Large‐scale Victorian manufacturers: Reconstructing the lost 1881 UK employer census

This study presents the first available—and near-complete—list of large UK manufacturers in 1881, by complementing employer data from that year's population census (recovered British Business Census Entrepreneurs project) with employment and capital estimates other sources. The 438 largest firms 1 000 or more employees accounted for around one-sixth manufacturing output. Examples can be found most industries. Exploiting powered machinery, intangible assets, new technologies, venture generally operating competitive markets, their exports approximately equalled domestic sales. capital-intensive accessed stock more—and larger firms—than follower economies. Some alleged later causes decline relative to US Germany cannot observed 1881. Indeed, contemporary overseas observers—capitalist socialist—correctly recognized distinctive features as its exceptional development quoted corporations, professional managers, ‘modern’, scalable, factory production.