On the duration of life of sovereigns / [William A. Guy].

  • Guy, William A. (William Augustus), 1810-1885
Date:
[1847]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the duration of life of sovereigns / [William A. Guy]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    On the Duration of Life of Sovereigns. By William A. Guy, M.B., Cantab.; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor of Forensic Medicine, Kings College, Physician to King’s College Hos¬ pital, Honorary Secretary to the Statistical Society, [Read before the Statistical Society of London, 21st December, 1846.] The present communication forms the complement of my inquiries into the duration of life among the higher classes. The results obtained in a former Essay*, though based on a small number of facts, rendered it probable that the members of Royal Houses, and Kings more especially, were shorter lived even than the aristocracy and gentry of England ; the average ages of the four classes—Kings of England, Members of Royal Houses, Aristocracy, and Gentry—forming an ascending scale, represented by the round numbers 64, 69, 72, and 74. In order to complete this interesting series of inquiries, and to establish the true duration of life of the highest class on the most secure basis, I have extracted from the volumes of the “ Art de Yeri- fier les Dates,” an historical work of approved accuracy, the ages at death of all who, under whatever title, have borne rule as independent sovereigns, in any part of the world, and at any period of the world's history. I have also added the ages at death of sovereigns who have died since the publication of that work. At present I propose to limit my inquiries to those who have borne rule within the Christian era; and in order to arrive at results admit¬ ting of comparison with those obtained iii the case ofkthe English Aris¬ tocracy, I have excluded all who have died by accident, violence, or poison, and all who have fallen in battle. The large majority are here¬ ditary Sovereigns, but a small proportion consists of elective Sovereigns, and of such as attained to power by succesful rebellion. Of the thir¬ teen Emperors of Rome, for instance, who died natural deaths, one only was the son, and one the brother, of his predecessor, four were elected, six adopted, and one was an usurper. All these, however, have been admitted into the Tables, and as they will be found, on the average, to have attained a more advanced age than any group of here ¬ ditary monarchst, it is obvious that their admission has a tendency to increase the value of life. On the other hand, elective Sovereigns who have attained to their elevated rank at very advanced periods of life, as the Popes, the Grand Masters of the Knights of St. John, and the Doges of Venice, have been excluded, as tending unduly to increase the average duration of life, when compared with such a class as the English Aristocracy. Where, then, the rule of admitting only heredi¬ tary Sovereigns has been departed from, it has obviously had the effect of giving an increased value to the life of the entire class, acting some¬ what in the same way as new creations in the peerage and baronetage. * On the Duration of Life among the English Gentry, &c. Read January 19, 1846. *f* The average ages of twenty-one English Kings, who died natural deaths, and attained the respective ages of 31 and upwards, 41 and upwards, and 51 and up¬ wards, were 59*19, 60*45, and 64*12; but the average ages of thirteen Roman Emperors, calculated in the same manner, were respectively 65*54 ,67*75, and 70*18.