The distribution between town and countryside did not shift significantly during the period, but social patterns gradually changed. The hierarchies in the society of estates became clearer. A small, powerful elite of noble landowners with enormous economic power stood out from the rest of the manorial lords. Similarly, economic progress and international trade at the end of the eighteenth century meant that the burghers gradually emerged as a politically, economically and culturally significant group.
Population growth across the whole of society led to growing numbers in the lower social strata in both the towns and the countryside. The numbers of tenant farms, merchants and master craftsmen were fixed, so the increased population could only be absorbed by the lower levels of society. Towns varied in size.
Small towns were usually not much different in size from large villages, but there was a sharp division of labour between town and countryside. The towns had the monopoly on trade and most artisan production โ for example the distillation of spirits.
There were also large cultural and economic differences. The rural population was much poorer than the urban population throughout the second half of the seventeenth century and the eighteenth century. It was only with the agrarian reforms at the end of the century that a farmer elite reappeared in the countryside. The largest divide in the towns was between the burghers and other social groups. Merchants and craftsmen were classified as burghers and thus enjoyed a special status. Day labourers, sailors, servants and recipients of alms all lacked burgher status, as did those training to practise a particular craft.
Trade organisations were important for the social structure of the town. Craftsmen belonged to the guild lav for their trade, which had a monopoly on craftsmanship and regulated prices and the number of permitted masters. The guilds also served as a social safety net, as members supported each other in the event of illness or death. A woman could not officially run an independent business, but she could operate a workshop as a widow if her husband died.
