Building a Fortune - The Finances of the Stonemasons Working on the Rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral 1675-1720

A number of writers have postulated that the rebuilding of London after the great Fire saw the birth the modern building firm. This paper looks at the problems involved. It concentrates on a number of individuals for whom more information survives than any others: the stonemasons at St Paul’s Cathedral. It shows that, while most craftsmen were poorly paid, a few could get very rich indeed.