Risk and Failure in English Business 1700–1800

Julian Hoppit

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511522581

This major study considers bankruptcy in eighteenth-century England. Typically, business enterprise in this period has been seen as a success story - where men like Boulton, Watt, Wedgwood and Arkwright helped to forge the Industrial Revolution. But this is a myth, for thousands of businesses failed, hounded by their creditors into bankruptcy and ignominy. This book charts their history by looking at the incidence and causes of bankruptcy and by examining contemporary reactions to these. In this way, not only is evidence produced to improve our understanding of the nature of business enterprise, but the dynamics of the eighteenth-century economy over both the short and the long term are uncovered.

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
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Contents
pp v-v
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List of figures and tables
pp vi-vi
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Preface
pp vii-viii
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1 - Business enterprise in eighteenth-century England
pp 1-17
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2 - The bankrupt: friend or foe?
pp 18-28
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3 - Failure and the law
pp 29-41
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4 - The trend of eighteenth-century bankruptcy
pp 42-55
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5 - The structure of eighteenth-century bankruptcy
pp 56-74
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6 - Textiles, food and drink and merchants
pp 75-103
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7 - Fluctuations, the weather and cycles
pp 104-121
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8 - Bankruptcy, wars and financial crises
pp 122-139
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9 - Depths of failure and the role of creditors
pp 140-160
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10 - Contemporaries and failure
pp 161-175
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11 - Conclusion
pp 176-181
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Appendix 1 - Annual totals of English bankrupts, 1688–1800
pp 182-183
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Appendix 2 - The geography of bankruptcy, 1688–1800
pp 184-185
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Appendix 3 - Sectoral and occupational categories
pp 186-186
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Appendix 4 - Quarterly totals of bankrupts, 1696–1800
pp 187-196
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Bibliography
pp 197-222
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Index
pp 223-228
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Risk and Failure in English Business 1700–1800

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-v

List of figures and tables
pp vi-vi

Preface
pp vii-viii

1 - Business enterprise in eighteenth-century England
pp 1-17

2 - The bankrupt: friend or foe?
pp 18-28

3 - Failure and the law
pp 29-41

4 - The trend of eighteenth-century bankruptcy
pp 42-55

5 - The structure of eighteenth-century bankruptcy
pp 56-74

6 - Textiles, food and drink and merchants
pp 75-103

7 - Fluctuations, the weather and cycles
pp 104-121

8 - Bankruptcy, wars and financial crises
pp 122-139

9 - Depths of failure and the role of creditors
pp 140-160

10 - Contemporaries and failure
pp 161-175

11 - Conclusion
pp 176-181

Appendix 1 - Annual totals of English bankrupts, 1688–1800
pp 182-183

Appendix 2 - The geography of bankruptcy, 1688–1800
pp 184-185

Appendix 3 - Sectoral and occupational categories
pp 186-186

Appendix 4 - Quarterly totals of bankrupts, 1696–1800
pp 187-196

Bibliography
pp 197-222

Index
pp 223-228

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Risk and Failure in English Business 1700–1800

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