ABSTRACT
Writing of Surrey and Sussex in 1829, Thomas Allen noted that ‘From the Restoration to the present time little worthy of notice has occurred in either of the counties’ (Allen 1829: 180). Leaving aside the fact that he was omitting the most dynamic of the south-eastern counties, Kent, it is still possible utterly to refute Allen’s viewpoint. In rural and urban spheres alike this was a time of great change. Technical change embraced farming, manufacturing, and coastal and overland travel. Social instability, growing poverty and political change touched all parts, while London continued to spread its influence at an ever-greater rate. However, such change and innovation was interleaved with stress throughout the period, and the interaction of these two aspects also forms a theme for the chapter.
