Given the state of medicine in the early 1800s, it’s amazing that anybody survived into his or her nineties, let alone to a hundred or more. But my Annual Registers offer proof that a handful of people did live to 100 and beyond. They also offer sad proof of the high rate of infant mortality.
The illustration is from a page of the 1820 Annual Register (a lot happened that year, and it goes to two volumes, of which I have only one). For easier reading, I've retyped the top part below.
A GENERAL BILL OF ALL THE CHRISTENINGS AND BURIALS, WITHIN THE BILLS OF MORTALITY*, FROM DECEMBER 14, 1819 TO DECEMBER 12, 1820.
Christened—in all 23,158….Males 11,993….Females 11,165
Buried—in all 19,348....Males 9794.... Females 9554
Whereof have died under 2 years..4758
Between 2 and 3 years………………….1795
5 and 10……………………………………….. 887
10 and 20……………………………………… 667
20 and 30……………………………………..1484
30 and 40……………………………………..2006
40 and 50……………………………………..2069
50 and 60……………………………………..1878
60 and 70……………………………………..1632
70 and 80……………………………………..1208
80 and 90……………………………………… 662
90 and 100……………………………………. 119
100……………………………………………………2
101……………………………………………………0
102……………………………………………………1
103……………………………………………………0
The causes of death make interesting and puzzling reading. “Stoppage in the stomach”????*“within the bills of mortality” means London. You can find additional interesting statistics here.
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