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Illuminations and distortions: Gregory King's Scheme calculated for the year 1688 and the social structure of later Stuart England

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  • TOM ARKELL

Abstract

This critique of King's well‐known Scheme of the social order in 1688 examines his purposes, the Scheme's evolutionary process, and the taxation data (hearth, poll, window, and marriage duty) that King used to construct it, before contrasting his conclusions with recent research. His social hierarchy emerges as a rather crude and backward‐looking stereotype based on too many intelligent guesses, with his treatment of the poorer families being least satisfactory. Overall, King's population totals appear sound, his national income estimate low, and various mean household sizes and family and children's totals unreliable.

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  • Tom Arkell, 2006. "Illuminations and distortions: Gregory King's Scheme calculated for the year 1688 and the social structure of later Stuart England," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 59(1), pages 32-69, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:59:y:2006:i:1:p:32-69
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2005.00330.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lindert, Peter H. & Williamson, Jeffrey G., 1982. "Revising England's social tables 1688-1812," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 385-408, October.
    2. Grassby,Richard, 1995. "The Business Community of Seventeenth-Century England," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521434508, September.
    3. Levine, David & Wrightson, Keith, 1991. "The Making of an Industrial Society: Whickham 1560-1765," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198200666.
    4. Clay,C. G. A., 1984. "Economic Expansion and Social Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521277686, September.
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    1. Vincent Geloso & Peter Lindert, 2020. "Relative costs of living, for richer and poorer, 1688–1914," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 14(3), pages 417-442, September.
    2. D'Maris Coffman & Judy Z. Stephenson & Nathan Sussman, 2022. "Financing the rebuilding of the City of London after the Great Fire of 1666," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1120-1150, November.
    3. John Dodgson, 2013. "Gregory King and the economic structure of early modern England: an input–output table for 1688," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 66(4), pages 993-1016, November.

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