An analysis of coal's role in the European Industrial Revolution

How much did coal play a role in the Industrial Revolution's growth? We use a panel of European cities ranging in size from 1300 to 1900 to address the question. Prior to 1750, there was no correlation between proximity to coalfields and growth; but, following 1750, cities closest to coalfields grew at a far quicker rate than those further away. We use proximity to Carboniferous era rock strata to detect coal proximity.