&c. As to statistics, I doubt whether any
data worthy of consideration can be obtained from these sources, owing to
the constant irregularities which occur in keeping the registers.
No man, much less the minister of a parish, who has abundant calls upon his
time, can be expected to sit down to the task of transcribing his registers
through many _consecutive_ hours; but there are few who could not give
occasionally one or two hours to the work. In this way I effected my
transcripts; the work of 195 hours being distributed through nearly five
months--no great labour after all.
On an average, twelve words, with the figures, may be calculated for each
entry, which will give for this parish about 500 folios. Each entry having
been transcribed twice, we may call it, at a rough calculation, 1000 folios
written out ready for printing.
If the authorities at the Registrar-General's office would give their
attention to it, they must have _there_ abundant data on which to form
calculations as to the probable cost of the undertaking And I cannot help
thinking that, setting aside printing as an after consideration,
alphabetical transcripts, at least, might be obtained of all the parochial
registers in the kingdom, and deposited in that office, at no
insurmountable expense; and if the cost appear too heavy, the
accomplishment of the work might be distributed through a given number of
years; say ten, or even twenty.
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