Re-investigating coastal trade : the ports of the Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary, c.1695 - c.1704
This thesis provides a fresh perspective on the coastal trade of a major domestic region centred upon the port of Bristol. It acknowledges that coasting formed a vital link in the economy of pre-industrial England and Wales. However, coasting has been seen as the eternally poor relation of international and transoceanic commerce in studies of economic growth, urban development, and industrial diversification. This imbalance is addressed fully. The thesis sheds new light upon the volume, nature, structure and mechanisms of both the coastal and internal trades, and exposes to a more critical analysis the extent to which Bristol, as the major regional centre, acted as a 'quasi-metropolis' in the direction of the internal trade of its hinterland. A central theme is the computerisation, and examination of a wide sample of coastal Port Books for the ports of the Bristol Channel, over a limited but coherent timespan. Port Book data are also integrated with data gleaned from mercantile accounts to enable a thorough reconstruction of the means and motives of regional commerce to be devised. The Introduction discusses the study of internal trade and argues that the lack of sustained research emanates from the absence
Hussey, David P.
History
Re-investigating coastal trade : the ports of the Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary, c.1695 - c.1704. This thesis provides a fresh perspective on the coastal trade of a major domestic region centred upon the port of Bristol. It acknowledges that coasting formed a vital link in the economy of pre-industrial England and Wales. However, coasting has been seen as the eternally poor relation of international and transoceanic commerce in studies of economic growth, urban development, and industrial diversification. This imbalance is addressed fully. The thesis sheds new light upon the volume, nature, structure and mechanisms of both the coastal and internal trades, and exposes to a more critical analysis the extent to which Bristol, as the major regional centre, acted as a 'quasi-metropolis' in the direction of the internal trade of its hinterland. A central theme is the computerisation, and examination of a wide sample of coastal Port Books for the ports of the Bristol Channel, over a limited but coherent timespan. Port Book data are also integrated with data gleaned from mercantile accounts to enable a thorough reconstruction of the means and motives of regional commerce to be devised. The Introduction discusses the study of internal trade and argues that the lack of sustained research emanates from the absence
investigating coastal trade port bristol channel severn estuary provide_fresh perspective coastal trade major domestic region centre_upon port bristol acknowledges coast form vital link economy pre_industrial england_wales however coast see poor relation international commerce study economic_growth urban_development industrial diversification imbalance address fully shed new light upon volume nature structure mechanism coastal internal_trade expose critical_analysis extent bristol major regional centre act quasi metropolis direction internal_trade hinterland central_theme examination wide sample coastal port books port bristol channel limited coherent timespan port book data also integrate data glean mercantile account enable thorough reconstruction mean motif regional commerce devise introduction discus study internal_trade argues lack sustained absence