Mr. Tate on Stature, fyc, of Northumbrians. 135 



Dr. Beddoe, and other anthropologists, considering the age 

 of 23 years as the period when the human frame generally 

 attains its full development, and the age of 50 years as the 

 period when it begins to decline, have fixed on these limits 

 within which to estimate the stature and bulk of man. 

 Eliminating, therefore, from our returns all below 23 and all 

 above 50 years of age, we have left of native Northumbrians 

 390 militiamen and 400 volunteers, yielding the results given 

 in table B. 



Table B. Northumbrians from 23 to 50 years of age. 



COEPS. 



No. of 

 Men. 



Average 

 Height. 



Average 

 Weight. 



Militia - 

 Artillery Volunteers 

 Rifle Volunteers 



Totals 



390 

 293 



107 



ft. in. 

 5 6-30 

 5 910 

 5 9-00 



lbs. 



163-1 



160-2 



790 



5 7-56 



162-3 





From this table we may form an estimate of the stature of 

 native Northumbrians. There is a marked difference between 

 the militiamen and the volunteers ; the latter being very 

 nearly 2f inches taller than the former. Neither, by them- 

 selves, would, however, yield a fair average. There are few 

 short men in the volunteers — only six below 5ft. 6in. in 

 height ; while, on the other hand, the militiamen belong 

 chiefly to Newcastle, and the other large towns on the Tyne, 

 where they have been reared under conditions unfavourable 

 to physical development. Few, in that regiment, now are 

 taken from the rural districts ; and these few, it will be 

 observed, from table C, have a better physique than the 

 urban population. Formerly, the Northumberland militia 

 was, to a great extent, formed of the peasantry who lived in 

 the open country ; and at the termination of the war in 1815, 

 it was one of the finest bodies of men in the service ; and 

 when ranged in line stood on more ground, from the breadth 

 of the men across the shoulders, than any other regiment. 

 Employment now, however, is abundant in the rural districts, 

 and wages are high, and hence few countrymen can be 

 tempted to enter the militia, which is now chiefly filled by 

 the lighter and shorter men from the large towns on Tyneside. 



