Family and Business During the Industrial Revolution

SmallbusinesseswereattheheartoftheeconomicgrowthandsocialtransformationthatcharacterizedtheindustrialrevolutioninBritain.Intownsacrossnorth-westEngland,shopsandworkshopsdominatedthestreetscape,andhelpedtosatisfyanincreasingdesireforconsumergoods.Yetdespitetheirsignificance,weknowsurprisinglylittleaboutthesefirmsandthepeoplewhoranthem,forwhilstthoseengagedincraft-basedmanufacturing,retailing,andalliedtradesconstitutedasignificantproportionoftheurbanpopulation,theyhavebeengenerallyoverlookedbyhistorians.Instead,ourviewoftheworldofbusinessismoreusuallytakenupbynarrativesofparticularlysuccessfulfirms,andespeciallythoseinvolvedinnewmodesofproduction.Byexaminingsomeoftheforgottenbusinessesoftheindustrialrevolution,andthemenandwomenwhoworkedinthem,FamilyandBusinessduringtheIndustrialRevolutionpresentsalargelyunfamiliarcommercialworld.Itsapproach,whichspanseconomic,social,andculturalhistory,aswellasencompassingbusinesshistoryandthehistoriesoftheemotions,space,andmaterialculture,alongsidestudiesofpersonaltestimony,testatorypractice,andpropertyownership,testscurrentunderstandingsofgender,work,family,class,andpowerinthelateeighteenthandearlynineteenthcenturies.Itprovidesuswithnewinsightsintothelivesofordinarymenandwomenintrade,whoserelativelymundanelivesareeasilyoverlooked,butwhowerecentraltothestoryofapivotalperiodinBritishhistory.