This is a major study of the transformation of early modern English rural society. It begins by assessing the three major debates about the character of English society: the ‘Brenner Debate’; the debate over English Individualism; and the long running debate over the disappearance of the small landowner. It then turns to the history of Earls Colne in Essex, which has never before been the subject of a full-length study despite it being one of the most discussed villages in England....

Population, Welfare and Economic Change presents the latest research on the causes and consequences of British population change from the medieval period to the eve of the Industrial Revolution, in both town and countryside. Its overarching concern is with the economic and demographic decision-making of individuals and groups and the extent to which these were constrained by institutions and resources. Within this, the volume's particular focus is on population growth: its causes ...

This innovative book examines the changing relationship between communities, citizens and the notion of the archive.Archives have traditionally been understood as repositories of knowledge and experience, remote from the ordinary people who fund and populate them, however digital resources have led to a growing plurality of archives and the practices associated with collecting and curating. This book uses a broad range of case studies which place communities at the heart of this ex...

This monograph brings together the proceedings of a workshop held in Geneva, Switzerland in March 2000 under the joint sponsorship of the University of Sheffield and F Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. Chapters by leading scientists present the latest research on biochemical markers of bone remodelling as well as their clinical applications in the management of osteoporosis. The text focuses on four major areas of interest: 1) potential candidates for markers of bone remodelling, 2) sources of biolog...

Improving Mathematics at Work questions the mathematical knowledge and skills that matter in the twenty-first century world of work, and studies how the use of mathematics in the workplace is evolving in the rapidly-changing context of new technologies and globalisation. Through a series of case studies from the manufacturing and financial service sectors, the authors argue that there has been a radical shift in the type mathematical skills required for work – a shift not yet full...

Cathedrals today face a paradox: on the one hand they represent one of the biggest success stories and mission opportunities of the present-day church; on the other they face seemingly insurmountable financial difficulties, and are largely left by the church and government to fend for themselves.Many—both within and outside the church—argue that cathedrals are an irrelevance. But cathedrals are one area of the church’s life where increasingly the unchurched and the half-believer en...

This book is the culmination of some ten years' theoretical and empirical investigation. Throughout this period, we have come into contact with many who have stimulated our thinking, some of whom belong to the community of Mathematics Educators. Our membership of that community has challenged us to make sense of some deep issues related to mathematical learning, especially the cognitive and pedagogical faces of mathematical meaning making. Alongside this community, we are privileged to hav...

Farmers held a pivotal role in the capitalist agriculture that emerged in England in the eighteenth century, yet they have attracted little attention from rural historians. Farmers made agriculture happen. They brought together the capital and the technical and management skills which allowed food to be produced. It was they - and not landowners - who employed and supervised labour. They accepted the risk inherent in agriculture, paying largely fixed rents out of fluctuating and uncertain ...

A great deal has been written about the acceleration of English agriculture in the early modern period. In the late middle ages it was hard to see that English agriculture was so very different from that of the continent, but by 1750 levels of agricultural productivity in Britain were well ahead of those general in northern Europe. The country had become much more urban and the proportion of the population engaged in agriculture had fallen. Customary modes of behaviour, whilst often bitter...