A General bill of Christenings & Burials from December 11 1770 to December 10 1771

This bill of mortality lists the deaths and christenings in London for the year December 11 1770 and December 10 1771. Bills of mortality were introduced in London in the early 16th century primarily to record incidences of the plague. Information was collated by Local Parish Clerks who had no medical knowledge and often defined the causes of death themselves. A sheet summarising the year's births and deaths was published annually.
This bill notes that the greatest cause of death for the year 1771 was convulsions, followed by consumption and then fever. Whilst 138 Londoners drowned a surprisingly small number of 5 were listed as having been murdered whilst 5 unfortunates starved to death. Infant mortality was, as for all years during this period extremely high, with more dying under the age of two years than any other age group. The bill is headed with a woodcut of the Royal coat of arms and Arms of the City of London and surrounded by a woodcut border incorporating a skull and crossbones and egg timer decoration.