PARISH LIFE

While the last sheets are still in the press, I have come across very valuable evidence on this subject, which strongly corroborates that already given on pp. 335—341. It is a Visitation of the Churches in the Diocese of Lausanne in 1416—17, printed as tom. xi of the second series of Mémoires et documents pub. soc. hist. de la Suisse Romande, 1921.

Population (cf. p. 65 of my text).

The bishop's commissaries visited 273 parishes and chapelries, urban and rural. They nearly always record the number of households [foci]. In five cases, these amounted to less than ten; in the teens were 37 parishes, in the twenties 28, thirties 27, forties 20, fifties 23, sixties 27, seventies 9, eighties 13, nineties 6. Between 100 and 120 came 14; thence to 150 came 15; thence to 199 came 5. Then came Lutry, La Vilette, Montreux and Aeschi with 200 each; Estavayer and Anet, 220; Tavel, Köniz and Erlenbach, 300; Yverdon 320; Payerne 340; Gsteig 350; Vevey, Romont and Frutigen 400; Zweisimmen 500. Three were too large to be counted, viz. Neuchâtel, Fribourg (where the visitation was not completed “by reason of the multitude of the people there”) and Berne, which had “focos innumerabiles.” The average number of households for the 255 localities recorded is 63·69. If, however, we omit the urban agglomerations, this brings the average down to about 50; we may reckon, therefore, that the average village in this large district contained 250 inhabitants, since it is generally agreed that we must multiply the households by five to get the total population of all ages.