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12
The Registrar General in a foot note to his weekly reports
remarks that "the population is estimated on the
hypothesis that the rate of increase in the last inter-censal
period has been maintained since 1881; nine years after the
last enumeration, such an hypothesis is, however, obviously
somewhat untrustworthy."
In my report for the year 1888, it was stated that "the
determination of the real population becomes increasingly
difficult, the more remote the preceding census. As a fresh
numbering of the people will take place in 1891, no estimation
of the number of inhabitants residing in East Battersea during
the year can be absolutely depended upon; that of the Registrar
General, which assumes that the population has increased to
the same extent as during the inter-censal period 1871-81, being,
however, sufficiently approximate to correctness for the purpose
of ascertaining the birth and death rates."
The usual methods therefore will be used in estimating the
population of East Battersea for the purpose of calculating
these rates, and this assumes the residence in the district of
78,446 persons during 1889. There can be but little doubt that
this somewhat overstates the real population, the greater increase
having taken place in the Western division of the parish,