... and Dr Schofield has revealed that the increase in Great Britain was mainly caused by natural rates of growth, not by immigration; further to this, it has revealed that the impact of rising fertility was far greater than that of declining mortality in explaining the rise in population, more particularly after 1750. Until the mid- eighteenth century changes in fertility and mortality were of roughly equal influence, but thereafter fertility had twice or more than twice the effect of falling mortality. We can also note other related demographic trends, those affecting marriage for example. Variations in the proportions of people marrying rising were one important trend combined with a trend fall in the age of first marriage of women. Influences upon marriage and the birth rate are much more directly responsive to economic and social conditions than death rates influenced by medical improvements. It is important to recognize a mutual ...

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