Durham E-Theses Holy Island: A demographic, genetic and medical population study Cartwright, R. A. How to cite: Cartwright, R. A. (1973) Holy Island: A demographic, genetic and medical population study, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8742/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk HOLY ISLAM) : A DMOGBAPHIC. GENETIC AKD MEDICAL POPULATION STUDY R. A. CARTWRIGHT The thesis consists of three chapters, concerned with demographic genetic and medical population studies respectively. In the first chapter the social history of the island is outlined and the historical demography, as deduced principally from census and parish records is considered. Thus the demographic composition of the present day islanders is established in detail and these data provide the "bases for genetic studies. The second chapter provides detailed genetic parameters for the contemporary population. These include the following : blood groups, serum proteins, isoenzymes, PTC tasting, dermatoglyphics and BAIB excretion. Possible explanations for the observed gene frequencies are sought, frequencies which, in toto, render the population of Holy Island unique. These explanations involve both geographical and historico-demographic factors. In the third chapter the results obtained by population screening procedures are outlined. These include : red cell haemoglobin, serum uric acid, serum cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and their significance within the population is discussed. Major themes which run through the thesis and which serve to unify its constituent sections include : the use of surnames, a series of island sub-populations and the use of interrelationships. Q HOLY ISLAND A Demographic,Genetic and Medical Population Study. by R.A. Cartwright Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology University of Durham ii .1 -I* I .1 I I •/.I I i CO I CD i i 1 i I I < o DC vt CO CD to in q: ) CO I i i CO CO - iii - CONTENTS Foreword Page 1 Acknowledgements 2 Numerical Analysis 3 Definitions 4 Chapter One The Genetic Demography - Historical and Contemporary 6 Part (a) Introduction and History 7 (b) Methods Used in the Demographic Analysis 25 (a) Demographic Trends in the Historical Holy Island Population 35 (d) The Census Material from the Mid-Nineteenth Century 61 (e) The Use of ferriage Data 76 (f) The Fertile Population 97 (g) The Contemporary Population 110 (h) General Discussion and Summary of Chapter One 120 Chapter Two Non-Medical Variability in Holy Island 127 Part (i) Introduction to the Non-Medical Tests 128 (j) The Methods Used 132 (k) The Unifactorial Traits 137 (l) Multifactorial Traits 188 (m) Population Variables of Doubtful Inheritance 200 (i) Joint Sense and Handedness 201 (ii) A Note on the Ability to Smell Potassium Cyanide 217 (iii) The Ability to Roll the Tongue 220 (iv) The Variation in Finger Length 224 (n) The Place of the Holy Island study in Relation to Human Biology in Britain 232 (o) Summary of Chapter Two 249 Chapter Three Medical Variability in Holy Island 251 Part (p) Introduction and Methods 252 (q) The Medical Results 254 (r) The Utility of Medical Screening Tests 258 (s) Serum Uric Acid 260 - iv - Part (t) Serum Cholesterol Page 265 (u) Premature Osteo-arthritis of the Hip 272 (v) Summary of Chapter Three 274 Synthesis and Summary 276 Appendix One Coefficient of Relationship of Each Member of the Holy Island Community 279 Appendix Two The Percentage Contribution of New Couples who Integrate into the Population of Holy Island 288 - V - FIGURES Figure 1 Holy Island from the North-West Page 8 2 Holy Island from the South-East 9 3 Section of the First Edition Ordnance Survey 10 4 Holy Island Village 11 5 North Northumberland Showing Parish Bountfedes and the Dates at which the Registers Start 15 6. Names Present in the Survey of Queen Elizabeth 1 III (1560/61) 18 7 Cohort Worksheet No.21 27 8 Example of an Extracted Cohort Worksheet No.22 28 9 Non-Islanders Appearing in the Holy Island Parish Registers and their Occupations 32 10 Holy Island : Baptisms 36 11 Holy Island : Deaths 38 12 Vital Statistics 39 13 Holy Island : Excess Baptismal/Mortality Entries /5th Year 40 14 Population Sizes on Holy Island 42 15- -Holy Island : Censal Numbers and Baptismal Entries 43 16 Holy Island : Age Profiles 44 17 Numbers of Males and Females in the Holy Island Population 4? 18 Holy Island : Sex Ratio 46 19 Holy Island : Sex Ratio 47 20 Sibship Composition by Cohorts 49 21 Holy Island : Birth Intervals Averaged by Five Cohort Decades : Results from Baptismal Entries 50 22 Mean Birth Intervals - Holy Island 51 23 Season of Birth by Cohorts 52 24 Holy Island : Twins and Triplets Recorded in the Baptismal Entries 54 25 An Estimation of Twin Types 55 26 Holy Island - Epidemics Showing an Increased Mortality 56 27 Accidental Deaths - Holy Island Natives - 1578 to 1897 57 28 Census : Population Sizes for Holy Island Parish 61 29 Holy Island - Birth Places of People Present in the 1841,1851, 1861 and 1871 census Returns 63 - vi - Figure 30 Mainland Birthplaces Page 64 31 The Occupation of Island Inhabitants 65 32 Occupations of the Mainland Inhabitants of Holy Island Parish 66 33 Surnames of the Holy Island Inhabitants for the Census Periods 1841,1851 and also 1861 68 34 Surname Distribution 69 35 Holy Island Parish - Cohort Distribution - 1851 70 36 The Holy Island Censuses - Island Only 71 37 The Holy Island Censuses - Mainland Only 72 38 Holy Island Census - Island Only 73 39 Marriage Distances on Holy Island 79 40 Marriage Distance 80 41 Holy Island Death Registers - All Entries for the 50 years 1636-1686 82 42 Holy Island - Marriage Distance 1861 83 43 Marriage Distances 85 44 Holy Island - The Total Number of Marriages (from the marriage registers) and those not found in the cohorts 86 45 Holy Island - Blank Maternal Entries from the Cohorts 86 46 Origin of Parents - from the total cohorts 88 47 Numbers of Intra- and Extra-Parochial ferriages 89 48 Origin of Parents - From Total Cohorts 91 49 New Couples 92 50 Holy Island - Isonomic Marriages from the Marriage Register 94 51 The Fate of Children 99 52 The Production of Children - Contrasting Two Cohort Series 100 53 Sex of Offspring - by Cohorts 102 54 Holy Island - Cohort Analysis 104 55 Birth Season 103 56 Mortality within the first Five Years of Life 105 57 Mortality of People assumed to be Young from the Burial Registers 106 58 Descendants of New Couples 108 59 Hols'- Island - Cohorts to which the Living Islanders are assigned 111 60 Age Profile : 1-1-1970 112 - vii - Figure 61 Holy Island - Origin of Exogamous Marriage Partners Page 113 62 Holy Island - Surnames amongst the Living Population 115 63 Coefficient of Relationship for Total Island Community 117 64 Holy Island - Common Ancestors of the Living Islanders 118 65 NeM (Index of Isolation) 122 66 Ne (Effective Population) 123 67 The Unifactorial Results : Numbers and Percentages 138 68 The Holy Island Population - Tests of Significance 145 69 Further ABO Results without A^ 149 70 ABO gene Frequencies Calculated after Mourant (1954) 151 71 Holy Island - Further Rhesus Results 153 72 Holy Island - Estimated Chromosome Frequencies taken from English and Irish Sources 157 73 Holy Island - Further MNSs Results 158 74 Holy Island - MNSs Chromosome Frequencies 159 75 Holy Island - MNS Results 160 76 Holy Island - P1 Results for the British Isles 161 77 Holy Island - Results for the British Isles of the Kell System 162 78 Holy Island - Lutheran-(a) -Results for the British Isles 163 79 The Duffy Blood Group Results 165 80 Lewis Phenotype Frequencies 166 81 Holy Island - Kidd Results 167 82 Holy Island - Secretor Status in the British Isles 169 83 Holy Island - Frequency of the Haptoglobin-1 gene 170 84 Holy Island - Ag gene Frequencies 171 85 Holy Island - Gene Frequencies for the RBC Acid Phosphatase Types 172 86 Holy Island - Gene Frequencies for the RBC Phosphglucomutase gene locus 1 173 87 Holy Island - Results of the RBC Adenylate Kinase Isoenzymes 174 88 Holy Island - Results of the RBC Adenosine Deaminase 175 89 Holy Island - Results of RBC 6-Phospho-gluconate Dehydrogenase Isoenzyme Variants 176 90 Holy Island - PTC Results 177 91 Age Trends in PTC Tasting 178 - viii - Figure 92 PTC Tasting Page 179 93 Holy Island - High BAIB Excretion in some Populations 180 94 Unifactorial Traits and the Coefficient of Relationship 184 95 Skin Colour for the Holy Island Population 188 96 Skin Colour - Mean Values for Different Age Groups 189 97 Holy Island - Finger Pattern Types from the Total Population 191 98 Total Finger Pattern Types 192 99 Hypothenar Pattern Types 193 100 Thenar Pattern Types 195 101 Position of Axial Triradii 196 102 a-b Ridge Counts 197 103 atd Angles in the Holy Island Population 198 104 Missing c Triradii in the Holy Island Population 198 105