Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - III. Constitution and Administration. Introd. by E. Hildebrand - 2. State Administration. By E. Söderberg - Official Statistics. By K. A. Edin
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
OFFICIAL STATISTICS.
219
Official Statistics.
Sweden is "the classic land of demographical statistics". But in many
other departments, too, Swedish statistics are of notable value and ancient
origin. The cause of this is to be sought in the high level early attained
by the public administration in Sweden, as has been shown in the
immediately preceding pages.
The comprehensive collections of highly valuable statistical material, throwing
light on the development of centuries, that is preserved in Swedish archives,
has so far been only to a slight extent subjected to scientific (historico-statistical)
treatment.
The oldest statistical series are the Exchequer Rolls of the old Treasury or
Kammarkollegium (bailiwick and customs records, etc.) from the middle of the
sixteenth century. It was on this material that H. Forssell based his pioneer
works on the agriculture and population of Sweden during the latter half of the
sixteenth century. It is to be regretted that it has not been possible to extend
these researches to 1620—30 (and 1630—40), when the taxation statistical
material referring to agriculture, trade and population is perhaps more abundant
than for any other period.
In the Provincial Archives, which have been established since the turn of the
century, we possess rich and varied statistical material regarding population in
the parish registers, which were previously difficult of access; and so far this
material has not been worked through, at any rate it had not before the
appearance of official statistics in the middle of the eighteenth century. The keeping
of church records began comparatively låte in Sweden. The first episcopal
ordinance on the subject was issued in 1608, for the archiepiscopal diocese, and
merely prescribes the keeping of baptismal and marriage registers. The keeping
of church records seem to have received an impulse in Europe with the
Reformation; as in Sweden, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the chief
importance was attached to the baptismal registers — which were intended, as
we are especially told, as a protection against the Anabaptists. The oldest known
church register still extant (containing demographical statistics) is that of the
church of the Holy Trinity in Uppsala, dating from 1608. Apart from this,
there are but few such old church registers preserved from the archiepiscopal
diocese. For the diocese of Västerås there have been preserved several church
registers from as early as 1620—30, often with extremely copious contents, in
accordance with a detailed printed formulary drawn up by Bishop Johannes
Rudbeckius. For the period 1620—40, these can be supplemented in many
important. respects (especially as regards moral statistics) from the diaries of
Rudbeckius and from the minutes of the cathedral chapter. Shortly after 1630,
ordinances were issued for the keeping of church registers in the diocese of
Linköping. Several fairly detailed registers of the kind have been preserved
from this period (and also, as in the case of the diocese of Västerås, burial
registers), and even a few ones of older date, one being from 1616. Specially
valuable is the information given as regards causes of death (epidemics etc.) in
some of these older church registers (before 1686). As those who fell in war
are usually missing in the burial registers, however, the figures relating to
mortality in the years of war are seriously incomplete. It is all the better,
therefore, that from about 1630, these records can generally be supplemented from
the rolls of the killed recorded by parishes in the Military Archives, which also
give information regarding the date and the battle — thus forming what is
assuredly a perfectly unique source of information. Unfortunately, the corre-
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
