The growth of the Vale of Leven, 1841-1891

This thesis is concerned with the growth of the Bleaching, Printing and Dyeing Industry of the Vale of Leven (Dunbartonshire) in the second half of the 19th Century. Three main facets of this development are examined, namely the industrial growth, the corresponding urban growth and the evolving structure of the rising population. To set this period in perspective, and to lay the foundations of detailed analysis, progress prior to 1840 is also considered. The thesis thus begins with an account of the rural background prior to industrialization, the locational attractions which were paramount in bring the industry to the Vale of Leven, and of early industrial and population growth. Urban growth is analysed through a study of large scale maps which trace developments from 1777 to 1899. The 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey Maps of 1864 and 1899 are used for a detailed examination of the urban morphology. Earlier, smaller scale maps provide information on the evolution of the townscapes up to the beginning of the second half of the 19th Century. The population structure is analysed by using 10% samples drawn from the Household Schedules in the unpublished Census Enumerators' Books for the years 1851, 1871 and 1891. For each of these years the Age/Sex Structure, Household Sizes, Occupations and Origins of the population are considered in the main, and explanations for the changes which occur in the structure over this 40 year period are discussed. The post 1891 decline of the Industry is then briefly examined