Networks in the Premodern Economy: The Market for London Apprenticeships, 1600–1749

Tim Leunig, Chris Minns and Patrick Wallis

The Journal of Economic History, 2011, vol. 71, issue 2, 413-443

Abstract: We examine the role of social and geographical networks in structuring entry into premodern London's skilled occupations. Newly digitized apprenticeship indenture records for 1600–1749 offer little evidence that personal ties strongly shaped apprentice recruitment. The typical London apprentices had no identifiable tie to their master through kin or place of origin. Migrant apprentices' fathers were generally outside the craft sector. The apprenticeship market was strikingly open: well-to-do families accessed a wide range of apprenticeships, and would-be apprentices could match ability and aptitude to opportunity. This fluidity aided human capital formation, with obvious implications for economic development.

Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/ ... type/journal_article link to article abstract page (text/html)

Related works:
Working Paper: Networks in the Premodern Economy: the Market for London Apprenticeships, 1600-1749 (2009)
Working Paper: Networks in the premodern economy: the market for London apprenticeships, 1600-1749 (2009)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cup:jechis:v:71:y:2011:i:02:p:413-443_00

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in The Journal of Economic History from Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press, UPH, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8BS UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Kirk Stebbing ().