Ch. ix. in England (continued). 445 



ency in the year 1811, the annual average number 

 of unentered baptisms (as stated at the end of the 

 several counties) having been 14,860 ; of burials, 

 (setting aside London) 3,899 ; at present the pro- 

 portion is five to one in the degree of deficiency, 

 the annual average number of unentered bap- 

 tisms (as stated at the end of the several counties) 

 being 23,066 ; of burials, (setting aside London) 

 4,657." And he goes onto say, " Nor does this 

 represent the full amount or proportion of unen- 

 tered baptisms, the clergy of the most populous 

 places, especially where many of the inhabitants 

 are dissenters, usually declining to hazard an esti- 

 mate." A burial ground, on the contrary, is a visi- 

 ble object, and among the persons connected with 

 it, the clergyman can usually procure an account 

 (more or less accurate) of the number of inter- 

 ments. 



On these grounds it would appear probable that, 

 owing to the increasing number of dissenters, or 

 other causes, the omissions in the registers of births 

 had been lately increasing, rather than diminish- 

 ing. Yet it has been thought that since the Act 

 of 1812 the registers of births have been more 

 carefully kept ; and it is certain that, in the ] 

 years ending with 1 820, the proportion of births 

 to marriages is greater, though the proportions of 

 births and marriages to the whole population are 

 both less than they were either in 1800, or in the 

 ten years ending with 1810. Under these cir- 

 cumstances, it may be advisable to wait for fur- 



