Leigh Shaw-Taylor

Professor Leigh Shaw-Taylor is a leading scholar in economic and social history at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Faculty of History and the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure. Her work focuses on long-run economic developments in England, particularly occupational structures and transport improvements during the Industrial Revolution. She directs the Occupational Structure of Britain project and collaborates internationally through networks like INCHOS and AFCHOS.

Research Interests include:

• Quantitative reconstruction of occupational structures (1379–1911)
• Comparative economic development across regions and countries
• Transport infrastructure's role in industrialization
• Demographic and social changes linked to agrarian capitalism

Her recent publications analyze transport networks' economic impacts, occupational shifts during industrialization, and health trends in pre-modern societies. Teaching includes British economic history and quantitative methods, with supervision opportunities for students exploring occupational structure datasets.

Contact: lmws2@cam.ac.uk