British Population History

This book brings together in one volume the four studies on British population history already published in the series New Studies in Economic and Social History, and adds to them a new essay on British population in the twentieth century. Between them, the authors survey the trends and debates in British population history from 1348 to 1991. Research over the past twenty-five years has transformed our understanding of how population has grown and declined, of why the numbers of births, deaths, marriages and migrants have risen and fallen, and thrown much new light on the economic and social impact of these changes. The studies in this book supply introductions to these problems for readers who are not themselves demographers but who, as students, teachers, or non-specialist historians and social scientists, want to know more about what happened and what are the main topics of current debate. Full bibliographies for further study are included.

• The only comprehensive survey of British population from the Black Death to the present day
• Completely new material on twentieth century provides excellent review of debates over what is happening to child-bearing and marriage today
• Non-technical style intended to make a technical and rapidly changing subject easily accessible to students and non-specialists
• Full bibliographies for further self-generated study