Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The purpose of the project was to investigate the character of Liverpool society during the first century of its rapid commercial expansion, and in particular to address the question whether its social characteristics help to explain the dynamic nature of its economic growth. The particular questions addressed include the origins of in-migrants to Liverpool, occupational structure and change, family and business networks, and the character of the governing elite and their use of power. The method was to input major sources for the history of Liverpool into computer files, to link names and compile information about Liverpool inhabitants. This allowed information to be built up about geographical origins, occupations, wealth, residential location, family and business or political networks and inter-generational continuity in the town.
Main Topics:
The topics covered by these data are: Councillors and town officers, 1649-1749, date, name and office of the men and very few women, who were active in office or on the council, and representing as complete a data set as possible of politically and administratively active people in Liverpool during the period. Freemen admissions, 1650-1708, date of entry, name, status and, frequently, details of mode of entering freedom, place of origin, the father of the freeman by patrimony or the master of a freemen by apprenticeship, the fine paid and sometimes the occupation of the freeman. Hearth tax, 1663, listing households with the number of hearths assessed, and containing the name, gender and status of the household head. Hearth tax, 1664, listing chargeable and non-chargeable households with the number of hearths assessed, and containing the name, gender and status of the household head. Hearth tax, 1666, listing households with the number of hearths assessed (including industrial hearths), and containing the name, gender and status of the household head. Hearth tax, 1673, listing households with the number of hearths assessed, and containing the name, gender and status of the household head. Overseas Port Book, 1665, names of boats, merchants, masters and ports traded with and information about commodities imported and exported by each merchant. Vestry officials, 1681-1750, name, status, gender and offices of vestry officials such as churchwardens, sidesmen, overseers of the poor and workhouse officials. Apprentices indentured, 1707-50, information about each person involved in an apprenticeship. Rate assessment for 1708, name and status of ratepayers and tenants, and the location and value of properties. Overseas Port Book, 1709, names of boats, merchants, masters and ports traded with and information about commodities imported and exported by each merchant. Rate assessment, 1743, name, status and occupation of ratepayers and tenants, and the location and value of properties. Liverpool Plantation Registers, 1743-48, information about ships and their owners engaged in the transatlantic Liverpool trade.
No sampling (total universe)
Transcription of existing materials
data were put into computer files directly from original manuscript sources, or microfilm, or from printed editions of sources. An attempt to capture all substantial information from each source was made, and the recording of the information followed closely the order and format of the original. All surnames were recorded exactly as in the original. Forenames and other unambiguous data were sometimes abbreviated. A list of the most common abbreviations, other than forenames, is included in the notes for each file.
