Birmingham Case Study

Region impacted by structual economic change - Birmingham Metropolitan Region

Birmingham Metropolitan Region has been impacted by economic change through the years. The first large change was the development due to the royal charter. The second was the industrial revolution. The third was deindustrialiastion during the second half of the 20th century.

Before Industrialisation:

Socio-economic 

• Relatively poor agricultural manor

Demographic 

• Not much change until 1700
• Population was approx 15,000 in the early 1700s
• Increase of middle class as service sector developed (banks + lawers)
• Migration from rural areas for employment

Cultural 

• Mostly white British
• Parish church was central to life

Environmental 

During Industialisation:

Changes that took place 

• Cotton machines invested in 1730/40s
• 1st x-ray machine arrived due to industrial revolution
• Nicknamed "A city of a thousand trades"
• 1800s saw growth in gun, jewellery and metal industries (raw materials were sourced nearby)

Players 

• De Birmingham family bought a royal charter allowing the land to be changed into a market town
• Matthew Boulton built the Soho Manufactury in 1761 (700 employers)
• Cadbury family built Bournville factory
• Lloyds + Midlands banks created more service jobs…