Graveyard gleanings: socio-economic, geographical and gender inequalities in health at Tynemouth, UK, 1833-1853

Abstract

Background: Inequalities in the health of different sections of populations are well recognized but were difficult to demonstrate before death registration was introduced in 1837. In the early years of civil registration, geographical and sex differences in mortality were clearly recognized, as were occupational hazards, but socio-economic differences were barely explored in the Annual Reports of the Registrar General. Tynemouth General Cemetery (TGC) was established in 1833 as a private cemetery with unusually detailed records.

Methods: A total of 2610 records from 1833 to 1853 were analysed. Variables used included sex, dates of death and burial, age at death, depth of burial, cause of death, place of residence and occupation. As no denominator population is available, median age at death has been used for comparisons.

Results: Depth of burial relates well to a hierarchy of specific occupations and so is used as a marker for socio-economic status. The median age for the burials was 12 years. People of higher socio-economic status survived longer. The people of North Shields, and especially the males, died younger than those from surrounding areas. Males outnumbered females in most age groups.

Conclusion: Socio-economic, geographical and gender inequalities in mortality are clearly demonstrable in the early nineteenth century, without the use of registration data.