THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 77. 
———— 
7, SEPTEMBER i> 1801- 
_ [No. 2, of 2, of Vor. 12. ihe 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
REMARKS o” the RETURNS which have 
been made under the act for afcertaining 
the POPULATION of GREAT BRITAIN. 
HE returns, though at prefent very 
incomplete, fhew, what there has 
long been great reafon to fufpeét, that the 
total -number. of perfons is confiderably 
greater than it could be proved to be 'be- 
fore the account was taken. The pre- 
vious eftimates, formed by different per- 
fons, wereunavoidably vague and unfatis-. 
factory, being founded chiefly on the re- 
urns of the number of houfes charged to 
the houfe and windew-duty: thefe returns 
were known to be incorreét, but the ex- 
tent of the deficiency was not eafily afcer- 
tained; there was no reafon to believe that 
the number of taxable houfes returned 
was confiderably lefs than the truth; but 
it required very little attention to the ftate 
‘of the country, to perceive, that the num- 
ber of houfes not paying thefe taxes mat 
greatly exceed the returns made by the 
furveyors, of houfes excufed for poverty, 
which in 1759, appeared to be only 
2%2,422; and in 1781, 284,459. eIf the 
number of charged and chargeable houfes 
does not at prefent very much exceed what 
it was in 1781, the number of houfes ex- 
cufed muf be, at leaff, 650,000, and will 
appear much: greater when the returns are 
coinplete. 
Another circumftance, which rendered 
moft of the computations on this fubjeét 
below the truth, was, that the average 
numberof perfons to a houfe was general- 
ly taken lefs than it now appears to be. 
Mr. G. King, in 1690, allowed rather 
more co four and a half to a houfe in. 
London, and the bills of mortality; four 
and three-tenths in the cities and market- 
towns; and four inthe villages and humlets: 
if aa was near the truth at the time, it has 
certainly fince become very much other- 
wife. Dr. Price afferted, “ that fix to a 
houfe for London, and eye to a houfe for 
all England is too large an allowance ;° 
this aflertion feemed to be juftified by the 
accounts. he had-colle&ted ; but it now ap- 
pears that,evenexcluding the army and navy 
(as many fuch perfons may have heen re- 
- turned with their families), the p: roportion 
is about feven and a quarter to a houle for 
London, and more than five and a half for 
Montuty Mac, No. 77; 
all England and Wales. If the army, na- 
vy, and merchant-feamen are added to the 
total of inhabitants, it appears proper to 
add the empty to the inhabited houles, as 
moft of the houfes at prefent uninhabited, 
or probably a greater additional number, 
would be occupied, if all the perfons ferv- 
ing out of the country were to return and 
refide here: the average proportion of in- 
habitants to a houfe will thus appear to be 
very near five and three-quarteis. 
In the adjoining counties of Northamp- 
ton, Leicefter, and Rutland, the propor- 
tion of inhabitants to a houfe is lefs than 
in any of the other counties, although in 
the two firft the number of inhabitants, in 
refpect to the extent of the counties, exe 
ceeds many others. 
Exclufive of Middlefex, the number of 
perfons toa houle is lefs than fix in ail the 
counties except Suffolk, where it appears 
to me more than fix anda half; poffibly 
when the returns are complete, the appa- 
rent difference may be fomewhat reduced; 
at prefent it excites fome doubt re{pesting 
the accuracy of the number of houfes re- 
turned for this county. 
The maritime counties do not, on-the 
whole, appear more populous than the 
inland counties: the manufaétories, which 
are mofitly eftablifhed in the latter, contri-’ 
buting as much as the fea-ports of the 
former to an.increafe of inhabitants. 
The fupporters of the affertion, that 
fince the commencement of the laft cen- 
tury, the popalation dechmed confiderably, 
have in general founded their opinion on 
the comparifon of an Account, publifhed 
by Dr. Davenant, of the total Number of 
Houfes in England and Wales at Ladys 
day, 1690, according to the Hearth books, 
which makes them amount to’ 1,319,21g. 
with, The returns fince made by 
the furveyors of houfe and 
window-duties, according to 
which, the total number of - 
houfes in England and Wales - 
in 1759 was - - 925,48@ 
And im 1997 2:2 - 9525734 
Thofe whom the general appearance of 
the country, ox other prefumptive evidence, 
had induced to adopt a contrary opinion, 
knowing they could not defend it if the 
above numbers were correct, readily al- 
Jowed there were great omiffions in the 
Jate returns, and endeavoured, though 
~ with 
