Urban economy

In towns the main sources of income came from being…

merchants, craftspeople or labourers

around 40% of the urban population were…

unskilled labourers

around …% of the population were unskilled labouers

40

how did the role of merchants change?

The closure of the traditional markets (e.g. Antwerp) pushed English merchants into engaging in the prohibited Spanish/Portuguese American markets, the slave trade & trade to the East.

A rising merchant class was a consequence of…

the inflationary process

trade remained a very…

uncertain means of profit compared to land

how did the experience of labourers & craftspeople change?

experienced a marginal increase of wages across Elizabeth's reign alongside increasing cost of living

The purchasing power of agricultural labourers…

slightly rose

the purchasing power of craftsmen…

slightly decreased

what was the population in London by 1600?

200,000

The population of London grew from ……to 200,000 in 1600.

120,000 in 1550

what was population growth a result of?

expansion in trade, influx from the countryside, growth of gov officials & lawyers, increasing unemployed looking for work

population of London grew as there was a expansion….

in trade, particularly to the New World

population of London grew as there was an increase…

in the number of gov officials & lawyers many of whom bought houses in London - London had good schools and, after 1597, colleges of higher education

the population of London grew through the continual…

influx of people from the countryside & towns attending court and Parliament, carrying out legal transactions and generally advancing their own interest

the population of London grew through the increasing number of…

unemployed & poor who came to London in the hope of gaining employment, poor relief or charity

The royal court, law courts & parliament brought…

a vast number of courtiers, professionals & gentry to London

London was England’s…

commercial capital and its greatest port

The desire for leisure pursuits led to…

a growth in theatres, music rooms, art galleries & museums, alongside the more common spectacles of bull-and bear-baiting & cock-fighting

how was London religiously significant?

London was home to England's largest cathedral, the largest group of urban religious houses & 100+ parish churches. The Archbishop of Canterbury administered the Church of England from Lambeth Palace.

due to London’s growing population there was intense…

pressure on space

The growth of the docks around London Bridge led the rich to…

move into segregated areas such as the West End

the poor tended to congregate in…

the suburbs

an effect of London’s growing population is that certain areas became…

identified with specialist trades or crafts so attracted labourers and immigrants. For example, Islington was the centre of brick & tile making. 

what provided tenements for the poor?

vacant plots of land were built on & former mansions or religious properties were altered

what was the effect of London’s growing population on rent?

The rents for properties rose throughout Elizabeth’s reign as demand continued to outstrip supply

There was an increase in pressure on…

public services, such as water supplies and cleansing - the overcrowded & insanitary conditions increased the impact of the plague, famine & fire

what was the effect of London’s growing population on the gov?

The government, which saw the potential for disorder & social unrest in this expanding population, tried to limit it by issuing proclamations preventing further house building and ordering new lodgers to leave.

what are examples of towns that benefited directly from London’s growth?

Newcastle provided its coal & Manchester sent cloth to London

Many ports, which might have expected to lose trade to London….

flourished during the Elizabethan period

what ports did well under Elizabeth?

Exeter, Bristol & Newcastle

Towns which declined did so…

for a variety of reasons - the growth of London was only one factor

Coventry's decline was due to….

its distance from a good road network & navigable waterways at a time when neighbouring towns had better infrastructures

To grow, towns had to…

offer a broad spectrum of trade/services or specialise in a single economic activity

what towns grew/declined because they offer a broad spectrum of trade/services or specialise in a single economic activity.

Nantwich became the centre of the salt industry, Woolwich a supplier for the royal navy, whilst Lincoln, which lacked a specialised trade, declined.

Many of the older towns were weakened at the beginning of the century by…

the heavy cost of maintaining civic offices & ceremonies, coupled with the restrictive practices of guilds & town corporations

Norwich, York and Winchester all declined as…

the cloth industry moved into rural areas /free-trade towns such as Leeds.

Decline was not always….

irreversible, as it would be if it were directly caused by the growth of London

where was decline reversable?

Reading and Colchester were revived, Worcester rebuilt its cloth industry & Norwich attracted foreign immigrants to restore its cloth industry

Rather than threatening the growth of other towns, increased centralisation from London…

benefited some

where did increased centralisation from London benefit?

York regained its status from 1561 - it not only had county & ecclesiastical courts, but was also the seat of the Council of the North

Innovations in cloth making led to…

the decay of some of the traditional cloth-making areas e.g. Winchester, but encouraged the growth of new towns e.g. Halifax

In the 1590s, …% of cloth exports went through London.

93

The Merchant Adventurers had a…

monopoly on cloth export and shipped it from London

The export of cloth rose by …% between 1510-1550

125

The export of cloth rose by 125% between …

1510-1550

The export of cloth rose by 125% between 1510-1550; with the exception of London…

most towns were in decline during this period

Smaller ports…

lost overseas trade in times of economic depression to London

There was provincial…

jealousy of London with its trading companies & established overseas trading routes

Overseas trade…

decayed in many port towns & flourished only or chiefly in London

London was…than the next largest town

4x bigger

London’s merchants were…

far wealthier than any others in the kingdom

what did it mean that London merchants were wealthier?

Ambitious entrepreneurs moved to London where there were greater opportunities and where credit/financial backing were more readily available

The growth of credit/banking & its unique trading position gave London…

a series of advantages with which provincial towns could not compete

The…gave London a series of advantages with which provincial towns could not compete.

growth of credit/banking & its unique trading position

London could manage…

slumps in the cloth trade by developing new trade routes to the Americas & the East Indies

London could develop…

large-scale brewing to meet visitors’ demands, which led to an explosion in the catering & leisure sector 

London could exploit…

the growing number of poor looking for work, by paying low wages

London could use its dominance…

of the cloth export trade to build up associated industries

London could promote….

shipbuilding in towns along the Thames

London could capitalise…

on its expansion by building houses and new purpose-built warehouses