Preface

Summary

The Cardington listing of inhabitants was kindly brought to my attention in 1966 by the now County Archivist, Miss Patricia Bell. In the following seven years she encouraged me in its study, humanised some of its rawer statistics from her wide knowledge of Bedfordshire in the 18th century, and was a constant source of help during its preparation for publication in this Series. Her staff in the County Record Office, especially Mr. Alan Cirket, were also most co-operative.

I am glad to acknowledge many debts. Colleagues and pupils at Bedford School began the work in the context of VIth form specialist project studies. Colleagues at Portsmouth Polytechnic discussed methods and allied work. Both institutions contributed towards costs. Progress with the volume was only possible when other commitments allowed but a general contact was kept with members of the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure. They gave much essential professional guidance, and Dr. Roger Schofield commented helpfully upon a draft of this text. The final responsibility for residual errors and blemishes is however mine alone.

The decision to print the 1782 Cardington listing in extenso in a Records Series, with a lengthy Introduction, was influenced by several factors. While it lacks some important categories of information, the listing has a general standard of detail which places it among the best of its kind, as Drs. Neil Tranter and Roger Schofield have shown in their articles, which were a constant and invaluable reference point for this study, as their authors were a source of encouragement. Another factor was the quality of related Bedfordshire sources. Publication of primary material and an analysis of it should give a ready guide to its chief implications, though few forms of presentation so open the door to criticism. I hope that other workers in rearranging these tables for their own uses, or in constructing altogether new ones, will bring out some of the many other aspects which lack of space and time have excluded here.

Finally, it is no less valid, because it is often customary, to thank my family for their encouragement, assistance and tolerance.