Continuity, change, and specialization within metropolitan London: the economy of Westminster, 1750-1820

This article explores the Westminster economy, 1750-1820, drawing upon the rich occupational evidence in the Westminster Historical Database. An exercise in modelling highlights urban household structure. The occupational data then identify the processes of macro-continuity and micro-change, as West...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Economic history review 1999-08, Vol.52 (3), p.469-493
Main Authors: Harvey, Charles, Green, Edmund M., Corfield, Penelope J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cities
Domestic workers
Economic conditions
Economic Development
Economic growth
Economic History
Eighteenth Century
Grocers
History
Labor force
London, England
Metropolitan Areas
Nineteenth Century
Occupations
Service economies
Specialization
Towns
Urban Development
Urban economics
Workforce
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Summary:This article explores the Westminster economy, 1750-1820, drawing upon the rich occupational evidence in the Westminster Historical Database. An exercise in modelling highlights urban household structure. The occupational data then identify the processes of macro-continuity and micro-change, as Westminster concentrated upon government, services, and conspicuous consumption. A marked occupational specialization was apparent. Overall, Westminster's importance as a consumer and service centre indicates that metropolitan London consisted of much more than the commercial City; and that due weight should be given to the creative role of this composite London as 'an' (not 'the') engine of growth after as well as before 1750.
ISSN:0013-0117
1468-0289
DOI:10.1111/1468-0289.00133