An unexceptional people: regional variations in Quaker occupations in eighteenth-century England and Wales c1700-1800

Cook, Ian Andrew (2024). An unexceptional people: regional variations in Quaker occupations in eighteenth-century England and Wales c1700-1800. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Previous scholars such as Richard Vann & David Eversley and Richard Allen & Rosemary Moore have suggested that Quakers in the seventeenth- and early eighteenth-centuries were ‘middle-class’ or of a ‘middling sort’ in their economic activity. These conclusions are based on studies which were limited either in geographic scope or to specific economic sectors. Other work such as that by Arthur Raistrick, attempts to suggest that Quakers as a group were exceptional in their achievements or position in society – the phrase ‘a peculiar people’ has been used, for example by Joseph John Gurney. This thesis suggests that Quakers were aligned with local economies in terms of occupation, except for a low representation in agriculture, and that claims for exceptional sector influence or control are not supported by the evidence. As such, in economic terms they were not such a ‘peculiar’ and exceptional people.

This study uses the digested Quaker marriage records from 1691 to 1809, located in Friends House Library, London, as the basis for an examination of the occupational and geographic location patterns of the eighteenth-century Quaker population across England and Wales. The results provide a wide perspective on Quakers in different economic sectors and highlight the patterns of geographical change in Quaker activity across the country. Additionally, it addresses the idea of exceptionalism by examining Charles Hyde’s claim of Quaker domination of the iron industry in the early eighteenth century.

The database shows that the recording of occupational data in the marriage records varied in completeness with distance from London. There were much lower recording rates in distant regions, such as Cumberland and Northumberland, which were agricultural and economically poorer than the metropolis. This finding has implications for conventional socio-economic descriptions of Quakers. The biggest groups of economically active Quakers, representing 40% of the database, were artisans and retailers. Comparisons with studies of the general population show that their work was reflective of the local economy, although Quakers were less likely to be involved in agriculture.

Such comparisons also showed that Quakers followed the eighteenth-century trend towards urbanisation and were early movers to towns. Their liking for retail activity was shown by the appearance of more food retailers in later years, which was a shift in their food-related activity away from processing. Because these artisan and retail occupations can be regarded as either working- or middle-class, the size of this combined group means that the received view of Quakers as predominantly middle-class is challenged. This challenge is potentially enhanced by the low level of recording of occupations in remote regions. Such regions were likely to contain poorer populations with a higher proportion of humbler occupations. Thus, the reduction in recording rate is likely to disproportionately affect the recording of these humbler occupations.

The connection to local economies is a challenge to the received view of Quaker exceptionality. Hyde’s claim for Quaker control of the iron industry, a specific example of such exceptionality, is investigated. An analysis of the English iron industry is presented which includes both production and distribution to examine the extent of Quaker involvement. The findings are that Quakers were more likely to be involved with iron distribution than production and that Hyde’s claim is not supported.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):