616 Dr. pulteney’s Account of the 
sufficient accuracy in the ufual method; that, fince the 
recovery of this place from the dreadful fire of 1731, 
icarcely any new houfes had been built, at leaf! on any 
new fite; that no fluCt nation in the number of inhabi- 
tants from the introduction of any new manufactory, or 
from any other apparent caufe, had taken place ; and was 
therefore led to conclude, that the refult might prove 
a tolerably fair one, and more efpecialiy upon finding 
*the excefs of the baptifms above the burials fo fmall as it 
appears to he. 
In the year 1773, when thefe tables were drawn up, 
I alfo procured the number of the people to be taken ; 
by which it appeared, that there were 446 families, 
reckoning a workhoufe of 44 perfons, and three fchools 
containing 92, as four families only, which gives nearly 
4| to a family. The whole number of foul sun the parifh 
was found to be, males 1 174, females 936, total 2110; 
but it mull: be remarked, that in this number were not 
included airy of the inhabitants of the clofe adjoining 
villages of St. Mary, Blandford, Brianfton, or Langton. 
From an infpeition of table the firft it will be feen, 
that 55I is nearly the average of deaths for 40 years; 
and the average of the laft ten years will appear to be 
54: hence, taking 55 for the average number, which 
aifo will be feen to be the exadt number of burials in the 
year 
