Middle Class in England in Modern Times: Discussions of Historians

The different approaches in historiography to the origin of the middle class in England in modern time are regarded in this article. Three long periods to which this process is attributed are distinguished: 1) Tudors' epoch; 2) "the long 18th century"; 3) end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century and the Victorian time. The arguments for and against each of these points of view are considered. The special attention is given to the discussions of the historians whether middle class was social reality or the construct of public consciousness.