LOCAL POPULATION STUDIES

United Kingdom (Cambridge) 49

AUTUMN 1996 - NUMBER 57

97.49.1 - English - Barbara MEGSON

Life expectations of the widows and orphans of freemen in London 1375-1399 (p. 18-29)

Using late 14th century data of the London Orphans' Committee, the author offers an update on the number of orphans, their survival rates at adult ages and their destiny. Up until now, the size of the families which London's citizens left behind them when they died has probably been underestimated, especially in the 15th century when the plague epidemics became more rare. 77% of widows had children who were minors; remarriage, and particularly third and fourth marriages, undoubtedly became a less frequent occurrence than was originally believed; and, more often than was previously held to be the case, these families managed to continue their lineage (through the male side) for at least another two or more generations : it was possible to trace some of them right up to the middle of the 15th century. It would appear that the families of simple citizens tended to remain in London, while the families of the rich City Councillors were in a position to migrate towards their properties out in the country. (UNITED KINGDOM, CAPITAL CITY, HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY, FAMILY FORMATION, WIDOWS, ORPHANS)

97.49.2 - English - May F. PICKLES

Labour migration: Yorkshire, c. 1670-1743 (p. 30-49)

There is a period straddling the 17th and 18th centuries during which there was splendour and change in England, a period marked by a phase of industrialization which occurred prior to what is now known as the industrial revolution. One of the most amazing observations to be made when studying this period in history is probably the per capita increase in agricultural production. The agricultural sector was responsible for rejecting thousands of families and turning them towards the non-farming sectors, although food supplies were never put in danger. With the increase in the labour manpower, the volume of industrial production increased to a considerable extent, but not the per capita production. Yorkshire is undoubtedly a pioneering region in the industrialization process; if similar studies could be undertaken in other counties, it would be possible to paint a more complete picture of this extraordinary period in British history. (UNITED KINGDOM, HISTORY, INDUSTRIALIZATION, LABOUR MIGRATION)

97.49.3 - English - Colin G. POOLEY and Jean TURNBULL, Lancaster University (U.K.)

Migration and mobility in Britain from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries (p. 50-71)

Between December 1993 and September 1995, the authors collected the migratory histories of 16,091 people born between 1750 and 1930, representing a total number of 73,864 changes of residence. The objective they hoped to achieve was to gain more knowledge on the various aspects of residential mobility in the past. Until such times as the detailed results of their studies are published, they are presenting herewith a brief panoramic view and emphasize to what extent the results of previous research have either been confirmed or otherwise. (UNITED KINGDOM, RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY, EVENT HISTORY ANALYSIS, HISTORY)

Back to Home page