Expansion and Development during the Nineteenth Century

During the nineteenth century the population of Wessex increased more rapidly and dramatically than ever before; the number of people more than doubled between 1801 and 1901, and this explosion had profound effects upon all aspects of life and work. Moreover, the population expansion was very uneven: a few towns developed at a tremendous rate, while the population of many rural communities scarcely grew at all, or after initial growth declined sharply during the later part of the century. The overall pattern of growth can be seen from Table 11.