1670.
11Formed from part of Stepney in the early seventeenth century.
12Parish of Christchurch, Southwark formed 1670: originally the Liberty of Paris Garden.
References
*MW 1935|date=August 2008
External links
* [http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTL038911.html Mortality statistics in England and Wales]
* [http://www.davidorme.demon.co.uk/plague10.htm Bills of Mortality]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.