The Making of Victorian Bristol

This book provides a detailed account of how Bristol was transformed by a growing population, industrial change, technological innovation and urban expansion over the course of the nineteenth century. Overshadowed by more economically vibrant towns of the industrial north, Bristol's prospects in 1800 were far from certain. This book provides a detailed account of how Bristol was transformed by a growing population, industrial change, technological innovation and urban expansion over the course of the nineteenth century. It explores the development of the physical fabric of the city, looking at the impact on the landscape of new types of buildings, increased housing and the repurposing of older areas, the growth of manufacturing, and the disruptive technologies of the railways and steam-powered ships. The book examines how the population responded to the opportunities, and challenges, afforded by national economic growth and world trade and which groups had the power to decide what solutions should be adopted. Finally, it considers the growing influence of central government on local decisions in relationto issues such as public health, education and housing. The book offers a distinctive and original contribution not only to the historiography of Bristol, but also to the study of urbanisation in nineteenth-century Britain in general. PETER MALPASS is Emeritus Professor of Housing and Urban Studies at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Table of Contents:
Bristol in the Age of Great Cities Public Health: from crisis to complacency Housing the Workers The Residential Suburbs Industry, Commerce and the Urban Landscape The Railways and the Urban Environment Modernising the Port Urban Improvement, Bristol Fashion The City Through Time Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Peter Malpass Is Emeritus Professor Of Housing And Urban Studies At The University Of The West Of England, Bristol.

Review :
This book is a labour of love [.] a detailed account of how Bristol changed from an essentially medieval trading port built of wood and stone to a modern industrial city built of brick and iron. What Malpass has achieved in this book as a whole is remarkable. It is very well written and readable [...] The book itself has been beautifully produced by the publishers, Boydell and Brewer, with particularly good quality images. It deserves a wide readership from local and professional historians and every citizen of Bristol with an interest in their city's past and present. [A] fascinating and lively narrative which is an important addition to the relative lack of scholarship on nineteenth-century Bristol. Malpass has made a valuable contribution to the literature on Bristol, and its nineteenth-century development in particular.