Study title

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...