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It will be observed that apparently the birth-rate for the
year is rather lower than that for the previous year, but was
higher than that for the preceding three years, but we must
consider the fact that the census returns show a much smaller
population than that estimated by the Registrar General.
The birth-rate is still very high in the old parts of the
borough. The high birth-rate amongst the poorer classes no
doubt partially results from very early marriage.
Illegitimate Births.
The illegitimate births, which number 87, occurred in the
several Wards, as follows:—
East Ward
22
North Ward
19
North-West Ward
22
South Ward
5
South-East Ward
11
South-West Ward
8
87
Marriages.
There were 905 marriages in the Borough during the
year, as compared with an average of 707 in the ten years
preceding.
The marriage rate for 1912 was equal to 8.3 per 1,000 of
the estimated population and was therefore higher than any
year for the past ten years.
It is puzzling to understand how an increase in the
marriage rate is coincident with a decline which is alleged to