Impact of population growth in Britain

what have historians termed the period of population growth between 1520-1650?

‘the long sixteenth century’

what might cause a decline in the speed of population growth or decrease in population size?

• english civil war → 5% pop. died

• famine/poor harvests/food shortages

• economic crises (inflation)

• migration abroad

• disease → the plague (1665), mortality rates increase

what might cause an increase in population size?

• good harvests (stability)

• peace time (after war) → pleasure and security reasons i.e. lineage/heirs

• good economy (increases immigration)

• housing conditions

• medical knowledge (less chance of death in childbirth)

when was migration particularly frequent (broadly)?

around times of revolution and war

what was the main reason for migration within britain?

people moving away from their towns and families to find work → more job security = more children

what fraction of the population lived in the south-east of england?

¾

why was the south-east a more populous place than the midlands?

• more job opportunities = better prospects for the family

• fertile, arable land

• good economy

what sorts of people immigrated to britain in the 17th century?

• protestant refugees

  • french hugenots

  • dutch calvinists

• jewish communities

• slaves brought back from imperial possessions to work in england

when was the influx of french hugenot immigrants to britain?

1685 → following the revocation of the edict of nantes

when and why was there an influx of jewish migrants in britain?

1656 → jewish communities allowed to resettle in england under cromwell

how did emigration affect the population growth?

it is likely more people emigrated from, than came to, britain → approx. 330,000 brits left for the american colonies (maryland, new england, virginia)

how were mortality rates affected by the plague in the seventeenth century?

• lower than the preceding 3 centuries → decline in incidences of the plague

• diseases were reduced not due to medical advances necessarily, but due to quarantining

what were fertility rates like throughout the 17th century?

• when people started getting married older (i.e. less fertile) the resulting children per marriage was lower

• fertility rates at an all-time low in 1650 and only starting to rise in 1680

which 3 agricultural methods helped contribute to population growth?

enclosure, water meadows, crop rotation

how did agricultural changes contribute to population growth?

the more food you have, the bigger the population you can sustain (keeps growing)

how did the population of england change between 1520-1680?

it doubled to almost 5 million

define enclosure.

smaller holdings were consolidated into larger farms (sheep farms particularly)

what were water meadows?

created by the diversion of water from rivers or streams to fields using a network of gates and dams

what are the benefits of water meadows?

damp soil all year round + reduces frost and promotes early spring = animals are fed well for longer (good harvest)

what were the positive impacts of population growth in london on rural life?

• business boomed as demand increased for crops

• relatively easy to make profit in the beginning of the century as pop. increased at a reasonable rate

what were the negative impacts of population growth in london on rural life?

• after 1650, inflation meant that small landowners were unable to invest in their farms + had to sell their lands

• aristocracy bought the lands → widening of class gaps

what was the impact of coffee houses on society?

• growth of social and political activities being accessed by the public

• development of the press = rise in ‘fake news’

how many towns had a population of over 5000 by 1700?

30

which cities had london overtaken to become the biggest in europe?

paris and naples

how much did the prices increase in the inflation between 1540-1640, and how much less did the wages increase?

800% price increase; only 300% wage increase

when was the elizabethan poor law set, and what did it entail?

1601 → treated vagrants as criminals, made provisions for those who couldn’t work due to disability or age, banned begging outside of a persons home parish

what was the book of orders, who established it, and when?

charles I (sympathetically) created in 1631 to regulate poor relief and ensure poor rate was collected

why was there underemployment in early 1600?

• population growth

• migrations

• seasonal work → many people worked in agriculture which is not a year-round job

what were the attitudes towards the poor?

• seen as + treated like a problem'

• lack of empathy/sympathy for them

• linked to crime and instability

who were the ‘idle/undeserving’ poor?

people who were able to be in work but were unemployed

who were the ‘deserving’ poor?

elderly, disabled, children, anyone not able to work

when was the settlement act and what did it entail?

1662 → stopped squatters/vagrants contribution to poor relief as people were claiming poor relief without having lived in the parish for 40 days

how long did you have to have lived in a parish to be able to claim poor relief?

40 days → you were then given a ‘settlement certificate’ to say you were eligible for poor relief

what happened to some vagrants as a result of them being criminalised?

sent to american colonies as a punishment

what was the ‘dual benefit’ in sending vagrants to america?

• getting rid of the vagrants themselves

• less vagrants = less criminals + less poor relief to provide

how was the attitude to the poor changing through legal changes in the 17th century? what was causing these changes in attitude?

• increase in support of poor to lessen public unrest

• charles I policy of ‘thorough’ → to levee the poor rate

  • desire for more sympathy + keep crime rates down to maintain stability

give a positive and negative implication of the amount being spent on poor relief increasing between 1600-1700.

positive → efficiently handling and giving support to more poor

negative → suggests there is more people needing it