# The Natural History of Selborne, 1879/Letter 5

The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne was first published 1789. This edition was published in 1879 and edited by G. Christopher Davies
LETTER V.
Among the singularities of this place the two rocky hollow lanes, the one to Alton, and the other to the forest, deserve our attention. These roads, running through the malm lands, are, by the traffic of ages, and the fretting of water, worn down through the first stratum of our freestone, and partly through the second; so that they look more like water-courses than roads; and are bedded with naked rag for furlongs together. In many places they are reduced sixteen or eighteen feet beneath the level of the fields; and after floods, and in frosts, exhibit very grotesque and wild appearances, from the tangled roots that are twisted among the strata, and from the torrents rushing down their broken sides; and especially when those cascades are frozen into icicles, hanging in all the fanciful shapes of frost-work. These rugged gloomy scenes affright the ladies when they peep down into them from the paths above, and make timid horsemen shudder while they ride along them; but delight the naturalist with their various botany, and particularly with their curious filices with which they abound.
The manor of Selborne, was it strictly looked after, with all its kindly aspects, and all its sloping coverts, would swarm with game; even now hares, partridges, and pheasants abound; and in old days woodcocks were as plentiful. There are few quails, because they more affect open fields than enclosures; after harvest some few landrails are seen.
The parish of Selborne, by taking in so much of the forest, is a vast district. Those who tread the bounds are employed part of three days in the business, and are of opinion that the outline, in all its curves and indentings, does not comprise less than thirty miles.
​The village stands in a sheltered spot, secured by the Hanger from the strong westerly winds. The air is soft, but rather moist from the effluvia of so many trees; yet perfectly healthy and free from agues.
The quantity of rain that falls on it is very considerable, as may be supposed in so woody and mountainous a district. As my experience of measuring the water is but of short date, I am not qualified to give the mean quantity. I only know that
* Inch.Hund.
* From May 1, 1779, to the end of the year there fell................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2837!
* Jan. 1, 1780, to Jan. 1, 1781 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2732
* Jan. 1, 1781, to Jan. 1, 1782 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3071
* Jan. 1, 1782, to Jan. 1, 1783 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5026!
* Jan. 1, 1783, to Jan. 1, 1784 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3371
* Jan. 1, 1784, to Jan. 1, 1785 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3380
* Jan. 1, 1785, to Jan. 1, 1786 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3155
* Jan. 1, 1786, to Jan. 1, 1787 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3957
The village of Selborne, and large hamlet of Oakhanger, with the single farms, and many scattered houses along the verge of the forest, contain upwards of six hundred and seventy inhabitants.
We abound with poor; many of whom are sober and industrious, and live comfortably in good stone or brick cottages, which are glazed, and have chambers above stairs; mud buildings we have none. Besides the employment from husbandry, the men work in hop-gardens, of which we have many; and fell and bark timber. In the spring and summer the women weed the corn; and enjoy ​a second harvest in September by hop-picking. Formerly, in the dead months they availed themselves greatly by spinning wool, for making of barragons, a genteel corded stuff, much in vogue at that time for summer wear; and chiefly manufactured at Alton, a neighbouring town, by some of the people called Quakers; but from circumstances this trade is at an end. The inhabitants enjoy a good share of health and longevity; and the parish swarms with children.
notes to letter v.
$^{e1}$ ↑ Mr. Bell, who lives in the house which was White's, says that the rainfall at Selborne now is much above the average, and White rightly attributes this to the hilly and wooded nature of the district.
* ↑ A very intelligent gentleman assures me (and he speaks from upwards of forty years' experience), that the mean rain of any place cannot be ascertained till a person has measured it for a very long period. "If I had only measured the rain," says he, "for the four first years, from 1740 to 1743, I should have said the mean rain at Lyndon was 16½ inches for the year; if from 1740 to 1750, 18½ inches. The mean rain before 1763 was 20¼ inches, from 1763 and since 25½ inches, from 1770 to 1780, 26 inches. If only 1773, 1774 and 1775, had been measured, Lyndon mean rain would have been called 32 inches."
* ↑   A State of the Parish of Selborne, taken October 4th, 1783. The number of tenements or families, 136. The number of inhabitants in the street is 313 In the rest of the parish 363 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Total 676; near five inhabitants to each tenement. In the time of the Rev. Gilbert White, Vicar, who died in 1727-8, the number of inhabitants was computed at about 500. Average baptisms for 60 years. From 1720 to 1729 both years inclus. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Males 6,9 Fem 6,0 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 12,9 From 1730 to 1739 both years inclus. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Males 6,9 Fem 8,2 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 15,3 From 1740 to 1749 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 9,2 F. 6,6 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 15,8 From 1750 to 1759 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 7,6 F. 8,1 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 15,7 From 1760 to 1769 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 9,1 F. 8,9 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 18,0 From 1770 to 1779 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 10,5 F. 9,8 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 20,3   Total of baptisms of Males Total„ of baptisms of„ Females 515 465 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Total 640 Total of baptisms from 1720 to 1779, both inclusive, 60 years ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................980   Average burials for 60 years. From 1720 to 1729 both years inclus. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Males 4,8 Fem 5,1 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 9,9 From 1730 to 1739 both years inclus. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Males 4,8 Fem 5,8 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 10,6 From 1740 to 1749 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 4,6 F. 3,8 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 8,4 From 1750 to 1759 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 4,9 F. 5,1 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 10,0 From 1760 to 1769 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 6,9 F. 6,5 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 13,0 From 1770 to 1779 incl. $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ M. 5,5 F. 6,2 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ 11,7   Total of Burials of Males Total„ of Burials of„ Females 315 325 $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ Total 640 Total of Burials from 1720 to 1779, both inclusive, 60 years................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................640 Baptisms exceed Burials by more than one-third. Baptisms of Males exceed Females by one-tenth, or one in ten. Burials of Females exceed Males by one in thirty. It appears that a child, born or bred in this parish, has an equal chance to live above forty years. Twins thirteen times, many of whom dying young have lessened the chance for life. Chances for life in men and women appear to be equal.     A Table of the Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages, from January 2, 1761, to December 25, 1780, in the Parish of Selborne. baptisms. burials. mar. M. F. Tot. M. F. Tot. 1761 8 10 18 2 4 6 3 1762 7 8 15 10 14 24 6 1763 8 10 18 3 4 7 5 1764 11 9 20 10 8 18 6 1765 12 6 18 9 7 16 6 1766 9 13 22 10 6 16 4 1767 14 5 19 6 5 11 2 1768 7 6 13 2 5 7 6 1769 9 14 23 6 5 11 2 1770 10 13 23 4 7 11 3 1771 10 6 16 3 4 7 4 1772 11 10 21 6 10 16 3 1773 8 5 13 7 5 12 3 1774 6 13 19 2 8 10 1 1775 20 7 27 13 8 21 6 1776 11 10 21 4 6 10 6 1777 8 13 21 7 3 10 4 1778 7 13 20 3 4 7 5 1779 14 8 22 5 6 11 5 1780 8 9 17 11 4 15 3 198 188 386 123 123 246 83   During this period of twenty years the births of males exceeded those of females ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10 The burials of each sex were equal. And the births exceeded the deaths ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................140
* ↑ Since the passage above was written, I am happy in being able to say that the spinning employment is a little revived, to the no small comfort of the industrious housewife.