What was the relationship between population growth and economic change in
Britain between 1700 and 1850?
More than 5 sources
Why population was a good measure
Berg and Hudson article
Aggregate figures are not useful
Urbanization in week 2
E griffen full book
Liberties Dawn book by griffen
3.500-4000

As the economy’s center moved into industrial cities the population grew due
to increased social and economic freedom for young people


Age of marriage dropped because of the increase in earning
At first the increase in skilled positions allowed for young men to marry
earlier because they had the money to set up a home

Changed following 1790 because everyone married early whether they had
the money to or not
As the economic status of the nation grew so did the population, particularly in
urban areas, due to an increased birth rate
 Wrigley
o Nuptuality changed because of the real wage
 Following by 40ish years
o Cambridge Group
 Parish Registers
 Family Reconstitution
o Expectation of life rose ~6 years
 Mortality was so bad in the 1670’s and 80’s though so it is
skewed
 Less important than rise in fertility
 Fall in maternal mortality
o Fertility rose
 Age of first marriage dropped by 3 years
o Principal cause of the population surge was timing and incidence of
marriage
o Fall in the percentage of people working on the land, not the number
 Griffen

o Marriage Rate Going Up
o More personal freedom
 Married earlier because they wanted to
o Drastically reduced marriage age in a few brought down totals
o Autobiographical Evidence
o Marry on prospects not existing fortune
McKeown
o Reduction in Mortality Rate
o Has nothing to do with Medical advancement
 There had been medical advances but it was still in the
learning stage
 Infant mortality still was not great
o Rise in the Standard of living

Goldstone
o Rise in Fertility
o Changes in nuptuality effected fertility
o Proportion marrying and age at first marriage are not connected
 Before 18th c changes in fertility were cause by proportion,
during they were caused by age
o Wages did affect fertility but the lag is 15-20 years not 40
o The first age marriage fell because a small set married much younger
o Proletarianization

Woods
o Fertility fell sharply after the period
o Civil Registration System
 Concerned with life events not religious ceremonies
 Registrars were required to record live births within 47 days
Introduction
Urbanization
Griffin
Wrigley
Differences
Conclusion