92 



REPORT — 1842. 



On the Registers of the Collegiate Church of Manchester. By the Rev. R. 

 Parkinson, B.D. 



Mr. Parkinson commenced his observations by giving a brief outline of the vari- 

 ous laws which had been enacted for enforcing an accurate system of registration. 

 The registers of the parish of Manchester commence in August 1573, and are con- 

 tinued to the present time, with the following exceptions: — one leaf for the year 

 1589 is lost, and during the period of the Commonwealth a chasm occurs in the regi- 

 sters for eight years and nearly three months. 



The number of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials recorded in the Register-books of 

 the Collegiate Church, Manchester, from their commencement in the year 1573 

 to the end of the year 1841, showing the total amount every twenty years. 



Baptisms 279,914 



Marriages 133,239 



Burials ..., 140,864 



Total recorded 554,017 



Mr. Parkinson observed, that the most complete portion of the registers is that 

 of the marriages, which is perfect for the whole parish up to July 1837. Assu- 

 ming that a marriage might be taken to represent sixty-five couples, or 130 indi- 

 viduals, which is about the usual proportion in large towns (a number which he stated 

 as closely approximating with the Censuses of 1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831), he had 

 constructed a table of the movement of the population. From this it appeared that 

 the population of Manchester and Salford retrograded from 1570 to 1600, advanced 

 rapidly from 1600 to 1640, fell back by about one-third at or about the period of 

 the Commonwealth, advanced to the point from which it had receded by the year 

 1 700, more than doubled itself in the next forty years, repeated this duplication in 

 the next similar period, nearly trebled itself in the succeeding period of twenty 

 years from 1780 to 1800, advanced in proportion of three to two from 1800 to 1820, 

 and has nearly doubled itself in the last twenty years. 



On the Criminal Statistics of Manchester. By Sir Charles Shaw. 



This paper consisted of a statement and analysis of cases of misdemeanor brought 

 before the police of Manchester on Saturdays and Sundays from the 22nd of January 

 to the 15th of June, 1842. 



The total number of prisoners within the period in question was 646, of whom 

 440 were males and 206 females. Of this number 320 had been out of employment 

 an average of eight months and twenty-five days previous to their apprehension. Of 

 the 326 persons who were in employment, 318 had received their wages on Saturday. 



