Natural and Political Observations Made upon the Bills of Mortality (Graunt 1676)/Chapter 1

by John Graunt

 

 

 

Natural and Political

OBSERVATIONS, &c.

 

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Chap. I.

Of the Bills of Mortality, their beginning, and progress.^[1]

THE first of the continued Weekly Bills of Mortality extant at the Parish Clerks Hall^[2], begins the Twenty ninth of December 1603, being the first year of King James his Reign; since when a weekly Accompt hath been kept there of Burials and Christnings. It is true, There were Bills || before, viz. for the Years 1592, -93, -94; but so interrupted since, that I could not depend upon the sufficiency of them, rather relying upon those Accompts, which have been kept since in order, as to all the uses I shall make of them.

2. I believe, that the rise of keeping these Accompts was taken from the Plague: for the said Bills (for ought appears) first began in the said year 1592, being a time of great Mortality; and, after some disuse, were resumed again in the year 1603, after the great Plague then happening likewise^[3].

3. These Bills were printed and published, not only every Week on Thursdays, but also a general Accompt of the whole Year was given in upon the Thursday before Christmas-day: which said general Accompts have been presented in the several manners following, viz. from the Year 1603, to the Year 1624, inclusive, according to the Pattern here inserted^[4].

 

1623. 1624.

The general Bill for the whole Year, of all the Burials and Christnings, as well within the City of London, and the Liberties thereof, as in the Nine out Parishes adjoyning to the City, with the Pest-house be-|3|longing to the same: from Thursday the 18. of December 1623, to Thursday the 16. of December, 1624, according to the Report made to the King's most Excellent Majesty by the Company of the Parish-Clerks of London.

 

BUried this Year in the Fourscore and seventeen Parishes of London within the Walls,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	3386
Whereof of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	1
Buried this Year in the Sixteen Parishes of London, and the Pesthouse, being within the Liberties, and without the Walls,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	5924
Whereof, of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	5
The whole Sum of all the Burials in London, and the Liberties thereof, is this Year	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	9310
Whereof, of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	6
Buried of the Plague without the Liberties, in Middlesex and Surrey, this whole Year,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	0
Christened in London, and the Liberties thereof, this Year;	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	6368
Buried this Year in the Nine out-Parishes, ad- joyning to London, and out of the Freedom,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	2900
Whereof, of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	5 |4|
The Total of all the Burials in the places afore- said is	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	12210
Whereof, of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	11
Christened in all the aforesaid places this Year,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	8299
Parishes clear of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	116
Parishes that have been Infected this Year,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	6

 

4. In the Year 1625, every Parish was particularized^[5], as in this following Bill: where note, That this next year of Plague caused the Augmentation, and Correction of the Bills; as the former year of Plague did the very being of them.

 

1624. 1625.

A general, or great Bill for this Year, of the whole number of Burials, which have been buried of all Diseases, and also of the Plague in every Parish within the City of London, and the Liberties thereof; as also in the Nine out Parishes adjoyning to the said City; with the Pest-house belonging to the same: from Thursday the 16. day of December, 1624, to Thursday the 15. day of December, 1625. according to the Report |5| made to the King's most Excellent Majesty by the Company of Parish Clerks of London.

LONDON,	Bur.	Plag.
ALbanes in Woodstreet	188	78
Alhallows Barking	397	263
Alhallows Breadstreet	34	14
Alhallows the Great	442	302
Alhallows Hony-lane	18	8
Alhallows the Less	259	205
Alhallows in Lombard-street	86	44
Alhallows Stainings	183	138
Alhallows the Wall	301	155
Alphage Cripple-gate	240	190
Andrew-Hubbard	146	101
Andrews Undershaft	219	149
Andrews by Wardrobe	373	191
Anns at Aldersgate	196	128
Anns Black-Fryers	336	215
Antholins Parish[6]	62	31
Austins Parish[7]	72	40
Bartholomew at the Exchange	52	24
Bennets Fink[8]	108	57
Bennets Grace Church	48	14
Bennets at Pauls Wharf	226	131
Bennets Shearhog	24	8
Botolphs Billings-gate	99	66
Christ's-Church Parish	611	371 |6|
Christophers Parish	48	28
Clements by Eastcheap	87	72
Diony's Back-Church	99	59
Dunstans in the East	335	225
Edmunds Lumbardstreet	78	49
Ethelborow in Bishops-gate	205	101
St. Faiths	89	45
St. Fosters[9] in Foster-lane	149	102
Gabriel Fen-Church	71	54
George Botolphs-lane	30	19
Gregories by Pauls	296	196
Hellens in Bishops-gate street	136	71
James by Garlick-hith	180	109
John Baptist	122	79
John Evangelist	7	0
John Zacharies	143	97
James Dukes-place	310	154
Katherine Colemanstreet	26	175
Katherine Cree-Church	886	373
Lawrence in the Jewry	91	55
Lawrence Pountney	206	127
Leonards Eastcheap	55	26
Leonards Foster-lane	292	209
Magnus Parish by the Bridge	137	85
Margarets Lothbury	114	64
Margarets Moses	37	25
Margarets new Fishstreet	123	82
Margarets Pattons	77	50 |7|
Mary Ab-Church	98	58
Mary Aldermanbury	126	79
Mary Aldermary	92	54
Mary le Bow	35	19
Mary Bothaw	22	14
Mary Coal-Church	26	11
Mary at the Hill	152	84
Mary Mounthaw	76	58
Mary Sommerset	270	192
Mary Stainings	70	44
Mary Woolchurch	58	35
Mary Woolnoth	82	50
Martins Ironmonger-lane	25	18
Martins at Ludgate	254	164
Martins Orgars	88	47
Martins Outwich	60	30
Martins in the Vintry	339	208
Matthew Friday-street	24	11
Maudlins in Milk-street	401	23
Maudlins Old-fish-street	225	142
Michael Bassishaw	199	139
Michael Cornhill	159	79
Michael Crooked lane	144	91
Michael Queen-hith	215	157
Michael in the Quern	53	30
Michael in the Royal	111	61
Michael in Wood-street	189	68
Mildreds Bread-street	60	44 |8|
Mildreds Poultrey	94	45
Nicholas Acons	33	13
Nicholas Coal-Abby	87	67
Nicholas Olaves	70	43
Olaves in Hart-street	266	195
Olaves in the Jewry	43	25
Olaves in Silver-street	274	103
Pancras by Soper-lane	17	8
Peters in Cheap	68	44
Peters in Cornhill	318	78
Peters at Pauls Wharf	97	68
Peters Poor in Broad-street	52	27
Stevens in Coalman-street	506	350
Stevens in Walbrook	25	13
Swithins at London-stone	99	60
Thomas Apostles	141	107
Trinity Parish	148	87

	Buried within the 97 Parishes within the Walls of all Diseases	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	14340
	Whereof of the Plague	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	9197 |9|

 

	Bur.	Plag.
Andrews in Holborn	2190	1636
Bartholomew the Great	516	360
Bartholomew the Less	111	65
Brides Parish	1481	1031
Botolph Algate	2573	1653
Bridewel Precinct	213	152
Botolphs Bishops-gate	2334	714
Botolphs Alders-gate	578	307
Dunstans the West	860	642
Georges Southwark	1608	912
Giles Cripplegate	3988	2338
Olaves in Southwark	3689	2609
Saviours in Southwark	2746	1671
Sepulchres Parish	3425	2420
Thomas in Southwark	335	277
Trinity in the Minories	131	87
At the Pesthouse	194	189
Buried in the 16 Parishes without the Walls, standing part within the Liberties, and part without, in Middlesex, and Surrey, and at the Pest-house,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	26972
Whereof, of the Plague	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	17153 |10|

 

Buried in the Nine out Parishes.

	Bur.	Pl.
Clements Temple-bar	1284	755
Giles in the Fields	1333	947
James at Clarken-well	1191	903
Katherins by the Tower	998	744
Leonards in Shoreditch	1995	1407
Martins in the Fields	1470	973
Mary White-chapel	3305	2272
Magdalens Bermondsey	1127	889
Savoy Parish	250	176
Buried in the Nine out Parishes, in Middlesex and Surrey,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	12953
Whereof of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	9067
The Total of all the Burials of all Diseases, within the Walls, without the Walls, in the Liberties, in Middlesex and Surrey: with the Nine out Parishes, and the Pest-house,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	54265
Whereof, Buried of the Plague, this present year, is	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	35417
Christnings this present year, is	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	6983
Parishes clear this year, is	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	1
Parishes infected this year, is	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	121 |11|

5. In the Year 1626, the City of Westminster, in imitation of London, was inserted. The gross Accompt of the Burials and Christenings, with distinction of the Plague being only taken notice of therein; the fifth, or last Canton, or Linedspace, of the said Bill, being varied into the form following, viz.

In Westminster this Year	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Buried	471
		Plague	13
		Christnings	361

6. In the Year 1629, an Accompt of the Diseases and Casualties, whereof any dyed, together with the distinction of Males and Females, making the sixth Canton of the Bill, was added in manner following.^[10]

 

The Canton of Casualties; and of the Bill for the Year 1632, being of the same form with that of 1629. |12|

The Diseases and Casualties this Year, being 1632.

ABortive and Stilborn	415
Affrighted	1
Aged	628
Ague	43
Apoplex and Meagrim	17
Bit with a mad Dog	1
Bleeding	3
Bloody flux, Scowring, and flux,	343
Bruised, Issues, Sores, and Ulcers,	28
Burnt and Scalded	5
Burst and Rupture	9
Cancer and Wolf	10
Canker	1
Childbed	171
Chrisomes and Infants	2268
Cold and Cough	55
Colick, Stone, and Strangury	56
Consumption	1797
Convulsion	241
Cut of the Stone	5
Dead in the street, and starved	6
Dropsie and Swelling	267
Drowned	4
Executed and Prest to death	38 |13|
Falling Sickness	17
Fever	1108
Fistula	13
Flox and Small Pox	531
French Pox	12
Gangrene	5
Gout	4
Grief	11
Jaundies	43
Jaw-fain	78
Imposthume	44
Kill'd by several accidents	6
King's Evil	38
Lethargy	2
Livergrown	87
Lunatick	5
Made away themselves	15
Measles	80
Murthered	7
Overlaid, and starved at Nurse	7
Palsie	25
Piles	1
Plague	8
Planet	13
Pleuresie and Spleen	36
Purples and Spotted Fever	38
Quinsie	7
Rising of the Lights	98
Sciatica	1 |14|
Scurvy and Itch	9
Suddenly	62
Surfet	86
Swine Pox	6
Teeth	470
Thrush and Sore-mouth	40
Tympany	13
Tissick	34
Vomiting	1
Worms	27

	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Males	4994	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$		$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Males	4932
Christned		Females	4590		Buried		Females	4603
		In all	9584				In all	9535
Whereof, of the Plague								8

Increased in the Burials in the 122 Parishes, and at the Pest-house this year	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	993[11]
Decreased of the Plague in the 122 Parishes, and at the Pest-house this year	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	662[12]

7. In the Year 1636, the Accompt of the Burials and Christnings, in the Parishes of Islington, Lambeth, Stepney, Newington, Hackney, and Redriff were added^[13] in the manner following, making a seventh Canton, viz. |15|

In Margarets Westminster	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	440
		Buried	890
		Plague	0
Islington	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	36
		Buried	113
		Plague	0
Lambeth	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	132
		Buried	220
		Plague	0
Stepney	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	892
		Buried	1486
		Plague	0
Newington	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	99
		Buried	181
		Plague	0
Hackney	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	30
		Buried	91
		Plague	0
Redriff	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Christned	16
		Buried	48
		Plague	0

	The Total of all the Burials in the seven last Parishes this Year	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	2958
	Whereof of the Plague,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	0
	The Total of all the Christnings,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	1645 |16 |

8. Covent-Garden being made a Parish^[14], the Nine out (16) Parishes were called the Ten out Parishes, the which in former years were but Eight.

9. In the Year 1660, the last-mentioned ten Parishes, with Westminster, Islington, Lambeth, Stepney, Newington, Hackney, and Redriff, are entred under two Divisions, viz. the one containing the Twelve Parishes lying in Middlesex and Surrey, and the other the Five Parishes within the City and Liberties of Westminster, viz. St. Clement Danes, St. Paul's Covent-Garden, St. Martin's in the Fields, St. Mary-Savoy, and St. Margaret's Westminster.

10. We have hitherto described the several steps whereby the Bills of Mortality are come up to their present state; we come next to shew how they are made and composed, which is in this manner, viz. When any one dies, then, either by tolling, or ringing of a Bell, or by bespeaking of a Grave of the Sexton, the same is known to the Searchers, corresponding with the said Sexton.

11. The Searchers hereupon (who are ancient Matrons, sworn to their Office) repair to the place where the dead Corps lies, and by view of the same, and by other enquiries, they examine by what Disease or Ca-|17|sualty the Corps died. Hereupon they make their Report to the Parish Clerk, and he, every Tuesday night, carries in an Accompt of all the Burials and Christnings happening that Week, to the Clerk of the Hall. On Wednesday the general Accompt is made up and printed, and on Thursday published and dispersed to the several Families who will pay four Shillings per Annum for them.

12. Memorandum, That although the general yearly Bills have been set out in the several varieties aforementioned, yet the Original Entries in the Hall-books were as exact in the very first year, as to all particulars, as now; and the specifying of Casualties and Diseases was probably more.

 

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1. On the history of the London bills of mortality see the Introduction.
2. Maitland, writing before 1739, could not find the part of the Parish Clerks' register for the years before 1664. He records that "the Company are of the opinion that the same was lent to Mr Graunt, to enable him to write his Natural and Political Observations, and by some accident never returned." History of London, II. 738.
3. Graunt's conjecture of a connection between the Plague and the origin of the bills is confirmed by their earlier history. Cf. Introduction, also Creighton, Epidemics, i. 294—295, Ogle in Jour. of the Stat. Soc. lv. 438.
4. A printed weekly bill for 5—12 November, 1607, a ms. weekly bill for 10—17 August, 1609, and a blank form for a weekly bill with printed date of 1610 are preserved at the Record Office. State Papers, Dom., James I., xxviii. 89; xlvii. 85—86; lviii. 102. All vary in unimportant particulars from the pattern of a yearly bill which Graunt gives. The bill of 1607 lacks the entry of those buried of the plague without the liberties in Middlesex and Surrey, the bill of 1609, though it gives them does not include them in its total burials, while the form for a bill dated 1610 both includes them in its total and also omits to enter separately "the whole sum of all the burials in London and the liberties thereof." The ms. bill of 1609 is further peculiar in that it consists of two independent parts. The second part is devoted to the nine out parishes enumerated by Graunt on p. 341 below. These parishes the bill locates "in Westminster," and the first part omits their figures in making up the total of burials.
5. In the weekly bills, at least, every parish was particularized as early as 1532. See Introduction.
6. Properly St Anthony.
7. Properly St Augustin.
8. Properly St Benedict.
9. Otherwise St Vedast.
10. The diseases and casualties were reported to the Parish Clerks as early as 1604. Bell, London's Remembrancer, unpaged, Graunt, p. 346. Upon the back of the weekly bill for 5—12 November, 1607, the deaths due to each of twenty-one causes are enumerated in MS., and in the bill for 10—17 August, 1609, similar information is given, likewise in MS., for the parishes severally, e.g.:
    "Katharines Creechurch. pla. 1 crisom 1 small pox 2 fever 1 5 1." The last two figures occupy the columns uniformly reserved for total burials and for burials of the plague respectively.
11. This should be 973 to correspond with the tables at pp. 408 and 411, since both of them put the total burials for 1631 at 8562.
12. Probably a misprint for 266, which the first edition had. The plague burials, according to the table, p. 408 were 274 in 1631 and 8 in 1632.
13. In the bill for 21 April, see table, p. 426.
14. The Act erecting the parish of St Paul, Covent Garden, passed the House of Commons 7 January, 1645. Commons' Journal, iv. 398.