The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-10 00:00:00

M A RIG AO ES.

45,2% marriages were celebrated in the autumn quarter,
ending December 31. The marriages are always more
numerous in this quarter than in any other quarter of
the year. The close of harvest, the genial season of Christ-
mas, the termination of the ordinary periods of service,
and perhaps the old practice of anticipating Lent, swell the
marriage roll at the end of the year. So there is nothing
very remarkable in the distribution of the marriages over
the quarters of the year 18)0, although the marriages in
the last quarter exceeded those in the first quarter of the
year by nearly 15,000. The marriages of the whole year
exhibit an extraordinary increase; in 1811) the number was
1223385; in 1850 it amounted to 152,235. In the 4 years,
1817-8-9-50, the marriages were 135,845, 138,23t1, 141,488,
and 152,235. The first (1817) was a year of great depres-
sion and great suffering; the last (1850), as the marriages
testify, was a year of prosperity, which showed nu symp-
toms of decline in the last quarter.
The increase extended over 8 out of the 11 divisions of
England and Wales. The South Midland and the eastern
divisions exhibit a marked decrease in the proportion of
marriages to population. The decrease was greatest in
Saltblk ; but was also evident in the counties of Hertford,
Buckingham Oxford, Cambridge, Northampton, Hunting-
don, Ibllfbrti, Essex, and NortOlk. Income of the otli r
divisions the marriages did not keep pace with the 111111UI
ra-
tion. In Wilts, Lincoln, and the North Riding of York-
shire, the numbers &dined. Thu marriages increased in
Berkshire, Devonshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshir:,
Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, the East
and West (tidings of Yorkshire, Durham, and South
Wales. The increase was the greatest in London, and in
the north western division comprising Cheshire and Lan-
cayhire. The marriages increased at St. George, Hanevor-
,quare, St. Martin-in-the-lields, and St. Janie,.
ttt itt stet. ; and at all the watering places, at Gravesend,
Ramsgate, Margate, Hastings, Brighton, Worthing, Bath,
Clifton, and Cheltenham. '!'here was a great increase in
the pottery districts of Wolstanton and Stoke-upon-Trent.
in Walsall, Dudley, awl Birmingham, in Coventry, in Hay-
ford and Nottingham, in Shardlow and Derby, in Stockport
and (treat Boughton (Chester), in West Derby, Wigan,
Holton, Ashton, Oldham, Rochdale, Blackburn, and Wes-
ton. In Liverpool and Manchester the marriages, though
more numerous than in 'AMC previous quarters, exhibited
no increase on the corresponding quarter of 1850. Brad-
ford, Leeds, and Sheffield exhibit a remarkable increase.
The marriages decreased, were stationary, or increased
slowly in many agricultural districts; and this implies a
certain degree of depression iu those parts at the close of
the year is 51. In many of the manufacturing 111.'60ts the
increase was remarkable. In the country generally, the
great increase in the marriages indicatii that thy great
body of the people were in proven'''. eircomstances. The
class, a who live on wages should now husband their re-
sources, and with their surplus earnings provide against the
periods of depression which according to past experience in.
variably follow years of prosperity.