

540 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1754. 



fewer, and the number of houses within the city walls is about 1 1 503 ; which 

 being multiplied by 6, gives 690I8, for the number of inhabitants; which is 

 nearly equal to the burials 22Q0 multiplied by 30, or 68700 ; taking the burials 

 at a medium for 10 years, and adding 400 as above. 



The number of houses within the bills may then be nearly come at, from the 

 number of burials. For if we take the number of burials for the last 10 years, 

 at an average within the city, to be 1 8g0, and add 400, which makes 22Q0, we 

 may say, if 229O comes from 11503 houses, then the whole number 24g45 of 

 burials within the bills, having allowed 2000 as above, must come from 125302 

 houses. And there cannot be fewer ; for there are more burials within the city, 

 in proportion to the baptisms, than in the out-parishes ; and therefore more 

 burials in proportion to the number of houses ; which shows that the number of 

 houses cannot be less than 125302; which being multiplied by 6, will give 

 75 18 12, for the number of people for this present time; and it is nearly equal 

 to the number 748350 found above. So that the numbers produced from these 

 2 methods being almost equal, this is some further proof that our supposition, 

 of 6 persons to a house, empty and full, is near the truth. But if we suppose, 

 that the number of houses within the walls is now the same, as in Mr. Smart's 

 time, 11857; then all the houses within the bills will be 129158, and the 

 number of people 774948, greater than 748350, found above, by 26598; which 

 is not much in such calculations. 



Sir Wm. Petty also says, that he was informed there were 84000 houses te- 

 nanted within the bills, in the year l682, in which he wrote, and if so, the 

 number of houses seem to be increased near one-third since that time. And, 

 according to our way of computing, to suppose 6 to a house, empty and full, 

 there could not be more than 504000 people at that time ; which is less than 

 the number we found above, for the present time, 748350, by 244350. But 

 now, instead of increasing, we are decreasing; for since the year 1743 the in- 

 habitants have been annually diminished; by which it appears that this great city 

 is past its height, and is rather on the decline with regard to numbers. And 

 hence we see how far Sir William was mistaken, who imagined that it might 

 increase continually till the year 1800; when the number of people would be 5 

 millions, that is near 7 times as much as they are at present. 



Now, to account for this decrease, there may be various conjectures : Dr. B. 

 thinks 3 causes may be assigned, that may all operate jointly. One may be the 

 vicious custom that has prevailed of late years, among the lower people, of drink- 

 ing spirituous liquors ; another the fashionable humour of living single that 

 daily increases ; and a third may be the great increase of trade in the northern 

 parts of Britain, that keeps the people there employed at home, that they have 

 no occasion, as formerly, to come hither for business ; and it were to be wished 



