Leeds in eighteen century

Published: 05/29/2010

In the early 18th century the writer Daniel Defoe said: 'Leeds is a large, wealthy and populous town. It stands on the north bank of the river Aire, or rather on both sides of the river for there is a large suburb or part of the town on the south side of the river'. In 1714 Queens Court was built for a wealthy cloth merchant.

In the 18th century wool manufacture was still the lifeblood of Leeds but there were other industries. Leeds pottery began in 1770. There was also a brick making industry. There were also many craftsmen such as coach makers, clockmakers, booksellers and jewellers as well as more mundane trades such as butchers, bakers, barbers, innkeepers, carpenters, blacksmiths and glaziers.

In 1700 the rivers Aire and Calder were made navigable from Leeds to Wakefield. In 1794 work began on the Leeds to Liverpool canal. It was completed in 1816.

For the rich and the middle class life grew more comfortable and more genteel during the 18th century (although there were also many very poor people in Leeds). The first newspaper in Leeds began publication in 1718. After 1755 the streets were lit with oil lamps. After 1790 'scavengers' cleaned the streets. In 1777 an assembly rooms where balls were held and people played cards was built.

In the 1780s the park estate around Park Place was built.

For the poor a charity school called the Blue Coat school was built in 1705. Mary Potter's almshouses were built in 1736.