Mr . gorsuch’s Ext raft of the Re gift er 
The decreafe of 50 perfons in the year 1770 was occafioned 
by the demolifhing of nine houfes, in order to open a way to 
the new ftone bridge built over the river Severn. 
On Good Friday, 1774, there happened a dreadful fire which 
originated from a chimney, and extended on both fides of the 
ilreet to the difiance of half a mile : the wind blowing with 
great violence, the flames in a few hours confumed 48 houfes, 
being generally thatched buildings. In this conflagration 179 
of the inhabitants loft their dwellings, but immediately pro- 
vided themfelves with lodgings within the parifh, and of the 
number of fufferers only 24 perfons went out of the parifh, 
and returned no more. The ground vacated by the houfes 
burnt is now, in 1780, built upon, and moftly coveied widi 
little tenements fitted for poor inhabitants to live in, and made 
fo commodious as to receive a greater number of inhabitants 
than they did before the fire in 17745 t ^ at families, 
whofe number in 1770 were 240, are in the year 1780 in- 
creafed to 246 nearly, and perhaps will be incieafing when 
more buildings fhall be erefted. 
Houfes pay window lights 65. The new houfe tax paid 
.by 36 houfes. The firft decade was publifhed in the Phil. 
Tranf. vol LIT. part I. art. 25. The fecond decade was pub- 
lifhed in the Phil. Tranf. vol. LXI. art. 6. p. 57. See alfo Dr. 
price’s Obfervations on Reverfionary Payments, ed. 1771. p. 
192. and note a. alfo p. 239* a ud 263* 
The taking account of the marriages in this paiifh cannot 
be of any ufe in political arithmetic, becaufe it is the cuftom 
of the fixed inhabitants to go out of the parifh, and be mai- 
ried in diftant churches ; and the weddings performed in this 
church are generally between ftrangers who occafionally refide 
here fo long as to make a place of abode according to the aft 
