Leeds Parish Register 1757-1776

sample page from Leeds Parish Register

 

The Parish Register was scanned for the years January 1764 to December 1772 as these were the only years listing a cause of death. See Figure A-1 for a sample of the original pages.

The scanned pages were then processed using Optical Character Recognition software and imported to a database.

To facilitate access to the maximum amount of information possible the basic database was transformed by the addition of separate fields for surname, first name and the relationship of the deceased to the person whose name was given, where this was not the name of the person buried. A field for sex was added, where this could be determined, and the cause of death and place of death were moved into their own fields and were standardised to the nearest, most popular, spelling.

 

 

 

 

 

It was now possible to list the entire database in surname order if required see Table A-1 for an example of this.

Sample of Indexed output.

Table A-1

Surname Name Year M Day Entry Location Cause of Death
Dunn John 1764 2 6 D of John Dunn Mill Hill Smallpox
Dunn Widow 1765 6 17 Widow Dunn Marsh Lane Fever
Dunn John 1767 1 19 D of John Dunn Boar Lane Consumption
Dunn Richard 1767 5 24 S Richard Dunn Headrow Measles
Dunn Richard 1770 2 25 S Richard Dunn Headrow Wearing
Dunn John 1770 4 20 S John Dunn Back Shambles Smallpox
Dunn John 1771 4 8 S John Dunn Back Shambles Fitts
Dunn Charles 1771 10 26 D Charles Dunn Meadow Lane ?
Dunn Richard 1772 5 6 Richard Dunn Vicar Lane ?

 

More importantly it was possible to extract totals by cause of death [Appendix C], place of death [Appendix D], cause of death in a particular location [Appendix E] and where people died from different diseases [Appendix D]. All of these could also be done for either sex. [Appendix F]

Burials were counted for each month of the remaining years July 1757 to December 1776. They were also counted from the registers for St. Johns Church and Holy Trinity Church.

Baptism totals were calculated from the same sources to make it possible to see if a rise in the number of burials was caused by a rise in the number of births.

January 1769 was checked back against microfiche of the original Parish Register since there was a gap from 12th January to the 21st. No burials were listed. The other registers did not appear to hold any extra burials and neither did those of any of the surrounding out-townships.

The following pages contain the totals from the three Anglican churches in the centre of Leeds. The Quakers were the only other body allowed to bury people but their records were not immediately available to be included in the this study.

John Aiken, in 1795, published some birth and burial figures for the township of Leeds for the years 1764 to 1793, which he took from the bills of mortality. These figures are compared to the ones produced by this study in Table A-2. The burial figures are from 11 to 29 higher than ours which would seem reasonable since they include all the non-conformist burials. The baptisms are much higher which again seems to be reasonable as the same restrictions did not apply.

 

Baptism and Burial totals compared to those produced by John Aiken

Table A-2

burials Burials Difference baptisms births Difference
Aiken Aiken
1764 430 445 15 482 553 71
1765 440 459 19 509 576 67
1766 504 533 29 499 584 85
1767 623 639 16 485 557 72
1768 543 560 17 482 552 70
1769 458 478 20 559 637 78
1770 571 587 16 552 621 69
1771 520 533 13 611 689 78
1772 529 544 15 585 650 65
1773 647 660 13 613 699 86
1774 466 478 12 554 630 76
1775 558 574 16 611 705 94
1776 464 475 11 636 712 76

 

John Aikens' figures from the bills of mortality taken from Heap and Brears [1993 p28]

Baptisms could occur long after birth so are not a good indication of the birth rate, however it is the only one available. Dead bodies needed to be buried quickly so the burial figures are likely to be a much better indication of the numbers of people who died.

Tables A-3, A-4 and A-5 give the burials for each church. Table A-6 shows the totals for the three churches. The totals from Table A-6 have been used in the comparison table.[Table B-5]

Figures A-2 and A-3 graph the total number of burials in two parts since a graph with all 19 years on is too confusing to be helpful. Splitting the graphs does show how the actual scale printed changes between Figure A-2 and Figure A-3. In Figure A-2 the scale goes down to 10 burials to allow for 16 burials in October in both 1759 and 1764. In Figure A-3 the lowest number of burials is 20 in September 1771. The highs of the two graphs are not so dissimilar.

Tables A-7, A-8 and A-9 hold the corresponding baptism totals, Trinity apparently not having a single baptism performed there. The totals from Table A-9 have been used in the comparison table.

Figures A-4 and A-5 graph the baptism totals, split for the same reason as for the burials. Here the difference in scale is even more marked.

In Figure A-4 different years have noticeably different peaks and troughs, spread throughout the year, with a range from 20 to nearly 60. In Figure A-5 the scale runs from 20 to 90 although only three years, 1771, 1775 and 1776 have peaks of over 70 while only 1768, 1770 and 1773 have troughs below 30. In fact the total number of baptisms jumps very noticeably to over 550/year in 1769 and continues to rise from that point. Since these figures exclude the non-conformists it is likely that the true figures are much higher still.

Comparing these to the burial figures it would appear that :-

1) More children were managing to stay alive

2) Many more adults were being baptised

3) Families were moving out

4) People from other areas brought their babies into Leeds to be baptised

Since the baptism register has not been analysed in detail it is not possible to comment on any of these points.

The general impression is that the town was growing but the death rate remaining fairly constant.

 

Total Burials by Month for the period July 1757 to December 1776

 

Leeds Parish Church

Table A-3

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 25 20 16 25 21 25 132
1758 31 27 32 39 34 36 23 26 17 35 36 40 376
1759 29 28 36 30 43 33 33 25 17 10 28 20 332
1760 29 34 36 32 23 17 25 31 29 53 31 48 388
1761 42 31 31 21 29 24 18 23 19 22 20 36 316
1762 39 33 51 39 43 31 20 22 20 26 19 26 369
1763 41 35 36 46 57 48 30 28 23 43 40 64 491
1764 44 50 28 31 35 27 22 21 33 14 17 17 339
1765 37 27 28 31 33 35 28 23 20 25 25 35 347
1766 39 38 31 36 31 42 29 29 29 31 27 32 394
1767 47 46 56 65 48 44 45 41 41 28 28 29 518
1768 44 37 39 37 40 53 34 39 29 40 27 28 447
1769 22 30 37 33 30 24 24 21 15 33 30 41 340
1770 37 34 45 50 38 36 38 20 32 35 44 39 448
1771 45 41 40 42 38 29 27 23 13 25 31 41 395
1772 45 39 42 45 55 25 24 25 31 25 30 26 412
1773 48 34 30 39 44 40 42 44 29 41 41 45 477
1774 38 38 33 41 42 35 21 21 18 26 24 27 364
1775 35 26 40 36 40 38 30 33 42 28 37 52 437
1776 38 24 32 37 24 29 20 20 32 32 17 44 349
total 58-76 730 652 703 730 727 646 558 535 505 597 573 715 7671

 

Total Burials by Month for the period July 1757 to December 1776

 

St. Johns

Table A-4

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 6 9 6 7 4 6 6 4 9 4 6 4
1758 8 6 19 7 4 10 5 8 5 8 6 9 95
1759 5 11 3 9 12 10 8 5 4 6 7 11 91
1760 7 6 7 6 5 9 4 12 7 3 11 17 94
1761 3 5 7 10 8 8 7 7 6 14 6 7 88
1762 5 6 7 10 8 13 9 7 6 8 9 9 97
1763 7 11 14 10 11 11 13 8 8 4 12 14 123
1764 10 9 13 10 9 6 9 9 7 2 2 5 91
1765 9 9 12 14 6 8 4 7 6 6 5 6 92
1766 7 12 8 18 6 10 7 11 8 6 7 5 105
1767 5 14 8 8 9 14 9 11 8 6 8 5 105
1768 9 7 12 12 7 7 7 8 9 6 8 4 96
1769 8 15 5 9 12 9 11 4 10 9 12 14 118
1770 15 13 8 7 14 9 11 4 11 9 7 14 122
1771 10 16 16 9 11 11 9 10 7 4 12 10 125
1772 8 17 9 10 18 9 9 5 8 7 7 9 116
1773 13 16 9 11 14 19 10 12 13 21 17 14 169
1774 19 10 9 14 15 7 2 5 5 4 7 5 102
1775 11 10 9 12 13 7 11 6 10 8 9 15 121
1776 12 8 14 7 14 9 13 8 3 6 11 9 114
total 58-76 171 201 189 193 196 186 158 147 141 137 163 182 2064

 

 

Total Burials by Month for the period July 1757 to December 1776

 

Holy Trinity

Table A-5

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 1
1758 1 1
1759 1 1
1760 1 1
1761 1 1
1762 1 1
1763 0
1764 0
1765 1 1
1766 1 2 1 1 5
1767 0
1768 0
1769 0
1770 1 1
1771 0
1772 1 1
1773 1 1
1774 0
1775 0
1776 1 1
total 58-76 3 0 0 3 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 15

 

Total number of Burials in Leeds for the years 1758 - 1776

Table A-6

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 6 9 6 7 5 6 31 24 25 29 27 29
1758 40 33 51 46 38 46 28 34 22 43 42 49 472
1759 34 39 39 40 55 43 41 30 21 16 35 31 424
1760 36 40 43 39 28 26 29 43 36 56 42 65 483
1761 45 36 38 32 37 32 25 30 25 36 26 43 405
1762 44 39 58 49 51 44 30 29 26 34 28 35 467
1763 48 46 50 56 68 59 43 36 31 47 52 78 614
1764 54 59 41 41 44 33 31 30 40 16 19 22 430
1765 46 36 40 45 39 43 32 31 26 31 30 41 440
1766 47 50 39 54 39 53 37 40 37 37 34 37 504
1767 52 60 64 73 57 58 54 52 49 34 36 34 623
1768 53 44 51 49 47 60 41 47 38 46 35 32 543
1769 30 45 42 42 42 33 35 25 25 42 42 55 458
1770 53 47 53 57 52 45 49 24 43 44 51 53 571
1771 55 57 56 51 49 40 36 33 20 29 43 51 520
1772 53 56 51 55 73 35 33 30 39 32 37 35 529
1773 61 50 39 50 58 59 52 56 42 62 59 59 647
1774 57 48 42 55 57 42 23 26 23 30 31 32 466
1775 46 36 49 48 53 45 41 39 52 36 46 /td> 67 558
1776 50 32 46 44 38 38 33 29 35 38 28 53 464
total 58-76 904 853 892 926 925 834 693 664 630 709 716 872 9618

burials in Leeds 1758-67

alt="burials in Leeds 1768-76

 

Total Baptisms by Month for the period July 1757 to December 1776

 

Leeds Parish Church

Table A-7

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 29 24 29 37 38 30 187
1758 29 33 47 24 39 23 27 32 28 38 32 32 384
1759 36 25 39 43 39 38 43 40 41 32 42 36 454
1760 37 31 40 50 46 41 40 41 38 27 41 34 466
1761 33 37 40 36 42 33 35 40 29 20 38 34 417
1762 44 37 32 44 35 34 53 21 32 34 29 32 427
1763 41 32 31 38 45 25 38 31 35 41 33 37 427
1764 40 33 39 55 31 43 56 45 34 32 28 39 475
1765 48 30 51 58 47 43 31 36 39 29 45 43 500
1766 39 35 45 47 54 23 36 56 34 36 47 39 491
1767 40 36 53 42 38 54 36 45 36 28 34 27 469
1768 44 31 47 49 49 36 44 33 35 39 26 35 468
1769 43 45 41 44 53 38 53 43 33 56 49 49 547
1770 40 62 40 47 44 47 45 32 53 26 46 55 537
1771 48 50 60 50 69 47 43 43 59 30 47 43 589
1772 44 45 53 58 50 49 56 53 45 33 41 41 568
1773 51 50 45 65 80 44 58 42 24 41 56 40 596
1774 55 41 41 61 44 50 43 48 48 33 35 38 537
1775 48 69 52 59 56 38 47 47 44 47 48 35 590
1776 43 57 53 89 71 39 52 37 60 38 36 49 624
58-76 803 779 849 959 932 745 836 765 747 660 753 738 9566

 

Total Baptisms by Month for the period July 1757 to December 1776

 

St. Johns

Table A-8

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 2 1 2 2 5 1
1758 1 4 2 1 3 1 4 1 1 1 1 20
1759 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 10
1760 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 10
1761 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 2 13
1762 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 3 2 15
1763 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 2 2 16
1764 2 1 1 1 2 7
1765 3 1 1 2 1 1 9
1766 3 1 1 2 1 8
1767 2 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 16
1768 1 2 1 1 3 1 3 2 14
1769 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 1 12
1770 4 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 15
1771 2 1 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 4 2 22
1772 1 2 1 1 3 1 2 2 3 1 17
1773 1 2 1 3 1 3 1 1 4 17
1774 2 1 4 2 1 1 1 2 3 17
1775 1 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 1 1 1 21
1776 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 12
58-76 29 22 23 21 24 25 19 29 22 28 9 20 271

 

Holy Trinity

There were no baptisms at Holy Trinity during the period.

 

Total Baptisms for Leeds [excluding Quakers]

Table A-9

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1757 2 1 2 2 5 0 29 24 29 37 38 31
1758 30 37 49 25 42 24 27 36 29 39 33 33 404
1759 38 25 39 44 40 38 44 41 41 33 42 39 464
1760 38 32 41 50 47 43 42 41 38 29 41 34 476
1761 35 38 41 36 45 33 36 41 30 21 38 36 430
1762 45 37 33 46 36 37 53 22 33 37 29 34 442
1763 41 33 32 39 46 27 39 32 39 43 33 39 443
1764 42 33 40 55 32 43 57 47 34 32 28 39 482
1765 51 31 51 58 48 43 31 38 39 30 46 43 509
1766 42 36 45 47 55 23 38 56 34 36 47 40 499
1767 40 38 53 44 39 58 37 47 37 30 34 28 485
1768 45 31 49 50 50 39 44 34 35 39 29 37 482
1769 44 47 43 44 54 39 53 44 36 56 49 50 559
1770 44 62 42 50 45 48 45 33 54 27 46 56 552
1771 50 51 63 53 71 48 45 44 60 34 47 45 611
1772 45 47 54 58 51 52 57 55 47 36 42 41 585
1773 52 52 46 68 80 45 61 43 25 45 56 40 613
1774 57 42 45 63 45 51 44 50 51 33 35 38 554
1775 49 71 52 61 58 40 49 51 47 48 49 36 611
1776 44 58 54 89 72 39 53 39 60 40 38 50 636
58-76 832 801 872 980 956 770 855 794 769 688 762 758 9837

baptisms in Leeds 1758-67

baptisms in Leeds 1778-76

From here has been brought in from the essay.

Figure 2 shows what people buried at Leeds Parish Church, between January 1674 and December 1772, are supposed to have died of. The figures have been divided into periods of 6 months each and it can clearly be seen that the figures for the first half of the year are higher than those for the second half. Appendix A contains monthly burial totals for all three Anglican churches in Leeds with graphs to illustrate the figures. Table 1 shows the monthly burial figures expressed as a percentage of the annual total for each year.

cause of death

 

Table 1

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1758 8.47 6.99 10.81 9.75 8.05 9.75 5.93 7.20 4.66 9.11 8.90 10.38
1759 8.02 9.20 9.20 9.43 12.97 10.14 9.67 7.08 4.95 3.77 8.25 7.31
1760 7.45 8.28 8.90 8.07 5.80 5.38 6.00 8.90 7.45 11.59 8.70 13.46
1761 11.11 8.89 9.38 7.90 9.14 7.90 6.17 7.41 6.17 8.89 6.42 10.62
1762 9.42 8.35 12.42 10.49 10.92 9.42 6.42 6.21 5.57 7.28 6.00 7.49
1763 7.82 7.49 8.14 9.12 11.07 9.61 7.00 5.86 5.05 7.65 8.47 12.70
1764 12.56 13.72 9.53 9.53 10.23 7.67 7.21 6.98 9.30 3.72 4.42 5.12
1765 10.45 8.18 9.09 10.23 8.86 9.77 7.27 7.05 5.91 7.05 6.82 9.32
1766 9.33 9.92 7.74 10.71 7.74 10.52 7.34 7.94 7.34 7.34 6.75 7.34
1767 8.35 9.63 10.27 11.72 9.15 9.31 8.67 8.35 7.87 5.46 5.78 5.46
1768 9.76 8.10 9.39 9.02 8.66 11.05 7.55 8.66 7.00 8.47 6.45 5.89
1769 6.55 9.83 9.17 9.17 9.17 7.21 7.64 5.46 5.46 9.17 9.17 12.01
1770 9.28 8.23 9.28 9.98 9.11 7.88 8.58 4.20 7.53 7.71 8.93 9.28
1771 10.58 10.96 10.77 9.81 9.42 7.69 6.92 6.35 3.85 5.58 8.27 9.81
1772 10.02 10.59 9.64 10.40 13.80 6.62 6.24 5.67 7.37 6.05 6.99 6.62
1773 9.43 7.73 6.03 7.73 8.96 9.12 8.04 8.66 6.49 9.58 9.12 9.12
1774 12.23 10.30 9.01 11.80 12.23 9.01 4.94 5.58 4.94 6.44 6.65 6.87
1775 8.24 6.45 8.78 8.60 9.50 8.06 7.35 6.99 9.32 6.45 8.24 12.01
1776 10.78 6.90 9.91 9.48 8.19 8.19 7.11 6.25 7.54 8.19 6.03 11.42
Average 9.40 8.87 9.27 9.63 9.62 8.67 7.21 6.90 6.55 7.37 7.44 9.07

 

Here it can be seen that December to June were, on average, the months with the highest death rates. Wrigley and Schofield [1981 p657] see true 'crisis' mortality as usually occurring in August and September rather than the seasonal peak in the early spring which is apparent from our figures. Bubonic plague outbreaks were always characterised by extra deaths in the summer months reducing over the winter, possibly to rise again the next summer.[Appendix B] Shrewsbury as defines 'the plague season, June to October inclusive,' [Shrewsbury 1970 p175] while Bradley quotes Taylor and Knowelden as saying that most deaths attributed to measles, whooping cough and influenza are really caused by secondary pneumonia which has a greater incidence in the winter months. [Bradley 1982 p89]

 

                 Previous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Next