Women in the Building Trades, 1600‒1850: A
Richard Hewlings, ‘Women in the building trades, 1600–1850: A preliminary list’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. X, 2000, pp. 70–83 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2000 WOMEN IN THE BUILDING TRADES, ‒ : A PRELIMINARY LIST RICHARD HEWLINGS ary Slade was not unique, but she was unusual rate books, for instance, and the relationship between Mnevertheless. Out of a sample of some , these women and male building tradesmen of the people engaged in the building industry between same name could be determined rather than merely and , no more than were women, speculated on, as here. Since most of these women’s approximately %. names come from accounts, that source would also These women are listed below, but the limitations furnish information about rates of pay and profit, of the sample have to be noted. It is, first, a random and, occasionally, about employees, materials and sample, , names recorded in the course of transport. Insurance company records would provide researching other subjects – particular buildings, not information about stock and premises. The list particular issues nor particular persons. There are may therefore provide a starting point for a proper inevitable distortions in favour of certain times and study of the subject; such a study would not only certain places, not to mention the distortions caused illuminate women’s history, but the history of the by absence of primary evidence. The first half of the building trade as well. seventeenth century, for instance, is thinly represented, Thirdly, the building trade is here defined as the so are Scotland, Wales and large parts of southern provision of immovables, so providers of furniture, and western England.
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