258 



PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. 



[anno 1738. 



A Decenary Account of the Christenings and Burials of London, in the following Years. 

 Years. Christened. Buried. Com. Dist. Buried. Plague. Totals Buried. 



1626 6701 



1627 8408 



1628 

 1629 

 1630 

 l63J 

 1632 

 1633 

 1634 



8564 

 9901 

 9315 

 8524 

 9584 



9997 



7400 



7713 



7740 



8771 

 9228 

 8288 

 9527 

 8392 



9855 IO899 



1635 10034 



Tot.Gen 9O883 



10651 

 88609 



134 



4 

 3 

 O 



7534 



7717 

 7743 



8771 



1317 10545 



274 

 8 

 O 

 1 

 O 



8562 



9535 



8392 



10900 



10651 



1741 90350 



This difference, in favour of the christenings, is owing to the citizens of that 

 time being ahnost of the same religion ; but the civil war breaking out soon 

 after, the people deviated into a variety of sects, subverted the church of Eng- 

 land, and assuming the civil power, established a new hierarchy, or church- 

 government. But the members of the abolished church continuing to baptize 

 among themselves, without reporting their christenings to the new-appointed 

 members of the company of parish-clerks, occasioned a very great defect in the 

 account of christenings annually published by the said parish-clerks. 



From this epocha is to be dated the majority of the burials in the bill of mor- 

 tality, over the christenings of London : and though the church of England 

 was soon after re-established, yet the numerous dissenters of all denominations, 

 persevering in their separation, continued to baptize among themselves, with- 

 out sending in accounts of their christenings to the restored members of the 

 company of parish-clerks: and the schism still continuing, the accounts of the 

 christenings and burials of this city, remain on the ancient foot of division and 

 imperfection. 



Add to this, that not only all the foreign churches in London christen with- 

 in themselves, but likewise many churches and chapels of the church of Eng- 

 land, that send not in their accounts to the company of parish-clerks, which, 

 together with those of the dissenters and foreigners of all denominations, 

 amount to no less a number than 181 congregations, whose accounts of 

 christenings are not published : by which it is evident, that the vast disparity 

 between the christenings and burials of this city, is not owing, as Mr. Kersse- 

 boom imagines, to the residence of the court, the convention of parliament. 



