Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Table 6.9b Occupational structure in specific groupings from Anglican burial registers in
two parishes in Zone C, Central (Wood-pasture) Belt 1698-1708 (as % of entries showing
male occupations)
Occupations in
burial registers
c.1700
Binton
1698-1706
(n)
Binton
% of males
with known
occupations
Spernall
1699-1708
(n)
Spernall
% of males
with known
occupations
Clergyman 2 15.4
Servant 1 7.7
Innkeeper 1 7.7
Yeoman/husbandman 4 30.8 11 84.6
Mason/slater 1 7.7
Labourer 5 38.5 1 7.7
Unspecified 5 2
Total 18 15
Total with known occupations 13 100 13 100
The two parish registers which give occupational information in this zone circa
1700, Binton and Spernall, suggest a predominantly agricultural economy, as borne out
by other sources. Binton was a quarrying parish, so it is no surprise to see a mason
mentioned in the register. A plaster pit was situated in Spernall, so the plasterer there is
also to be expected. 20
Appendix 23 shows the percentages for different occupational groupings amongst
this zone’s business owners or masters who appear in the inland revenue apprenticeship
books. 21
20 Note that the years with occupational information are different in the two parishes. As the data sample is
small, there is no attempt here to allocate labourers to the primary or secondary sectors, but a couple of the
labourers in Binton perhaps worked in the quarries as well as in agriculture.
21 As explained earlier, the figures in the apprenticeship returns are not representative of the overall
occupational situation. For example, few apprentices were taken on in agriculture. However, this source
does give additional information about various occupations, discussed in the text below, where relevant.
No female business owners took on apprentices in this zone, but a handful of the apprentices were female.
199