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Births.
The birth.rate for the year was 32.3. This rate is slightly less than
the rate for last year, but is above the average for the past 10 years. It
is, however, considerably higher than the probable true birth.rate, being
calculated on the estimated population and the total number of births registered,
whether the parents of the children were resident or non.resident. Including
only the births amongst residents, and calculating the rate on the estimated
population, it becomes 30.4, and if the resident births are taken alone and
the calculation is based on Mr. Baker's estimate of the population, the birth
is still further reduced to 29.02, a figure which is much more likely to be
correct than the official one of 32.3. The total number of births registered
was 1057, only two more than the number in 1903. 62 of the total
were the children of non.residents. The actual number of births amongst
residents during the year was 995, a decrease of 20 compared to last year.
This decrease in the total number of births is a serious matter, when it is
remembered that on the lowest estimate the resident population has increased
in the same period by 555. Of the 995 children born, 500 were boys and
495 girls. The figures for the two parishes are:—
Heston Births 305 Birth.rate 26.8
Isleworth 690 32.8
Illegitimate Births. 88 births were registered during the year as being
illegitimate, this number being equal to 83 per cent. of the total. Of the
88 illegitimate birth, 57 were children of non.residents, giving an illegitimate
percentage for non.resident births of 919. 31 illegitimate births were registered
amongst residents, this number being 3.1 per cent. of all resident births.
This number is slightly lower than last year, but is still much above the
average for the rest of the country.

These figures are calculated to equal annual rates, that is they represent
what the rates, would have been for the whole year if the people had continued
during the other nine months to die and be born at the same rate as they
did during any particular quarter.