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ILLUSTRATIONS OF 
of the parliament^ the total population amounted to 
7,176, being a very considerable decrease since the 
preceding period. To this number^ if we add the 
garrison and the trained bands, the total will amount 
to 9,183. From this 9,183 we must deduct the 
garrison, and it will leave us 8,183, as the total 
population of the city of Worcester in 1646; a 
decrease of 2,000 since the year 1563. 
It does not come within the scope of my plan to 
trace out the causes of the increase or decrease of 
population, when they spring from the advance or 
retrogradation of trade or manufacture ; but I may 
observe in this place, that the cause of this decrease 
at the above period, is to be sought in the variations 
of the woollen manufactory, once employing so large 
a part of the population of this city. In the plan of 
the city, published by Mr. G. Young in 1779, he 
states the number of the inhabited houses as 2,449, 
and the inhabitants as 13,104 ; an increase of 5,000 
from 1646, and of 3,000 from the reign of Queen 
Elizabeth. Hence the number of inhabitants to each 
house, at the above period, was rather above five. 
The census of 1801, gives the population of the 
city of Worcester as 1 1 ,300 ; and the number of 
inhabited houses as 2,835. The population of the 
suburbs was 3,428, and the inhabited houses 857. 
Thus the whole population amounted to 14,728, and 
the number of inhabited houses to 3,692 ; leaving 
nearly four persons to each house. 
In 1811, according to the population returns, 
published under the act of parliament, the population 
