Coalmining, population and enclosure in the Seasale colliery districts of Durham (northern Durham), 1551-1810 : a study in historical geography
By reference to a wide range of sources and with an especial, but deliberately not exclusive, concern for events in Northern Durham, an attempt is made to reconstruct basic patterns of coalmining, population and enclosure. A second major task is to provide a framework of explanation for these patterns: to examine the factors which may have created and, in turn, destroyed them, and to explore ways in which the patterns may have been interrelated or interdependent. Rising demand for coal throughout the period 1551-1810, emanating chiefly from London, stimulated population growth within the mining districts, and the rise of an increasingly specialized industrial work force, in turn, put pressure upon agriculture to reform its technical and organizational structures in order to ease the task'of providing more locally grown food. Developments were not as simple as might be assumed from the above scenario, however. The variable attitudes and actions of decision makers were no less crucial than the uncertainties of natural resource endowment in determining the pace and location of developments through time and space, period and place. Landownership emerges as a dominant factor in understanding contrasts and similarities
Hodgson, Robert Ian
Industrial revolution
Coalmining, population and enclosure in the Seasale colliery districts of Durham (northern Durham), 1551-1810 : a study in historical geography. By reference to a wide range of sources and with an especial, but deliberately not exclusive, concern for events in Northern Durham, an attempt is made to reconstruct basic patterns of coalmining, population and enclosure. A second major task is to provide a framework of explanation for these patterns: to examine the factors which may have created and, in turn, destroyed them, and to explore ways in which the patterns may have been interrelated or interdependent. Rising demand for coal throughout the period 1551-1810, emanating chiefly from London, stimulated population growth within the mining districts, and the rise of an increasingly specialized industrial work force, in turn, put pressure upon agriculture to reform its technical and organizational structures in order to ease the task'of providing more locally grown food. Developments were not as simple as might be assumed from the above scenario, however. The variable attitudes and actions of decision makers were no less crucial than the uncertainties of natural resource endowment in determining the pace and location of developments through time and space, period and place. Landownership emerges as a dominant factor in understanding contrasts and similarities
coalmining population enclosure colliery district durham durham study historical_geography reference wide_range_source especial deliberately exclusive concern event northern durham attempt_make reconstruct basic_pattern coalmining population enclosure second major task provide_framework explanation pattern examine factor_may create turn destroy explore_way pattern may interrelate interdependent rising demand coal throughout_period emanate chiefly london stimulate population_growth within mining district rise increasingly specialized industrial work force turn put pressure upon agriculture reform technical organizational structure order ease task provide locally grow food developments simple might assume scenario however variable attitude action decision maker less crucial uncertainty natural_resource endowment determine pace location development time_space period place landownership emerge dominant factor contrast similarity