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  • © 2020

Contracts and Pay

Work in London Construction 1660–1785

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Highlights a new wage series for builders and labourers that changes existing views of London as a ‘high wage economy’
  • Provides new research on business organisation and contracting in the early modern period
  • Offers new information on working practices that challenge traditional notions of artisan production

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Economic History (PEHS)

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
  2. The Market for Building

    • Judy Z. Stephenson
    Pages 35-63
  3. Contractors

    • Judy Z. Stephenson
    Pages 65-78
  4. What did Bosses (in London Construction) do?

    • Judy Z. Stephenson
    Pages 107-139
  5. Contracts and Pay in Construction in the Long Run

    • Judy Z. Stephenson
    Pages 201-221
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 239-261

About this book

This book presents a new economic history of London construction in the early modern period. Drawing on extensive archival material from key sites such as St Paul’s Cathedral and London Bridge, it describes the organization of contracts and work on large-scale ‘extraordinary’ projects and maintenance contracts in the city during a key period of architectural and organizational development in Britain. Stephenson shows that the organisation of the industry and the welfare of its workers were shaped by the contracts and finance of large institutions and ambitious businessmen. Providing fresh wage and earnings data for craftsmen and labourers during the period, it offers new material and debate for economic, business and construction historians.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Bartlett, University College London, London, UK

    Judy Z. Stephenson

About the author

Judy Z. Stephenson is Fellow of Wadham College Oxford, UK, and an economic historian of labour markets, organisations and employment in early modern England. She has worked with the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, UK, and was formerly an Economic History Society Tawney Fellow.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access