WHEN THE GIRLS MARRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 17

WHEN THE GIRLS MARRY.

BRIDES AT 14 AUD 15; HUSBANDS AT 16. THE WIDOWS GET THE BACHELORS. The detailed annual report of the Regis-trar-General of Sirths, Deaths, and Afarrlagcs in Scotland (the flfty-uftfc) to 1809, issued In October, contains some Interesting figures. Among the more noteworthy features of of the statistics are the lowness of the four principal rates—the birth-rate, the marriagerate, the- death-rate, and the Infantile mor-tality-rate. This is the first year In which the Scottish death-rate has fallen below 16 per 1,000, and the second year (the other being 1907) In which the Scottish birth-rate has fallen below 28 per 1,000. A satisfactory feature of the statistics is the continued decline of the death-rate from tuberculosis of all forms and from phthisis, both these rotes being the lowest yet recorded. There were no deaths from smallpox registered in Scotland during the year. This is the third year in which this has been so, the previous years being 1800 and 1891.

The births of 128,660 living children were registered. Marriages numbered 30,100. Deaths numbered 74,632, being 3,290 less than the average during the preceding ten yeaTS. The mean average of all persons marrying was 27.9 years, that of men being 29.3, and of women 26.6. The youngest husbands registered were three aged 16, and twenty aged 17. Of the former one married a gir! of 15, one a girl of 16, and one a woman of between 21 and 25. The oldest bachelors were four of between 70 and 75 years of age. The youngest spinsters were one aged 14, who married a man of between 25 and 30, six aged 15, nfty-fonr aged 16, and 326 aged 17, nil of whom married bachelors, and three of 16, one of 17, and ten of IS, who married widowers. The oldest spinsters marrying during the year were sixteen or between 60 and 70, five of whom married bachelors, while eleven married widowers. The youngest widows merrying were forty-four of between 21 and 25 yaars old, of whom forty-two married bachelors and two married widowers. The oldest widows marrying were one of 79 and eight others of over 70; of these two married bachelors and seven married widowers. A further analysis of the age at marriage demonstrates the younger the bride the more constant was the age of the bridegroom, and the younger the bridegroom the more constant the age of the bride, and also that the age of marriage was more constant amongst bachelors and spinsters marrying o«n among widowers and widows doing so.