Picking winners? The effect of birth order and migration on parental human capital investments in pre-modern England

摘要

An apprenticeship was one of the main human capital investment opportunities available to pre-modern families. The decision to undertake such an investment brought with it a series of important economic considerations. Which child should receive the apprenticeship? What were the effects of indenturing a child on their continued connections to the family and home community? The answers to these questions reveal the importance of culture, economic constraints, and intergenerational relationships in shaping private human capital investment decisions prior to industrialization.