Burials Differentiated by Gender 1764 - 1772


The total number of male and female burials were counted to produce Table F-1:

Table F-1

1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 Total
Female 171 194 207 279 257 170 231 189 218 1916
Male 166 153 186 239 190 168 217 205 194 1718
Totals 337 347 393 518 447 338 448 394 412 3634

 

Figure F-1 shows even more clearly that there were consistently more female burials than male ones. Since it is accepted now that more male babies are born because they have a greater likelihood of dying during infancy, it would appear to be anomalous that two centuries ago there were more female deaths.

burials by gender

To investigate this further the data was analysed to produce the totals for males and for females dying of each disorder category on an annual basis. Table F-2 shows the female statistics and Table F-3 the male ones. Figure F-2 illustrates the results.

It can be seen that childbed accounts for only 20% of the extra female deaths and that women appear to be more susceptible to consumption. Figure F-2 also shows that men and boys were recorded as having more deaths due to fits, over the nine years studied, and slightly more deaths from asthma. They were also more likely to die from an accident.

 

Annual totals of female burials by reported disorder

Table F-2

FEMALE 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 Totals
Asthma 1 3 1 1 1 7
Child Bed 3 5 8 5 3 4 5 2 6 41
Chin Cough 5 3 1 1 4 2 2 2 20
Consumption 30 50 43 39 41 39 28 22 27 319
Dropsy 5 3 1 4 1 2 1 2 19
Fevers 19 19 35 30 36 14 13 7 3 176
Fitts 21 34 31 27 37 22 23 17 25 237
Measles 1 25 26
Old Age 20 26 24 23 25 23 21 26 24 212
Smallpox 23 6 15 37 30 8 26 8 2 155
Wearing 14 1 12 21 7 26 12 22 115
Accidents 2 1 1 1 5
Other 6 8 3 7 17 9 28 18 15 111
Unknown 24 37 43 67 41 40 56 74 89 471
Suicide 1 2 3
Totals 171 194 208 279 257 170 231 189 218 1917

 

Annual totals of male burials by reported disorder

Table F-3

MALE 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 Totals
Asthma 3 2 4 1 3 1 1 2 5 22
Child Bed 0
Chin Cough 2 2 6 2 2 7 21
Consumption 18 31 37 35 23 24 16 10 19 213
Dropsy 6 4 6 1 6 2 5 3 1 34
Fevers 21 24 23 20 32 13 12 8 9 162
Fitts 35 34 34 28 28 37 34 40 22 292
Measles 1 23 2 26
Old Age 13 7 21 22 24 12 18 22 22 161
Smallpox 30 4 15 30 16 2 25 10 1 133
Wearing 17 1 2 13 16 24 17 12 102
Accidents 2 6 1 1 3 4 1 1 19
Other 5 12 16 10 10 14 15 24 16 122
Unknown 14 26 27 67 28 42 61 68 77 410
Suicide 1 1 2
Totals 166 153 186 239 190 168 217 206 194 1719

 

Figure F-2 illustrates the totals from these tables.

burials by disorder

 

The large number of burials with an unrecorded cause of death makes it impossible to determine whether there is any reason for more female deaths than males in every year with the exception of 1771.

Looking at 1771 itself is just as unrewarding. The comparison table in Appendix B [Table B-5 and Figure B-3] does however reveal a few interesting points. It was the year with the least rainfall in the entire period. Winter had been colder than the previous year but summer started early and, while not getting excessively hot, continued with higher temperatures through to December. But none of these temperatures were the highest for their individual months. Wheat prices were 18 pence up on the previous year, but were still lower than they had been 3 years previously. Consumer goods were also rising [Table B-7] as was the price of raw wool [Table B-6] The Real Wage Index, however, was at its lowest point which, taken with the rise in price of consumer goods, might indicate that the population were having to tighten their belts. Particularly since the production of cloth in the West Riding had been relatively low for the last few years, though still a lot higher than 5 years before.

However both 1769 and 1770 had a higher baptism rate than previously and 1771 surpassed them both, so perhaps the increase in the proportion of male burials is caused by the higher mortality of baby boys.

Wrigley and Schofield [1981] show a peak in their burial figures for 1770 which does correspond to a general rise in burials in Leeds, but doesn't explain why it was a year when more men than women died.

 

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