Abstract

The economic development of early modern societies can be examined through their occupational structures. This article concerns London, the most important centre of the early modern English economy, which also became the largest and wealthiest city in the world by the early nineteenth century. This article focuses on Southwark from c. 1601 to 1881. Although a suburb, Southwark was one of the largest population centres in England as well as a transport hub and major centre of industry. Despite its importance, long-term change in the occupational structure of early modern Southwark has not been quantitatively analysed. This article utilizes a range of sources to do this. In particular, it shows that recognizances are a powerful source for early modern male occupations. This article reveals the structure of Southwark’s economy over nearly three centuries, showing that manufacturing remained consistently important and, despite experiencing a slight decline, remained larger than the service sector in both absolute and proportional terms.