The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-25 00:00:00

THE POPULATION OF GREAT BRITAIN

IN 1861.

One of the most interesting portions of the census of 1861
is that which relates to the progress of the people in point
of numbers since the commencement of the present century,
and the manner in which these numbers are distributed
throughout the country.
It appears that the population of England and Wales,
which stood at 8,892,596 previous to the 10th March, 1801,
the date of the first official census, had increased to
20,066,224 at the date of the last (April 8, 1861), being an
increase of 11,173,688 persons, or 126 per cent, during the
60 years. Scotland in the same period had increased from
1,608,420 to 3,062,294, being an increase of 9032 per cent.
Both sets of returns exhibit a degree of similarity with re-
spect to the rate of increase per cent in each decennial pe-
riod, viz., an increasing rate in the period from 1811 to 1821,
and a decennially decreasing late afterwards; the rate for
England and Wales rising from 14 to 18 per cent in the first
period, and gradually falling to 12 in the last, while that of
Scotland rises from 12 27 to 15.82 in 1821, and falls to 6 per
cent in 1861. The rapid increase in the earlier period is
probably attributable to the return of peace after the battle
of Waterloo ; while the perceptible diminution since would
seem to indicate that where no extraneous circumstances
occur to materially affect the quesion of ropulation, the
increase will gradually settle down to a certain fixed rate
per cent.

The county which stands pre-eminent in respect to this
increase of population is Glamorganshire, in Wales. This
county has increased no less than 348 per cent since 1801,
viz., from 70,879 persons to 317,752. '1 he next in order is
Monmouthshire—the ad j oining pas i-W elsh county—which
has increased 238 per cent; while Lancashire, which most
persons would have expected to find at the head of the list,
merely comes in for the third place, its increase being only
261 per cent. Durham claims fourth place, at 241 per cent ;
Staffordshire fifth, at 208 per cent; Middlesex sixth, at
170 percent; the West Riding seventh, at 164 per cent;
and Cheshire eighth, at 163. It will be seen, therefore,
that the coal and iron districts of the country have been
beating the cotton districts in the matter of population, and
with far less display. The most striking instance in the
tables is that of Glamorganshire, for it alone has gone
on advancing in its rate of increase, whilst all the other
counties have fluctuated. Its rate of increase during
the six decennial periods has been respectively 19, 20,
24, 35, 35, and 37 per cent ; the corresponding figures
for Lancashire being 22, 27, 27, 24, 22, and 20. This last
series of figures, it will be observed, presents a remark-
able agreement with the law of increase, which we have
already mentioned as obtaining in the country generally,
viz,, an increase to a maximum in 1821, and a gradual
diminution afterwards. The county which exhibits the
minimum rate of increase is Merionethshire, viz., 32 per
cent, and, consequently, Wales supplies both the highest
and the lowest rates on the list. The maximum, so far as
the absolute number of persons is concerned, is, however,
attained by Lancashire, whose increase in the 60 years
amounts to 1,755,954 persons. Next in order is Middlesex,
with 1,388,356 increase, and the West Riding (933,628)
occupies the third place. All the other counties fall far
short of these numbers. Surrey, the fourth on the list (and
including as it doesa considerable portion of the metropolis)
only exhibits an increase of 562,860 persons. The minimum
increase in point of numbers is Rutland--5,561; but this
number, small as it is, represents an increase of 34 per cent
during the century. London itself has very nearly trebled
its population during the same period, having increased
from 958,863 in 1801 to 2,803,989 in 1861.
It is a somewhat singular fact that the populations 'of
London, Lancashire and Cheshire, and Scotland approach
very near to each other in point of numbers, notwithstand-
ing the great difference in the areas which they respectively
inhabit. The following series of figures will doubtless prove
interesting. They are taken from the census of 1861:--

Area in Inhabited
Statute Acres. Houses.
London
Lancashire and Cheshire 2,000,227 536,580 2,935,549
Scotland
It will be seen, therefore, that London, while it can boast
of a population very nearly as large as either of the other
places in the above table, manages to maintain them in a
space which does not amount to a twenty-sixth part of the
extent of the Lancashire district, and bears a ridiculously
small proportion to that of Scotland. No wonder, therefore,
that London always seems full. It is, in short, a veritable
nation, inhabiting only a mere spot of ground. As regards
house accommodation, it appears, on comparing the num-
ber of inhabited houses with the respective populations,
that London and Scotland are about on a par in this re-
spect, and that Lancashire has the advantage over them.
We are inclined;however, to believe that matters would be
pretty nearly equalised if the respective size of the houses
were taken into consideration.