|
English Social Structure in the Eighteenth Century
I. Introduction
II. 18th Century Population Increase
A. Statistics
B. Reasons for
Increase
C. Importance
of London
III. Social Structure
A. Upper Orders
B. Middling
Ranks
C. Lower Orders
IV. Social Mobility
A. Stability at
the Extremes
B.
Apprenticeship and Marriage
C. Gambling on
the Empire
V. Conclusion: Trade, Industry, and Social Change
Key Terms
birth rates/death rates
householder
ranks and orders
Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron
Baronet, Knight, Esquire
freeholder
servants
poor law system
back to the syllabus.
Estimate
of population and wealth, England and Wales in 1688
|
Number
of families
|
Ranks, Degrees,
Titles, and Qualifications
|
Heads
per family
|
Number of persons
|
Yearly income per family
|
|
160
|
Temporal
Lords
|
40
|
6,400
|
2,800
|
|
26
|
Spiritual
Lords
|
20
|
520
|
1,300
|
|
800
|
Baronets
|
16
|
12,800
|
880
|
|
600
|
Knights
|
13
|
7,800
|
650
|
|
3,000
|
Esquires
|
10
|
30,000
|
450
|
|
12,000
|
Gentlemen
|
8
|
96,000
|
280
|
|
5,000
|
Persons in
Offices
|
8
|
40,000
|
240
|
|
5,000
|
Persons in
Offices
|
6
|
30,000
|
120
|
|
2,000
|
Merchants
and Traders by Sea
|
8
|
16,000
|
400
|
|
8,000
|
Merchants
and Traders by Sea*
|
6
|
48,000
|
200
|
|
10,000
|
Persons in
the Law
|
7
|
70,000
|
140
|
|
2,000
|
Clergymen
|
6
|
12,000
|
60
|
|
8,000
|
Clergymen
|
5
|
40,000
|
45
|
|
40,000
|
Freeholders
|
7
|
280,000
|
84
|
|
140,000
|
Freeholders
|
5
|
700,000
|
50
|
|
150,000
|
Farmers
|
5
|
750,000
|
44
|
|
16,000
|
Persons in
Sciences and Liberal Arts
|
5
|
80,000
|
60
|
|
40,000
|
Shopkeepers
and Tradesmen
|
4½
|
180,000
|
45
|
|
60,000
|
Artisans
and Handicrafts
|
4
|
240,000
|
40
|
|
5,000
|
Naval
Officers
|
4
|
20,000
|
80
|
|
4,000
|
Military
Officers
|
4
|
16,000
|
60
|
|
511,586
|
|
5¼
|
2,675,520
|
67
|
|
50,000
|
Common
Seamen
|
3
|
150,000
|
20
|
|
364,000
|
Labouring
People and Out Servants
|
3½
|
1,275,000
|
15
|
|
400,000
|
Cottagers
and Paupers
|
3¼
|
1,300,000
|
6.5
|
|
35,000
|
Common
Soldiers
|
2
|
70,000
|
14
|
|
|
Vagrants
|
|
30,000
|
|
|
849,000
|
|
3¼
|
2,825,000
|
10.5
|
|
511,586
|
Increasing
the Wealth of the Kingdom
|
5¼
|
2,675,520
|
67
|
|
849,000
|
Decreasing
the Wealth of the Kingdom
|
3¼
|
2,825,000
|
10.5
|
|
1,360,586
|
|
|
5,500,520
|
Grand Totals
|
|