The impact of the English civil war on the economy of London, 1642–1650
The purpose of this thesis is to ask to what extent and in what ways the economy of London was affected by the English Civil War. This w ill be placed in the context of the evolution of London’s economy and society in the 16th and 17th centuries. Comparisons with the impact of the Civil War on the economy of other parts of England will be made. The focus will be on the short term effects of the Civil War. In the first part of thesis the impact on the economy of London of Parliamentary taxation, loans and contracts for Parliament’s war effort will be assessed, as well as the policies of economic blockade pursued by the belligerents. Subsequently the impact of disruption brought about by the English Civil War on the major props of the London economy will be examined, namely London’s role in the internal and external trades of England, and manufacturing in London. It will be argued that the Civil War caused a major economic crisis in London partly because the economy of the metropolis rested on its interrelationship with the test of England, and also because of its function as the capital as the centre for the social and economic networks of the kingdom. The Civil War disrupted those networks. However the impact of the war was limited because the disruption of the national economic networks was partial, and because different aspects were disrupted at different times. The Impact of the English Civil War on the Economy of London, 1642-1650 Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester. Ben Coates, Centre for Urban History University of Leicester.