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In 1915 there were 4,141 occupied houses, chiefly in Purley and
Woodcote, whereas in 1936 there were 13,969 houses, distributed amongst
the Wards as follows:—
Coulsdon Bast 1,466
Coulsdon West 2,612
Kenley 1,144
Purley 2,404
Sanderstead 3,292
Selsdon and Parleigh 1,554
Woodcote 1,497
There were thus 3.7 persons per house in 1936, as compared with
4.3 in 1915.
VITAL STATISTICS.
BIRTHS.
During the year 641 Births were registered as belonging to the
District, of which 334 were males and 307 were females, as compared
with 593 in 1935.
This is equal to an Annual Birth Rate of 12.5 per thousand of
population, as compared with 12.2 last year, and 11.8 and 11.1 in the
preceding two years.
The average Birth Rate for this District declined during the four
quinquenniel periods 1915-1934, viz., 13.9, 13.5, 12.9 and 11.6, but
slight rises occurred in this District and in the Country as a whole in
1934, suggesting that a turning point had been reached. Locally this
has proved correct, as increases in the Birth Rate have now been
experienced in three successive years. Nationally, however, the rate
has remained fairly stationary, the Birth Rates for England and Wales
being 14.8 in 1936, 14.7 in 1935, and 14.8 in 1934.
The local increase probably reflects in part the number of young
married couples who are settling in this District, being attracted by
the amenities and the type of development which has taken place in
recent years.
There were 19 illegitimate births (8 males and 11 females) registered,
this being 6 less than in the preceding year. Expressed as a percentage
of total births, 2.9 were illegitimate. The proportion of illegitimate
births showed a marked decline from 1915 to 1934, the averages for the
five yearly periods being 5.7, 3.4, 3.7 and 2.8.
The number of still births has only been recorded during the last
six years. In 1936 there were 27 registered (16 males and 11 females)
this being 1 less than last year but 18 more than in 1934.
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