POPULATION OF ENGLAND.
The following Table, given in the population returns by Mr. Rickman, contains a most important summary of the returns for 1700, 1750, 1801, 1811, and 1821. It is accompanied with the following explanatory remarks.
Cul. 4 & 5. The population of Great Britain in the year 1811, as here ascribed to the several counties, is less by 243,000 than in the Table formerly given, not more than two-thirds of the army, navy, &c. at that time being sup posed to be natives of Great Britain ; the other third part of the army and navy being attributed to Ireland and fo reign countries, and a majority of the seamen who then navigated registered vessels. On these considerations no more than a thirtieth part was added to the resident popu lation of each county, for its share of the army, navy, &c. and the same proportion is continued backward in the preceding columns, 1, 2, and 3.—But to the resident po pulation of Great Britain in the year 1821, no more than a fiftieth part is added, the army and navy having decreas ed since 1811. This tends to lessen the per tentage in crease ascribed to the several counties, between the years 1811 and 1821.
Col. 6.—The area of the several counties of England and Wales, in square statute.miles, is here given as mea sured upon Arrowsmith's large map, (date 1815-16) which, being founded on the trigonometrical survey, is little liable to future alteration ; and the measurement of it having been accomplished by means of an actual division of the surface into square miles, scarcely admits of error as to the area of England and Wales; nor would the area of each county be less accurate supposing its detached parts to be all known. Of such irregularities, fifty-three have been taken into account in these calculations, and those which remain undiscovered, are presumed to be of inconsiderable dimensions, though perhaps not few in number. Most of the detached parts are assessed in the county wherein they are locally situate. To convert the English square mile into a measure applicable to the maps of civilized nations (fo• the purposes of comparison) it is only necessary to reckon it as three-fourths of the area of the square geographical mile ; in other words, that four English square miles are equal to three geographical. This proportion may be deemed exact ; for, supposing a degree of latitude (between 51° and 52°) to measure 60,864 fathoms (on the authority of General Mudge) the area of an English square mile to the geographical square mile is as 300 to 398.6.
The English square mile contains 640 statute acres.
Scotland (with ins islands) is about equal to Ireland in area, and is half as large as England and Wales ; but in computing the area of Scotland in English square miles, it is right to mention that the Scottish mile is 5952 English feet, or (compared with the English mile) as 9 to 8 it is rapidly falling in disuse.
Col. 8.—The number of county magistrates who have qualified themselves to act, is considerably less than the total of this column, many of them acting for more than one county or jurisdiction.—Those who act for the Isle of Ely are included in Cambridgeshire ; and the justices acting for the Ainstey of the city of York, are included in the East Riding. One hundred and eighty-three cities and towns have magistrates who lay claim to an exclusive jurisdiction ; but most of them exercise only a concurrent jurisdiction with the county magistrates, and some of them no jurisdiction at all.
Col. 9.—Parishes not being always conterminous with the county in which the parish church is situate, it is ne. cessary to remark, that 268 parishes in England and Wales arc known to extend into two counties, two parishes into three counties each ; (for particulars the abstract may be consulted) but the parish is herein uniformly ascribed to the county in which the parish church is situate. The parish churches in England and Wales are no more than 10,458 in number, 139 parishes being annexed to others as far as concerns the offices of the church, and 96 parishes having no church whatever, or none fit for divine service.
Col. 10.—The number of places which separately and distinctly levy a rate to maintain their own poor is 14,640, according to the poor return abstract of 1815 : the larger number of returns under the population act, arises from extra-parochial places, and returns of constabularies, in stead of townships, in some of the northern counties.
Col 11.—This column includes the returns received from 889 chapelries.
Col. unentered baptisms, burials, and mar riages, mentioned in the parish register abstract at the end of the several counties, are included in these computations.
In a very interesting paper on the " Numerical Changes of the Population of Great Britain, as divided into the classes of Agriculturists, Manufacturers, and non-produc tive Labourers, during the period from 1811 to 1821," by Mr. George Harvey, F.R.S.E4 that able writer has given the following results. The sign + indicates in the column of agriculture, for example, that the agricultural population has increased by the number annnexed to it in every par ticular county of any of the three kingdoms ; and the sign — that the same population has diminished.
The total population of each county has been assumed at 10,000 families, the returns having been given only in families in relation to these subjects.