britain society flashcards.

between 1520 and 1680, how much did the population of England increase?

it doubled from 2.5 million to over 5 million

how equal was this expansion across regions?

it was not very equal, and it changed pace at various points.

on average, what was the rate of population growth across the Stuart era?

it was around 0.5% per year, which was significantly higher than the growth experienced in previous centuries. 

what fraction of the entire population was living in the South East?

around three quarters. 

what was the largest city in Western Europe?

London

what happened to population growth after the First Civil War?

population growth slowed in the context of conflict and uncertainty.

what happened in 1651 due to the commonwealth establishing in 1649?

a large number of foreign immigrants arrived, after the commonwealth was established and when there appeared to be religious toleration

by 1600, how much of Norwich was made up of migrants?

35%

who were these migrants who made up the population of Norwich?

economic migrants skilled weavers from the Low Countries.

what was taking place inside Britain?

migration was taking place inside Britain

how did the population grow with internal migration?

people moved in order to find work, and they would then find themselves living in towns. more job security would lead to more children being born. 

which towns were particularly attractive to migrants?

Kentish towns like Cranbrook, Maidstone and Tenterden

why were these towns popular for migrants?

they were well established centres of the cloth trade, and had already seen migration from skilled Dutch weavers

in 1585, how much Dutch workers lived in Maidstone?

120 

what did widespread poverty lead to?

a large number of poor people leaving for a better life elsewhere, often moving to towns 

how much of the population outside London lived in towns with over 5000 inhabitants in 1700?

only 5%

why were mortality rates lower than the preceding three centuries?

there was a decline in incidences of plague?

what was the impact of the plague on the English population?

the population was at just 1.5 million, compared with 5 million before the plague struck.

by the 1520s, what was the population of England like?

it was around 2.5 million and it continued to increase rapidly.

why had short lived epidemics of viral diseases reduced so much by 1625?

they weren’t necessarily because there were advances in medical techniques, rather it was because the population had become adept at isolating individuals and containing the spread of diseases.

what was common in the late Tudor and early Stuart period, in regards to isolating individuals?

the theatres of London to be shut for months at a time. 

what were the population able to do in regards to disease?

they were often able to recover rapidly from bouts of disease

what happened to the town of Eyam in Derbyshire in 1665?

when the plague hit the parish, records show that the children who died were replaced within ten years by the surviving adult population. 

what happened when elder members of a family died in regards to the younger members?

often when elder members of a family died this would mean that younger members of the family would gain more of an opportunity to marry and their marriage was more likely to result in a large number of children, as they often married young

how high were fertility rates in the 17th century?

they were high during the 16th century, then falling slowly until they reached a low around 1650, with rates only beginning to rise in 1680

what was the high in fertility almost exclusively driven by?

the massive growth of London

what was the unusual decline in fertility due to?

it appears to be due the late average age of first marriages

in the middle of the century, what was the average age for men and women to marry?

28 and 26 respectively

in 1600, what was the average age for men and women to marry?

26 and 24 respectively.

around what time did London overtake Paris and Naples to become the largest city in Western Europe?

around 1650

what did contemporaries estimate the population to be around?

500,000

what is the modern estimate of the population of London at this time?

400,000

how much bigger was London to the next largest English towns of Norwich and Bristol?

it was more than ten times bigger

how much of the English population lived in London?

around 7%

how much of the English population lived in London in 1700?

over 9%

how much of the population lived in London in 1520?

2.25%

how did the growth of London impact on the rural economy?

huge amounts of agricultural goods, including nearly 400% more grain between 1600 and 1680 were needed to feed the city.

why was London ideally placed?

to power the Stuart economy - it was at the heart of the road and shipping network and could support increasing demands for goods.

in 1600, how many towns had a population over 5000?

there were 8 towns

in 1700, how many towns had a population over 5000?

30

in the first quarter of the 17th century, what was the most populous town outside of London?

Norwich

how many inhabitants did Norwich have in this time?

30,000 inhabitants

how many people lived in Norwich in 1500?

10,000

what was Norwich the centre of?

the East Anglian cloth industry, and welcomed a number of foreign migrants, particularly from the Low Countries

how many inhabitants did Bristol have in the first quarter of the 17th century?

20,000

how many inhabitants did York and Newcastle have in the first quarter of the 17th century?

12,000 each

what towns became industrial centres as they processed the goods imported from abroad?

Bristol and Liverpool

where was the centre of the coal extraction industry?

the North East of England, so Newcastle began to develop as a result