Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

of women and children in the economy. As a source of occupational data the 1851
census is more complete than its predecessors. Although this census comes after my
study period, I make reference to it, where appropriate, in Chapters 3 to 8 and in
Appendix 11. Other sources such as property deeds, enclosure and tithe awards,
newspapers, tax lists and court papers are also referred to where they shed light on
occupational structure or economic organisation.
Bias of sources used in the analytical tables
As discussed earlier in this chapter, although various sources have been used to
glean occupational information, before 1813 the most universal and consistent in the
study area for adult males are probate and marriage licence data. From 1813 the baptism
registers provide a more comprehensive picture and the 1841 census is again more
inclusive. Although probate and marriage licences are a useful indicator of the presence
of different industries and occupations, their bias must always be borne in mind. Before
1813 it is difficult to show their bias, but the table below compares these sources in the
early nineteenth century with contemporary baptisms and the 1841 census to allow a
quantification of the differences between sources and comment on some of the reasons
for these differences.
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