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The number of the shops—600 to 700—indicates the occupations
of another large class and that the town supplies some of the needs of
the outside districts.
The factories and workshops are not numerous, so that not a large
proportion of the inhabitants are engaged in such employment.
Hospitals. — In addition to the Joint Isolation Hospital for
the treatment of certain infectious cases in this and other districts in
the Union of Parishes, there are the Bromley Cottage Hospital—42
beds, the Phillips Memorial Hospital (Homeopathic)—18 beds, and
the Bromley, Chislehurst and District Maternity Hospital—16 beds.
There are also several private nursing homes. A Tuberculosis Dispensary
is also maintained by the Kent County Council. It may be
interesting to know that the amount of outdoor relief paid by the
Board of Guardians for the year 1919 was £2853.
BIRTH RATE.
The number of births was 534, an increase of 69 over 1918, 271
being males and 263 females, 49 were illegitimate. This gives a birth
rate of 14.73 per thousand of the population and is a distinct increase
on the low figure reached in 1918 of 13.14 and in 1917 of 13 9.
Before the war the birth rate had gradually fallen and was 17.6 per
thousand in 1913—the lowest on record during the previous 25 years.
MARRIAGES.
During the year there were registered 904 marriages, of which
number :
626 took place in Churches of the Established Church
69 „ Nonconformist Churches
20 „ the Roman Catholic Church
189 „ the Superintendent Registrar's Office
The marriage rate for Bromley was 49 9 per thousand - an enormous
increase compared with 183 in 1913.
The rate for England and Wales for 1919 was 19.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths was 407—197 being males and 210 being
females—which is equal to a recorded death rate of 11.7 per thousand,