Contracts and Pay - Work in London Construction 1660-1785

This book presents a new economic history of London construction in the early modern period. Drawing on extensive archival material from key sites such as St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge, it describes the organization of contracts and work on large-scale 'extraordinary' projects and maintenance contracts in the city during a key period of architectural and organizational development in Britain. Stephenson shows that the organisation of the industry and the welfare of its workers were shaped by the contracts and finance of large institutions and ambitious businessmen. Providing fresh wage and earnings data for craftsmen and labourers during the period, it offers new material and debate for economic, business and construction historians.

List of contents

Chapter 1: A short history of builder's wages in Economic History.- Chapter 2:  The market for building.- Chapter 3: Contractors.- Chapter 4: Contracts and ways of working in the building trades.- Chapter 5: What did bosses (in London construction) do?.- Chapter 6: Contracts and Pay at St. Paul's Cathedral.- Chapter 7: Pay on the Bridges and at Middle Temple.- Chapter 8: Contracts and pay at other sites.- Chapter 9: Conclusions and further notes on understanding Early Modern contracts and pay.

About the author

Judy Z. Stephenson is Fellow of Wadham College Oxford, UK, and an economic historian of labour markets, organisations and employment in early modern England. She has worked with the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, UK, and was formerly an Economic History Society Tawney Fellow.

Summary

Highlights a new wage series for builders and labourers that changes existing views of London as a ‘high wage economy’ 
Provides new research on business organisation and contracting in the early modern period
Offers new information on working practices that challenge traditional notions of artisan production

Product details

• Authors: Judy Stephenson, Judy Z Stephenson, Judy Z. Stephenson
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 04.05.2020
• EAN: 9783319575070
• ISBN: 978-3-31-957507-0
• No. of pages: 261
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 217 mm x 22 mm
• Weight: 498 g
• Illustrations: XII, 261 p. 22 illus., 2 illus. in color.
• Series: Palgrave Studies in Economic History; Palgrave Studies in Economic History
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > General, dictionaries; B, Architecture, History: specific events & topics, Social & cultural history, Economic history, Urban History, Economics and Finance, Labour Economics, History of Architecture, Regional and Spatial Economics, urban economics, Management science, Labor Economics, Labor and Population Economics, Cities and towns—History, Labor History, Labor—History, Theory of architecture, Architectural History and Theory