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10
The following is the age distribution of the population of England
and Wales in 1956: 0-4, 74; 5-14, 153; 15-24, 134; 25-34, 139;
34-44, 142; 45-54, 143; 55-64, 110; 65-75, 74; 75-85, 53; 85 and
over 6.
Births
The total number of live births registered during the year was 2,830
(1,481 male and 1,349 female). Of these ninety-two were illegitimate,
being a percentage of total births of 3·2. The numbers of live births
registered in the five years from 1954 onwards were: 2,721, 2,747, 2,755,
2,791 and 2,783.
894 births occurred in the district (889 live, 5 stillbirths). Of this
number seventy-two were to residents of other districts. 2,125 (2,082 live
and forty-three still) birth notifications were transferred from other
districts, being mostly of births occurring to Harrow mothers in hospitals
in Middlesex or in London.
The birth rate was 13·2. The local comparability factor for births is
1·02. The corrected birth rate was therefore 13·5; that for the country
as a whole was 16·4, the highest rate since 1949.
Deaths
The Registrar-General arranges that the information about those
who have died outside the district in which they normally reside is transferred
to the Health Office of those districts. These numbers are added to
the deaths of those districts, corresponding deductions being made from
the deaths allocated to any district in respect of those who died in those
districts, but who normally resided elsewhere.
Certain types of institutions are not regarded in ordinary circumstances
as the usual residence of those living there. These include general,
maternity and special hospitals, maternity homes, nursing homes,
sanatoria, convalescent homes, homes for unmarried mothers, hotels,
boarding houses, etc. On the other hand, there are many institutions
which are regarded as the usual residence of their inmates. These include
accommodation provided under Parts III and IV of the National
Assistance Act, 1948, boarding schools, convents, nursing homes for the
aged and chronic sick, nursing homes (mental) and residential nurseries.
According to the Registrar-General's Circular G.R.O. Circ. (L.H. No.
2/58) from January 1st, 1958, a death in a chronic sick or mental hospital
will be assigned to the area of occurrence only if the deceased had been
there for six months or more.
1,247 persons died in this district in 1958. This figure includes those
numbers of the armed forces stationed here. Of these, 185 were of persons
who were not resident in the area. 180 deaths took place in the various
hospitals, eighty-four in Roxbourne, seventeen in Oxhey Grove and
thirty-seven persons died in non-transferable institutions.
Of the 921 deaths of the local residents which occurred outside the
district, most took place in institutions, 400 being at the Edgware General
Hospital. 204 deaths took place in hospitals just outside the district