This series aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the important developments in British social and economic life from the Anglo-Saxon settlement to the present day. John Rule examines each aspect of the economy in turn, beginning with the growth of population, the agricultural and the manufacturing economies; labour; roadways and waterways; the role of towns; finance; and the domestic and overseas markets. Although there was no sudden or dramatic transformation of the economy in the way implied by some traditional presentations of the "Industrial Revolution", by the end of this period the contours of the modern economy were clearly visible. Together with the companion volume "Albion's People: English Society -1714-1815", this provides an economic and social history of the 18th century. It incorporates fresh research which has appeared during the 1980s on the 18th century and it looks at rural industry as well as the growing industry in the new towns.