Demographic history of an English coal-mining parish: Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, 1660-1820

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:7054391

Peck, T R

In 1666 the size of the population of Houghton-le-Spring was 2332. By 1821, the population had grown to 12,889 persons. The population of the village grew primarily due to increasing fertility during the period. The Total Martial Fertility Ratio (20-49) increased from 6.98 to 8.37 between the late seventeenth and the early nineteenth centuries. The mean age at first marriage for brides and grooms declined on average by three years. During the 160 years of the study the level of mortality actually increased. In the parish of Houghton-le-Spring, the coal miners, who were prime examples of proletarians, did marry much younger than a person engaged in the traditional occupations. Thus, the primary cause of the increasing level of fertility in the parish was the process of proletarianization. The study of mortality revealed that coal miners and their dependents suffered higher rates of mortality than persons in other occupations. These higher rates were partly caused by a greater incidence of deaths due to mining accidents. The population proved to be surprisingly immobile. Approximately 90% of the population lived their entire life within fifteen miles of their place of birth. This was true of all occupational groups.

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7054391
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
COAL INDUSTRY
DEMOGRAPHY
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
RURAL AREAS
UNITED KINGDOM
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ACCIDENTS
EUROPE
INDUSTRY
WESTERN EUROPE
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology