Stability and Change in an English County Town
A Social Study of York 1801–51

A detailed study of York, one of Britain's most notable historic towns, during the Industrial Revolution.

Alan Armstrong (Author)

9780521019873, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 15 September 2005

280 pages
21.7 x 14.1 x 1.7 cm, 0.386 kg

During the Industrial Revolution the attention of contemporaries was drawn inevitably towards conditions in the great manufacturing towns, a bias which most historical writing continues to perpetuate. By contrast, only scant attention has been paid to the development of older-established communities, although their stimulation during this period of transition is of compelling interest. County towns were by no means insulated from the broad currents of economic and social change at work in society, but in a large measure the forces of continuity and stability continued to shape their character. This detailed study of one of Britain's most notable historic towns concentrates on population growth by migration and natural increase, explores the course of marriage, birth and death rates, and concludes with an examination of household and family structure, based on the mid-nineteenth century census enumerators' returns.

List of figures
List of maps
List of tables
List of abbreviations
Preface
1. Introduction
2. The economic characteristics of York during the first half of the nineteenth century
3. Some social characteristics of early Victorian York
4. The growth of population: migration and natural increase
5. Mortality
6. Marriage and fertility
7. Household and family structure
8. Conclusions
Statistical appendices
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: History [HB]