An Introduction to the Sources of European Economic History, 1500-1800

286 Pages·1977·4.426 MB·English

by  Charles Wilson, Geoffrey Parker

An Introduction to the Sources of
European Economic History
1500-1800
World Economic History
General Editor : Charles Wilson
THE RISE OF THE ATLANTIC ECONOMIES
Ralph Davis
ECONOMICS AND EMPIRE 1830-1914
D. K. Fieldhouse
THE EARLY GROWTH OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY
Georges Duby
An Introduction to
the Sources of
European Economic
History 1500-1800
Edited by Charles Wilson
and Geoffrey Parker
CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS
ITHACA, NEW YORK
© 1977 by George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Ltd.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review,
this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form
without permission in writing from the publishers. For informa­
tion address Cornell University Press, 124 Roberts Place, Ithaca,
New York 14850.
First published in 1977
International Standard Book Number 0-8014-1109-2
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 76-55851
Printed in Great Britain
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title :
An Introduction to the sources of European economic
history, 1500-1800.
(World economic history)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Europe—Economic conditions—Sources. I. Wilson, Charles Henry. II. Parker,
Geoffrey, 1933-
HC240.I68.f. 330.9'4'02 76-55851
ISBN O40ÏM1109-2
Contributors
Preface
Charles Wilson Professor of History and Civilization at the European
University Institute at Florence
and Geoffrey Parker Lecturer in Modern History, University of
St Andrews
Chapter 1 : Italy
Giuseppe Felloni Professor of Economic History, University of
Genoa
Chapter 2: Spain
Frédéric Mauro Professor of Latin American History, University of
Paris
and Geoffrey Parker
Chapter 3: Portugal
Frédéric Mauro and Geoffrey Parker
Chapter 4: the Low Countries
Jan A. van Houtte Professor of Economic History, Catholic
University of Louvain
and Léon van Buyten Lecturer in Economic History, Catholic
University of Louvain
Chapter 5: the British Isles
Charles Wilson (on England and Ireland)
and Bruce Lenman (on Scotland) Lecturer in Scottish and Modern
History, University of St Andrews
Chapter 6: France
Michel Morineau Professor at the Institute of History, University of
Clermont-Ferrand
Chapter 7 : Germany
Hermann Kellenbenz Director of the Seminar fur Sozial- und
Wirtschaftsgeschichte, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen
with the assistance of J. Schawacht, J. Schneider and L. Peters,
members of the Seminar
v
Acknowledgements
The Editors acknowledge with gratitude the cooperation of their
European colleagues who have made available the specialized
knowledge without which this volume would not have been possible.
It is not their fault, nor that of the editors or publishers, that
economic pressures necessitated the curtailment and sometimes the
elimination of illustrative material which we should all have liked to
see included.
The editors also thank Angela Parker, Patrick Rayner and Patricia
Richardson for their assistance in preparing the typescript of this
book for publication. Most of the figures were prepared, from data
submitted by the contributors, by Geoffrey Parker, with the
assistance of Neil Price and Noel Thompson. Chapter 1 was
translated by Mrs R. Maltby and Geoffrey Parker, chapter 6 by
Geoffrey Parker and chapter 7 by Philip Broadhead.
C.W.
G.P.
Contents
List of contributors v
Acknowledgements vi
List of Tables x
List of Figures xiv
Preface (Charles Wilson and Geoffrey Parker) xix
1 Italy (Giuseppe Felloni) 1
1.1 Population 1
1.2 Agriculture 10
1.3 Industry 12
1.4 Trade and transport 15
7.5 Currency and finance 17
1.6 Prices and wages 23
1.7 Wealth and social structure 27
1.8 Conclusions 34
2 Spain (Frédéric Mauro and Geoffrey Parker) 37
2.1 Population 37
2.2 Agriculture 41
2.3 Industry 43
2.4 Trade 46
2.5 Currency andfinance 48
2.6 Prices and wages 51
2.7 Wealth and social structure 57
2.8 Conclusions 60
3 Portugal (Frédéric Mauro and Geoffrey Parker) 63
3.1 Population 64
3.2 Agriculture 64
3.3 Industry 65
3.4 Trade and transport 66
vii
3.5 Currency 73
3.6 Prices 76
3.7 Conclusions 77
4 The Low Countries (Jan A. van Houtte
and Léon van Buyten) 81
4.1 Population 81
4.2 Agriculture andfishing 85
4.3 Industry 87
4.4 Trade and transport 90
4.5 Currency andfinance 98
4.6 Prices 103
4.7 Wages 105
4.8 Wealth and social structure 108
4.9 Conclusions 112
5 The British Isles (Charles Wilson) 115
5.7 Population 115
5.2 Agriculture 119
5.3 Industry 122
5.4 Trade 124
5.5 Transport 129
5.6 Currency and finance 130
5.7 Prices and wages 138
5.8 Wealth and social structure 138
5.9 A note on Scotland before the union 142
(Bruce Lenman)
5.10 Conclusions 151
6 France (Michel Morineau) 155
6.1 Population 155
6.2 Agriculture 163
6.3 Industry 169
6.4 Trade and transport 172
6.5 Currency 178
6.6 Prices 178
6.7 Wages and incomes 180
6.8 Wealth and social structure 183
6.9 Conclusions 187
viii
7 Germany (Hermann Kellenbenz and assistants) 190
7.1 Population and social structure 191
7.2 Agriculture ~ 196
7.3 Mining and industry 199
7.4 Trade and transport 204
7.5 Currency and finance 209
7.6 Prices and wages 216
7.7 Conclusions 220
Table of Weights and Measures 223
Notes and References 224
Index 246
Tables
Chapter 1 Italy
1.1 Italian population, 1550-1790, by states 2-3
1.2 Size of the principal Italian cities, 1550-1790 5-7
1.3 The distribution of population by age groups; Carpi ( 1591 )
and Pesaro (1689) 8
1.4 Italian wheat yield ratios, 1510-1799 10
1.5 Italian wheat production, 1580-1799 11
1.6 Trade between Italy and France, 1716-89 16
1.7 Genoese investment in home andforeign bonds and loans in the
eighteenth century 21
1.8 Consolidated public debt in some Italian states in the eighteenth
century 22
1.9 Market prices at Florence, 1520-1620 23
1.10 Daily wages of building and agricultural workers in Italy,
1500-1799 26
Chapter 2 Spain
2.1 Spanish population, 1500-1800 37
2.2 Trade between Spain and America, 1600-1710 46
2.3 State income and debt in Castile, 1515-1667 49
Chapter 4 the Low Countries
4.1 The growth of population in the Low Countries, 1500-1800 81
4.2 Population change in selected towns of the Low Countries,
1500-1800 82
4.3 Parish register demography ofparts of the South Netherlands,
1566-1795 83
4.4 Yield ratios, 1570-1800 85
4.5 Growth of agricultural area and use of land in the province of
Overijssel, 1601-1812 85
4.6 The balance of trade of the Low Countries, c. 1560 91
4.7 The balance of trade between France and the United Provinces
1635-1789 94
x