The first of two talks
The Economic Web by Theodore Barker, Professor of Economic and Social History in the University of Kent at Canterbury

The period 1650-1750 is the run-in to the Industrial Revolution proper. We are accustomed to think of it largely in terms of the development of the provinces. But during this period London attained a phenomenal uniqueness in size, both absolutely and relatively, among the great cities of Europe. Professor Barker suggests that London perhaps played a far greater role in starting to roll the snowball of economic revolution than we normally realise. In this talk he looks at some of the evidence in the field of economics.