In the last post I pointed to the extraordinary, unprecedented growth of London in the period 1550 to 1700. From a medieval peak of about 50,000 inhabitants, it ballooned to a population of well over half a million. A whopping tenfold increase that propelled the city from an unexceptional regional centre to being Europe’s foremost metropolis. Having promised an explanation, I’ve spent the past few weeks researching how.
I recommend you read Guns, Sails, and Empires: Technological Innovation and the Early Phases of European Expansion, 1400-1700 by Carlo M. Cipolla. It covers the innovations in sailing ships during that time (as well as the new centrality of cannon for ship to ship warfare.)
A couple points I read during the last few years that touch on this subject. During those early years of this transformation of London and England (1550s) Henry VIII split from the Catholic church and confiscated the property and wealth of the churches and monasteries. He, along with all the English people, was (were) excommunicated leaving them without markets for their goods among Catholic States. These two events not only enriched the British monarchy it also spurred the merchants onto seeking markets farther away that most Catholic Christians wouldn't go to.... Such as the Muslim States the Catholics had been at war with for centuries. In addition, though the progress was slow, the New England colonies not only supplied tobacco they also supplied high quality timber for British ship building at a time when British and European forests were being cut down to fuel and timber was becoming expensive.
Interesting. I'm not sure that timber would have played an especially large role until much later, but I will look into that. Typically, ship timber in the 17th and early 18thCs was imported from the Baltic, as far as I'm aware, rather than the New World. As for the Muslim states, you might be interested in a couple of articles I wrote about Morocco in the 16thC: https://antonhowes.substack.com/p/age-of-invention-sugar-saltpetre
Some varieties of the new draperies might be fulled, such as bays, says, or serges, but a "true" worsted was not. Hondschoote says, for example, might have some cursory fulling, but they were also hybrids, with shorter-stapled, greased, and carded wefts, even if the warp was dry, long-stapled and combed. So it really comes down to the variety. But as an "ideal type", if you will, worsteds aren't.
I recommend you read Guns, Sails, and Empires: Technological Innovation and the Early Phases of European Expansion, 1400-1700 by Carlo M. Cipolla. It covers the innovations in sailing ships during that time (as well as the new centrality of cannon for ship to ship warfare.)
Sounds perfect, thanks. It’s shipbuilding history for me next, I think. Unless there’s a bit more left to write about wool...
A couple points I read during the last few years that touch on this subject. During those early years of this transformation of London and England (1550s) Henry VIII split from the Catholic church and confiscated the property and wealth of the churches and monasteries. He, along with all the English people, was (were) excommunicated leaving them without markets for their goods among Catholic States. These two events not only enriched the British monarchy it also spurred the merchants onto seeking markets farther away that most Catholic Christians wouldn't go to.... Such as the Muslim States the Catholics had been at war with for centuries. In addition, though the progress was slow, the New England colonies not only supplied tobacco they also supplied high quality timber for British ship building at a time when British and European forests were being cut down to fuel and timber was becoming expensive.
Interesting. I'm not sure that timber would have played an especially large role until much later, but I will look into that. Typically, ship timber in the 17th and early 18thCs was imported from the Baltic, as far as I'm aware, rather than the New World. As for the Muslim states, you might be interested in a couple of articles I wrote about Morocco in the 16thC: https://antonhowes.substack.com/p/age-of-invention-sugar-saltpetre
an article says worsteds require some (light) fulling:
https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fabrics-fibers/fulling
Some varieties of the new draperies might be fulled, such as bays, says, or serges, but a "true" worsted was not. Hondschoote says, for example, might have some cursory fulling, but they were also hybrids, with shorter-stapled, greased, and carded wefts, even if the warp was dry, long-stapled and combed. So it really comes down to the variety. But as an "ideal type", if you will, worsteds aren't.