2. According to the World Bank, ALL world birth rates have trended down. Total pop will rise for a while, but will peak and trend down in next 20 years, even in undeveloped countries. (http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/beyond/beyondco/beg_03.pdf).
3) According to Julian Simon, "The Ultimate Resource," who disproved Ehrlich a famous bet, birth levels ALWAYS fall when people reach $450 per capita annual income (as of 1980s, so that's probably close to $700 today. For perspective, the average American colonist in -770 made $750 (1990s $$)
I’m sure the thousands of diseased and starving serfs were bolstered by that. Before starving and dying of disease of course.