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1861.70, the Death-rate was 28.4, and for the four years 1871-74,
24.73. The improvement has, therefore, been more decided in St.
Giles than in the Metropolis at large, but this must he regarded as
chiefly owing to the greater need and larger opportunity for improvement
in this District than in the more extensive area of the
Metropolis.
4. The Registrar General remarks that "the Bill now before
Parliament to facilitate the abolition of rookeries in great cities, and
to promote the erection of healthier dwellings, will carry the improvement
further." Of the soundness of this opinion there cannot
be a doubt.
5. The population of London, within the Registration division
(estimated for the middle of the year), was 3,400,701; the Birth-rate
was 35.7 per thousand, and the Death-rate 22.5. The estimated increase
of the population was 44,544.
The Birth-rate for St. Giles District, for 1874, was 29'23 (see
Table, No. 2), and the Death-rate, 25.68 (see Table, No. 4).
6. We have had therefore a much lower Birth-rate, and a higher
Death-rate than the Metropolis. Our Sub-District, which had the
highest Birth-rate (31.82), viz.: St. Giles North, fell far below the
Metropolis ; on the other hand, two of our Sub-Districts show a
Death-rate less than the Metropolitan—one of them, Bloomsbury,
very much less—and the comparison is carried against us only by
the very high death rate of St. Giles South
The causes of these differences in the mean rates would be a most
interesting subject of investigation—more especially as regards the
Birth-rate—for there can be no doubt that our population has many
peculiarities that habitually tend to keep our Birth-rate at a low
standard.
The Birth-rate in St. Giles District.
7. The number of Registeked Births in St. Giles District, for
the year 1874, was 1,725; of which 449 are attributed to the SubDistrict
of St. George, Bloomsbury, 788 to St. Giles South, and 488
to St. Giles North.*
8. These numbers, however, do not accurately represent the
Birth-rate, either in the whole District or in the Sub-Districts, and
require correction in various ways. For example, there were 163
women confined in the British Lying-in Hospital, who gave birth to
167 children. Only 27 of the mothers belonged to the united
parishes; there are, therefore, 140 births that must be deducted
from the aggregate number, and also from the number for St. Giles
South, in which Sub-District the Hospital stands. Again there were
134 births in the Workhouse, all of which are registered against the
Sub-District of St. Giles South. I find that of this number 18
belonged to St. George Bloomsbury, by previous residence of the
* The number of Registered Births here recorded is larger than stated in the Returns of the Registrar
General, as this year, for the district of St. Giles, comprises 53 weeks—a correction that has to be made
form time to time.