Studying the Stayers: the Stable Population of Long Melford, Suffolk, over Two Hundred Years

Studies of population movement are more common than those focusing on the long-term inhabitants of a settlement. This article, based on data from a population reconstruction, examines long-term and inter-generational stability amongst couples resident in Long Melford, Suffolk, both those with local family links and those who migrated from elsewhere. The study focuses on three periods: 1661–91, 1753–83 and 1831–61 and finds that the proportion of couples who met the stability indicators increased over time; overall the proportion of wives who met the criteria increased more than that of husbands. A comparison of the children of these couples is used to relate stability amongst the couples and their children and to highlight issues relating to assessing the stability of single adults.