SELECTIVE BIRTH-RATE 165 



The periods selected were the last half of the 

 eighteenth and the first half of the nineteenth century. 

 For the first period, between 1750 and 1800, 97 

 consecutive marriages, in which the succession to the 

 title was involved, were considered. This represented 

 a study of about a quarter of that part of the volume 

 devoted to family histories, and resulted in the truly 

 surprising total of 468 sons, or nearly five sons to a 

 marriage. Of these sons, 34 died before reaching 

 maturity, and in 131 cases the details given are not 

 sufficient to permit classification, though it is quite 

 clear from several indications that want of detail does 

 not indicate lack of occupation. It is especially in the 

 case of the eldest sons that particulars of the careers 

 are lacking, owing to a faulty arrangement of the 

 material involved. Of the 303 sons remaining, 119 

 went into the Army, of whom 2 1 died in the service 

 and 34 became Generals ; 57 went into the Navy, 12 

 lost their lives, and 20 became Admirals ; 66 took 

 Holy Orders, 14 becoming Bishops or Deans ; 35 

 served the country in permanent posts, or entered 

 the Diplomatic and Colonial Services ; 14 went to the 

 Bar, of whom 2 became Judges ; 2 took up Medicine 

 for a profession, and some few are mentioned simply 

 as Members of Parliament. 



The second period of marriages, between 1800 and 

 1850, gives very similar figures, though the slowness 

 of promotion compared with that in the time of 

 the Napoleonic wars leads to a smaller number of 

 Generals and Admirals. From 1 1 1 marriages we have 

 511 sons. Of these sons, 48 died while immature, 

 and 95 are unclassified; 169 went into the Army, of 



