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In 1915 there were 4,141 occupied houses, chiefly in Purley and
Woodcote, whereas in 1937 there were 14,624 houses, distributed amongst
the Wards as follows :—
Coulsdon East 1,783
Coulsdon West 2,638
Kenley 1,154
Purley 2,433
Sanderstead 3,516
Selsdon and Farleigh 1,576
Woodcote 1,524
There was thus an average of 3.7 persons per occupied house in
1937, as compared with 4.3 in 1915.
VITAL STATISTICS.
BIRTHS.
During the year 692 Births were registered as belonging to the
District, of which 372 were males and 320 were females, as compared
with 641 in 1936.
This is equal to an Annual Birth Rate of 12.8 per thousand of
population, as compared with 12.5 last year, and 12.2, 11.8 and 11.1
in the preceding three years.
The average Birth Rate for this District declined during the four
quinquennial periods 1915-1934, viz., 13.9, 13.5, 12.9 and 11.6, but slight
rises occurred in the 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 four successive years. Nationally, however, the rate has only slightly
increased, the Birth Rates for England and Wales being 14.9 in 1937,
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 continue to settle in this District, being attracted
by the amenities and the type of development which has taken place
in recent years.
There were 26 illegitimate births (17 males and 9 females) registered,
this being 7 more than in the preceding year. Expressed as a percentage
of total births, 3.8 were illegitimate. The proportion of illegitimate
births showed a marked decline from 1915 to 1934, the average 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
seven years. In 1937, there were 15 registered (8 males and 7 females),
this being 12 less than last year, and 13 less than in 1935. One female
still-birth was illegitimate. The local Still-birth Rate was thus 0.28
per thousand of population, as compared with 0.60 for England and
Wales.
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