An urban society and its hinterland : St Ives in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries
This thesis has examined the contention of the late Philip Abrams that a town should not be considered as a distinct social entity, but in relation to its setting and to ~the complex of domination~ in which it is embedded. It was decided to use St Ives in Huntingdonshire as the area of study. Sources have included manorial, parish and dissenting records, inventories, marriage bonds and the Pettis Survey of St Ives, with its maps, lists of property owners and land tax payments. After defining the boundaries of the hinterland, the demography and economy of it and the town were studied. Four adjacent villages revealed urban features. The economic, social and religious networks, that bound their inhabitants to the town, were so dense that they produced a cohesive unit, or ~urban society~. A core of focal families provided continuity of leadership in administration, business and nonconformity. The strengths and weaknesses of the society's component parts have been traced, particularly through the experience of dissenters and watermen. The relationship of this urban society to the wider world has also been analysed. The Duke of Manchester controlled most of the manorial lordships. In the town, he protected his interests
Carter, Mary Patricia
Social history of St Ives
An urban society and its hinterland : St Ives in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. This thesis has examined the contention of the late Philip Abrams that a town should not be considered as a distinct social entity, but in relation to its setting and to ~the complex of domination~ in which it is embedded. It was decided to use St Ives in Huntingdonshire as the area of study. Sources have included manorial, parish and dissenting records, inventories, marriage bonds and the Pettis Survey of St Ives, with its maps, lists of property owners and land tax payments. After defining the boundaries of the hinterland, the demography and economy of it and the town were studied. Four adjacent villages revealed urban features. The economic, social and religious networks, that bound their inhabitants to the town, were so dense that they produced a cohesive unit, or ~urban society~. A core of focal families provided continuity of leadership in administration, business and nonconformity. The strengths and weaknesses of the society's component parts have been traced, particularly through the experience of dissenters and watermen. The relationship of this urban society to the wider world has also been analysed. The Duke of Manchester controlled most of the manorial lordships. In the town, he protected his interests
urban society hinterland seventeenth examined contention late town consider distinct social entity relation set the complex domination embed decide use area study sources include manorial parish dissenting record inventory marriage bond survey map list property owner land tax payment define boundary hinterland demography economy town study adjacent village reveal urban feature economic_social religious network bound inhabitant town dense produce cohesive unit urban_society core focal family provide continuity leadership administration business nonconformity strengths_weakness society component part trace particularly experience dissenter relationship urban_society wider world also_analyse duke manchester control manorial lordship town protect interest