The rise of the English shipping industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries / Ralph Davis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Davis, Ralph, 1915- author.

Contributor:

International Maritime Economic History Association, publisher.

Series:

Research in maritime history ; no. 48.

Research in maritime history ; no. 48

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shipping--Great Britain--History.

Shipping.

Merchant marine--Great Britain--History.

Merchant marine.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (417 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

St. John's, Nfld. : International Maritime Economic History Association, 2012.

Summary:

This volume is a reprint of Ralph Davis' seminal 1962 book, The Rise of the English Shipping Industry in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. The aim was to examine the economic reasons for the growth of British shipping before the arrival of modern technology, with a particular attention on overseas trade. The study can roughly be divided into two halves. The first is an in-depth exploration the roles within the shipping industry, from shipbuilders and shipowners to seamen and masters, from an economic perspective. The second is a chapter-by-chapter review of British overseas trade with Northern Europe, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, East India, and America and the West Indies. The final two chapters diverge from the main sections, and focus on the interplay between government, war, and shipping. Davis attaches no extra significance to any particular nation or role, and offers an even-handed approach to maritime history still considered rare in the present day. Costs, profits, voyage estimates, ship-prices, and earnings all come under close and equal scrutiny as Davis seeks to understand the trades and developments in shipping during the period. To conclude, he places the study into a broader historical context and discovers that shipping played a measured but crucial role in the development of industrialisation and English economic development. This edition includes an introduction by the series editor; Davis' introduction and preface; seventeen analytical chapters; a concluding chapter; two appendices concerning shipping statistics and sources; and a comprehensive index.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Introduction to the 2012 Edition

Series Editor's Note

Introduction

Preface

Chapter 1: The Widening of Horizons, 1560-1689

Chapter 2: Consolidation, 1689-1775

Chapter 3: Ships and Shipbuilders in the Seventeenth Century

Chapter 4: Ships and Shipbuilders in the Eighteenth Century

Chapter 5: The Shipowners

Chapter 6: The Merchant Seamen

Chapter 7: The Pay and Conditions of Merchant Seamen

Chapter 8: Shipping Management and the Role of the Master

Chapter 9: Shipping and Trade

Chapter 10: The Nearby and Northern European Trades

Chapter 11 : The Southern European and Mediterranean Trades

Chapter 12: The East Indian Trade

Chapter 13: The American and West Indian Trades

Chapter 14: The Government and the Shipping Industry

Chapter 15: War and the Shipping Industry

Chapter 16: Four Ships and Their Fortunes

Chapter 17: Was It a Profitable Business?

Chapter 18: Conclusion

Appendix A: A Note on the Shipping Statistics, 1686-1788

Appendix B: Sources for the History of the Shipping Industry

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 08 Jun 2018).

ISBN:

1-78694-446-4

1-78694-887-7