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Marriages.—Between 1871 and 1900 (inclusive), i.e., in 30 years, 44,383 marriages were
registered in Kensington, whose marriage-rate is always high, and above that of the Metropolis
generally. The number of marriages, and the marriage-rate, in the successive years, are set out in
Table A (page 84).
Births and Birth Rate*—During the forty-five years, 1856.1900, the births of 159,751
children were registered. The number of births, and the birth-rate in the successive years, are set
out in Table A. In 1856, and many succeeding years, births were fairly numerous in proportion to
population: in other words, Kensington had a fairly high birth-rate, though never so high as
London as a whole (Table A). Of late years it has been far otherwise. The decline in births may
be illustrated by the fact that, whereas 4,790 were registered in 1879, when the population was
158,000, only 3,586 were registered in 1900 in a population of 1.73,000. In 1879, the birth-rate
was 30.3 per 1000 persons living; in 1900 only 20.7: 24.3 in the Town sub-district; 11.6 in
Brompton. Had the births in 1900 been as numerous in proportion to population as in 1879, some
5,234 children would have been born, or 1,648 more than the registered number of births. The
birth.rate in 1900 was the lowest on record, both in Kensington (20.7) and in London (28'6).
The highest rates recorded during my tenure of office, were, Kensington, 31.7 in 1872; London,
35.9 in 1876.
Deaths and Death-Ratet—During the forty-five years 1856-1900, the deaths of 108,330
persons were registered. The number of deaths, and the death-rate, in the successive years, are set
out in Table A. The death-rate of Kensington is consistently below that of London generally, as
might reasonably be expected. But an unsatisfactory feature in our statistics is the high death-rate
of infants under one year, calculated with reference to the number of births registered (Table A).
The death.rate amongst the aged is high—a testimony to the favourable circumstances of many
parishioners and the healthiness of the district. On the whole a satisfactory reduction in the general
rate of mortality has characterised the regime of the present Sanitary Authorities, in Kensington and
in London as a whole (Table A). Dividing the forty.five years into three periods, the mean, the
minimum, and the maximum death.rates in Kensington were as follows:—
Years. Mean. Minimum. Maximum.
1856.70 20.5 19.1 (in 1867) 21.9 (in 1860)
1871.85 17.9 15.9 (in 1883) 20.2 (in 1878)
1886.1900 16.4 14.6 (in 1889) 18.4 (in 1891)
Zymotic Mortality.—The seven principal diseases of the zymotic class maybe divided into two
groups; the notifiable—small.pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and "fever"—which are admissible
to the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board—and the non.notifiable which are not admissible.
The latter group comprises measles, whooping.cough, and diarrhoea, which were the causes of 9,952
deaths in the 4.5 years, viz.:—2,870, 2,913, and 4,169 from the several diseases respectively. Illness
from diarrhoea does not come to the knowledge of the sanitary authority; nevertheless, the
mortality exhibits a slight decline proportionally to population. Some control is exercisable by
the sanitary authority in respect to measles and whooping.cough, information of the existence of
disease, especially of measles, being communicated by school.teachers, with whom there is a measure
of co.operation with a view to the exclusion from school of children living in houses where the
disease exists. The notifiable diseases were the causes of 5,436 deaths in the 45 years, viz. smallpox,
632 ; scarlet fever, 2,265 ; diphtheria, 1,165 ; and "fever," 1,374.
Smail.Pox, the dread of sanitary authorities in by.gone days, has now well.nigh lost its
terrors for London, where an excellent hospital and ambulance service supplements the preventive
work of public health officials. Table B shows a great reduction in mortality, especially since 1885,
when full effect was given by the Asylums Board to the plan of removing cases of the disease out of
London, for isolation and treatment, initiated, upon my recommendation, in 1881. The deaths
from this cause in Kensington in the 15 years, 1886.1900, were ten only: one in 1887, and nine in
1893, in which year the disease, imported into North Kensington from an adjoining district, had
spread somewhat extensively before the first notification was received.
Scarlet Fever is of sufficiently frequent occurrence still, but the mortality therefrom has
undergone great reduction in recent years (Table B). In the last three quinquennial periods (1886.
1900), the deaths in Kensington from this cause were 135, 152, and 105, respectively, as compared
with 234, 377, and 537, in the three quinquennial periods between 1856 and 1870; and this without
* Prior to 1874, Registration of Births was voluntary, but, judging from the figures in Table A, must have been
generally practised.
f Prior to 1883, no information was obtainable of deaths of parishioners at Public Institutions without the parish.
By way of compensation, the deaths of non.parishioners within the parish were retained in the statistics. Since 1883,
particulars of deaths of parishioners without the parish have been supplied weekly from Somerset House, by authorisation
of the Registrar.General. These deaths largely exceed the deaths of non.parishioners within the parish—leaving out of
consideration those at the St. Marylebone Infirmary, established at North Kensington in 1880, which have always been
disregarded. It would thus appear that the Kensington death.rate for the years 1856.1882, was a little higher than as set
out in Table A.