TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



101 



French writer had suggested the term " specific population," after the analogy of 

 "specific gravity," in lieu of the terms in common use, "thinly populated" and 

 " populous." The statement annexed exhibits the area of Great Britain in acres 

 and square miles, the square in miles, the number of acres to a person, of persons 

 to a square mile, and the mean proximity of the population on the hypothesis of an 

 equal distribution : — 



The 624 districts of England and Wales classed in an order of density, ranged from 

 18 persons to the square mile in Northumberland, to 185,751 in the East London 

 district. In all London there were 19,375 persons to the square mile. In 1801, 

 the people of England were on an average 153 yards asunder; in 1851, only 108 

 yards. The mean distance between their houses in 1801 was 362 yards; in 1351, 

 only 252 yards. In London, the mean proximity, in 1801, was 21 yards ; in 1851, 

 only 14 yards. The number of islands in the British group was stated at 500, but 

 inhabitants were only found on 175 on the day of the census. The early history of 

 the more celebrated of the islands was given. The population of the chief of the 

 group. Great Britain, had been given. Ireland contained 6,553,357 inhabitants ; 

 Anglesey, the next most populous island, had 57,318 inhabitants ; Jersey, 57,020 ; 

 the Isle of Man, 52,344 ; the Isle of Wight, 50,324 ; Guernsey, 29,757 ; eight islands 

 ranged from 22,918 to 5,857; seventeen from 4,006 to 1,064; fifty-two from 947 to 

 105, and the remaining 92, downwards to an island inhabited by one solitary man. 

 The shires, hundreds, and tythings were traced to Alfred the Great ; the circuits to 

 Henry the Second. The terms "hundreds" and "tythings" had their origin in a 

 system of numeration. The number of reformed boroughs in England and Wales 

 was 196, and contained a population of 4,345,269 inhabitants. Scotland contained 

 83 royal and municipal burghs, having a population of 752,777 inhabitants. The 

 difficulty of tracing the boundaries of the ecclesiastical districts, and consequently of 

 ascertaining correctly their population, was shown. The changes in the ancient 

 boundaries of counties and other divisions were alluded to, and the paper concluded 

 with a general summary of the results of the census. An appendix contained tables, 

 showing the population and number of houses, distinguishing whether inhabited, 

 uninhabited, or building, in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Islands respectively, 

 at each census from 1801 to 1851; the same, in 1851, for each of the 14 registra- 

 tion divisions ; for each of the 36 districts of London ; and for each county in 

 England and Wales, and in Scotland ; also the population of each county in England 

 and Wales, and in Scotland, at each census from ISOl to 1851, and the increase of 

 population in the last half-century ; the area in acres and square miles, the number 

 of persons to a square mile, of acres to a person, of inhabited houses to a square 

 mile, and of persons to a house, for each county in England and Wales, and in 

 Scotland ; the population and number of inhabited houses in the counties, and par- 

 liamentary divisions of counties, in England and Wales, and in the counties of 

 Scotland, including and excluding represented cities and boroughs or burghs, also 

 the number of members returned ; the population of each island containing above 

 100 persons; the population and number of inhabited houses in each of the 815 

 cities, boroughs, and principal towns in England and Wales and in Scotland, di- 

 stinguishing the municipal and parliamentary limits ; the number of each class of 

 public institutions in England and Wales, Scotland and the Islands, and the number 

 of persons inhabiting them ; the number of births and deaths, and the excess of 

 births over deaths, in England and Wales, for each of the ten years of J 841-50; 



