shaking of their houses, beds, doors, and window shutters. Birds in cages were likewise sensible of its influence, and fluttered as if greatly agitated and alarmed. Very providentially, however, little or no damage was sustained; a few chimneys and old walls were here and there thrown down, and three people in Whitehaven were thrown off their feet. But in other respects, a momentary fright and alarm were the only inconveniences which were suffered from it. The concussion seemed to take its direction from the east to the west, and extended quite across the island, being felt both at Neweastle and Whitehaven. And from the north towards the south, it extended from Glasgow to the northern parts of Lancashire. The atmosphere on Wednesday and Thursday preceding, was moist, gloomy, and sultry; and so much so, on Thursday night, that a lady, who was on a visit at Dalston, actually foretold when she went to bed, that an earthquake would take place before morning. Friday was a very clear, hot, calm, sultry, day.
Early in the spring, the measles made their appearance in the south-west parts of Northumberland, where, I am informed, they proved very fatal. From thence they gradually advanced farther south, and the infection began to operate in Carlisle about the beginning of August: and as this epidemic had not visited us since the year 1780, there must consequently have been a great number of children who were liable to be affected by the contagious matter generated by this disorder. Hence the infection spread rapidly, and the disease soon became general, and continued to rage till the latter end of December, or beginning of January, 1787, when it altogether disappeared.
Notwithstanding, however, the disorder was so very general, yet its symptoms were extremely mild and favourable: for, of the great number who were affected, I should suppose not less than six or seven hun∣dred, only twenty-eight died, and the greater part of these were the children of the very poorest and lowest class of inhabitants, who were either too ignorant, or too obstinate to call in medical assistance. Of the twenty-eight who died, twenty-six were under five years of age, and two were between five and ten years old.
Another epidemic, viz. the chincough, occurred pretty early in the year, but this disease made little progress, until October, and even then did not become very general. Only nine children, who were all under five years of age, died of it, and some of those were affected with the chincough and measles at the same time, and therefore probably suffered from the joint effects of both.
During the present year, 1 in 37 and 5-6ths nearly, of all the inhabitants died in consequence of diseases.—See Table VII.
The number of deaths of husbands still continues to exceed that of wives; twenty-four husbands have died, and only twenty-one wives.—See Table VI.
Between eighty and ninety years of age, one male and five females, who were all widows; and between ninety and an hundred, two widows have died.
A man who had long been a soldier, and who must consequently have been subject to many varieties and vicissitudes of life, died at the advanced age of 105.
FOR THE YEAR 1787.] In the beginning of January, 1780, the inhabitants of the two parishes of St. Mary's and St. Cuthbert's, Carlisle, were very accurately numbered by Mr. Stanger, Mr. Howard, and myself. At that period these parishes contained 3491 males, and 4186 females, in all 7677.
Sometime in the year 1787, an order was issued from the court of Quarter Sessions, to the different constables in the county of Cumberland, to make an actual survey of all the inhabitants of the county. The survey was accordingly made at Carlisle in the latter end of December; but, as the motives which induced the magistrates to issue this order were not generally known, many gentlemen refused to give an account of their families. The abbey, as being extraparochial, and the township of Wreay, through some mistake, were altogether omitted in this survey: hence it is evident, the lists delivered in to the Quarter Sessions are very erroneous.
I, however, had an opportunity of examining all the returns of the above parishes very minutely, and as the constables marked down the names of all those persons who refused to give them information, I was enabled to make up the deficiency, by procuring the numbers in each of their families, and I am persuaded the enumeration is now pretty exact; but if there be any error, it will be on the side of defici∣ency, rather than of excess.
From this survey, thus corrected, it appears that the two parishes of St. Mary's and St. Cutbbert's▪ contain at present 3864 males, 4813 females, and consequently 8677 inhabitants.—For a more particular account see Table III.
There has therefore been an increase, in the space of eight years, of a thousand inhabitants; which is a circumstance, that must give great pleasure to all those who are well-wishers to the prosperity of the city of Carlisle.