Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Table 5.1 Male occupational structure (primary, secondary and tertiary) from probate
data in Zone B, Southern (Champion) Country, 1660-1858 (as % of males with known
occupations)
1660-99 1700-49 1750-99 1800-58
Primary 72.9 70.3 60.0 53.8
Primary without labs. 69.7 67.4 53.6 48.3
Secondary 21.5 22.8 30.9 31.1
Tertiary 5.7 6.8 9.1 15.1
Total males with known occupations (n) 158.5 168.5 110 162.5
As noted in Chapter 2, probate data is biased; richer inhabitants are more likely to
be included than labourers or poor craftsmen. However, in the absence of less biased
sources before Period D, it at least allows a comparison between zones and periods. 9
As
may be expected, probate suggests that the workforce hereabouts is made up quite
differently from that of Alcester. More than seventy percent of males in probate worked
in the primary sector in Periods A and B, though this fell later. The secondary sector
grew with a noticeable rise in Period C, while tertiary grew steadily throughout. 10
9 See Tables 5.10 below for an analysis of probate bias compared with other sources for this zone. The
periods referred to in discussion of the data, (as explained in Chapter 2), are as follows: Period A: 1660-
1699, Period B: 1700-1749; Period C: 1750-1799 and Period D: 1800-1840.
10 For comparison with other zones see Appendix 26.
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