Gloucester Port Books, 1575-1765

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The aims of this dataset are to compile a computer database of Gloucester Port Books to study internal trade in the Severn Valley region; to formulate a standard approach to the computerisation of port books; to undertake case studies in trade and industry using port book and other evidence.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>The Exchequor Port Books are a unique and invaluable source for studying coastal trade from the late 16th to the early 18th centuries. They record in detail the movement of boats which passed on coastal voyages between domestic ports and havens, naming operators and boats involved in the trade and describing the cargoes carried. The Gloucester Port Books database describes some 2 million discrete entities of information relating to the movement, organisation and operation of goods traded coastally. These data will facilitate research into a wide range of topics including the importance of waterborne trade with details of the range of goods carried in all economic sectors, the impact of river navigation on industry, and the role of river trade in early modern industrial development.