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17
MARRIAGES AND MARRIAGE RATE.
The marriages in the parish in 1896 were 1,706—a considerable
increase upon the numbers in recent years, even after
correction for the 53rd week—as compared with 1,540, 1,537,
and 1,455, in the preceding three years respectively. Of these
marriages there were celebrated—
By the Church (74.1% of total marriages) 1,264
At Roman Catholic places of worship 127
At other Nonconformist places of worship 65
At the Superintendent-Registrar's Office 250
The marriage rate (i.e., the number of persons married to
1,000 living) was 20.1, as compared with 18.4, 18.4, and 17.4, in
the preceding three years respectively. The marriage rate in
England and Wales was 15.8 per 1,000, as compared with 14.7,
15.6, and 15.0, in the preceding three years. The rate in
London was 18.0 per 1,000, the highest rate recorded in any
year since 1883, as compared with 17.2, 17.0, and 17.1, in
the preceding three years respectively.
BIRTHS AND BIRTH-RATE.
Three thousand seven hundred and seventeen births were
registered in 1896, or 152 fewer than the corrected decennial
average (3,869). Of these births 3,101 were registered in the
Town sub-district and 616 in Brompton. They comprised
males 1,943 and females 1,774 ; excess of male births 169. The
illegitimate births numbered 221. It may be mentioned that
the births in 1896, in the 53 weeks, were 324 fewer than the
number in 1872 (4041) when the population (127,400) was
42,600 less than in 1896. The Kensington birth-rate, which
is considerably below that of London, as a whole (30.2 in 1896),
has been declining since 1868, when it was 33.1 per 1,000.
In 1896 it was 21.4 per 1000, and 1.4 below the decennial
average (22.8). The rate in the sub-districts was: Town, 25.0;
Brompton, 12.5 per 1,000. In the Town sub-district the births
registered were 757 more in number than the deaths, whilst
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