The Experience of Work in Early Modern England

Jane Whittle; Mark Hailwood; Hannah Robb; Taylor Aucoin

doi:10.1017/9781009019743

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Jane Whittle, University of Exeter, Mark Hailwood, University of Bristol, Hannah Robb, Birkbeck, University of London, Taylor Aucoin, University of Edinburgh

Publisher:: Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:: September 2025
Print publication year:: 2025
Online ISBN:: 9781009019743
DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009019743
Creative Commons:: This content is Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/creativelicenses

Subjects:: History, Regional History after 1500, Economic History
Series:: Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series

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This book applies the innovative work-task approach to the history of work, which captures the contribution of all workers and types of work to the early modern economy. Drawing on tens of thousands of court depositions, the authors analyse the individual tasks that made up everyday work for women and men, shedding new light on the gender division of labour, and the ways in which time, space, age and marital status shaped sixteenth and seventeenth-century working life. Combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, the book deepens our understanding of the preindustrial economy, and calls for us to rethink not only who did what, but also the implications of these findings for major debates about structural change, the nature and extent of paid work, and what has been lost as well as gained over the past three centuries of economic development. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

‘The Experience of Work in Early Modern England breaks new ground, offering entirely new insights into how the early modern English economy actually functioned and what the roles of women and men were in this economy. I have read it with the greatest interest and pleasure.’

Maria Ågren - Uppsala University

‘The Experience of Work in Early Modern England uses an extensive database of witness statements to open up a new world of what work was actually done in early modern England, and which decisively shows how important women and children’s work was within the market economy.’

Craig Muldrew - Queen’s College, Cambridge

‘This brilliant reconstruction transforms our picture of the early modern economy, offering a holistic account of the world of work that at last moves beyond the distortions of occupational descriptors and wage data to show that no assessment of economic change can ever again be based on men’s work alone.’

Alexandra Shepard - University of Glasgow

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Contents

The Experience of Work in Early Modern England
pp i-ii
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The Experience of Work in Early Modern England - Title page
pp iii-iii
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Copyright page
pp iv-iv
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Contents
pp v-vi
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Figures
pp vii-viii
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Tables
pp ix-xii
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Preface
pp xiii-xiv
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Note on the text
pp xv-xv
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Abbreviations
pp xvi-xvi
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Introduction
pp 1-24
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1 - Uncovering the World of Work
pp 25-57
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2 - Working People
pp 58-97
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3 - Places of Work
pp 98-131
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4 - Rhythms of Work
pp 132-174
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5 - Housework and Carework
pp 175-206
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6 - Agriculture and Food Production
pp 207-243
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7 - Crafts and Construction
pp 244-284
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8 - Commerce and Money Management
pp 285-314
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Conclusion
pp 315-326
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Appendices
pp 327-334
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Appendix A - Relationship between Categories and Court Type
pp 327-327
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Appendix B - Gender Division of Labour by Subcategory
pp 328-329
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Appendix C - Seasonal Distribution of Dated Harvest Tasks per Region and Proportional Monthly Redistribution of Undated ‘Harvest Time’ Tasks
pp 330-332
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Appendix D - Monthly Weights Applied to Quarter Sessions Tasks
pp 333-334
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Bibliography
pp 335-350
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Index
pp 351-362
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The Experience of Work in Early Modern England

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Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA

Content Navigation

Table of contents navigation

Index navigation

Reading Order and Textual Equivalents

Single logical reading order

Short alternative textual descriptions

Full alternative textual descriptions

Visual Accessibility

Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information

Use of high contrast between text and background colour