Worsbrough : change and continuity in the society, economy and buildings of a South Yorkshire township, 1600 - 1851.

Changes and continuities in the South Yorkshire township of Worsbrough are examined in detail, bringing together documentary, environmental and archaeological evidence in an analysis of the development of the township from a rural, mainly agricultural, community to one dominated by heavy industry in the mid-nineteenth century. This progression is viewed through the involvement of, and effects on, the whole range of Worsbrough society, placing the changes in a regional and national context. A review of the natural resources within the township boundaries considers both their potential for exploitation in establishing a successful settlement and the problems of communication which affected economic development. A brief review of the early history of Worsbrough establishes the manorial structure and the role of the church, important influences in the development of the township. Surveys of surviving early buildings in Worsbrough, many with related Probate Inventories, illustrate the changing fortunes of different levels ofsociety, providing a context for a review of the demographic changes throughout the period. The structure of the society is examined with statistical analysis of the composition and variability of the population. Aspects of social behaviour and control are investigated, including provision for the poor and sick, related to the activities of the church and manor officers. The economic structure of the, township is examined, emphasising the interaction of industry and agriculture, with particular reference to the stress generated in the community as Worsbrough developed into an industrialised urban township in the early nineteenth century.