Antedating of "Gentrification"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Fred Shapiro:
>
> The OED's first use for "gentrification" is dated 1973.  However, Wikipedia=
>  cites Ruth Glass's 1964 book, London: Aspects of Change:
>
> "One by one, many of the working class neighbourhoods of London have been i=
> nvaded by the middle-classes=97upper and lower. Shabby, modest mews<http://=
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mews> and cottages=97two rooms up and two down=97have=
>  been taken over, when their leases<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lease> hav=
> e expired, and have become elegant, expensive residences ... Once this proc=
> ess of 'gentrification' starts in a district it goes on rapidly, until all =
> or most of the original working-class occupiers are displaced and the whole=
>  social character of the district is changed."
>
> Wikipedia also refers to the word being used in the Memoirs and Proceedings=
>  of the Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society in 1888.

Excellent observation, Fred.

The 1888 claim in the Wikipedia article for "Gentrification" has a
reference note numbered 10. This note points to a volume in Google
Books with the following current description:

[Begin metadata]
Manchester Memoirs, Volumes 136-137
Front Cover
The Society, 1997
[End metadata]

The word gentrification is visible in a snippet along with phrases
such as "demographic vitality". A search for "1997" indicates that the
volume does contain 1997 material. I hypothesize that the 1888 year
was inserted into the Wikipedia article based on previous flawed
metadata in GB.

Garson

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