Family and Kinship in England 1450-1800 guides the reader through the changing relationships that made up the nature of family life from the late medieval period to the beginnings of industrialisation. It gives a clear introduction to many of the intriguing areas of interest that this field of history has opened up, including childhood, youth, marriage, sexuality and death.
This book introduces the elements that made up family life at different stages of its development, from creation to dissolution, and traces the degree to which family life in England changed throughout the early modern period. It also provides a valuable synthesis of the debates and research on the history of the family, highlighting the different ways historians have investigated the topic in the past. This new edition has been fully updated to incorporate the latest research on urban communities, emotions and interactions between the family and the parish, town and state.
Supported by a range of compelling primary source documents, a glossary of terms, a chronology and a who’s who of key characters, this is an essential resource for any student of the history of the family.
List of Images
Chronology
Who’s Who
PART ONE INTRODUCTION – METHODS AND STRUCTURES
CHAPTER ONE - APPROACHING THE HISTORY OF THE FAMILY
CHAPTER TWO - EMOTIONAL LIFE
CHAPTER THREE - RESIDENCE AND REPRODUCTION
CHAPTER FOUR - LIFE CYCLE AND ECONOMY
CHAPTER FIVE - KINSHIP
CHAPTER SIX - CULTURE AND CONTEXT
PART TWO ANALYSIS – THE PATTERN OF FAMILY LIFE
CHAPTER SEVEN - INDEPENDENCE AND FAMILY FORMATION
CHAPTER EIGHT - SEX AND SEXUALITIES
CHAPTER NINE - MARRIAGE
CHAPTER TEN - PARENTS AND CHILDREN
CHAPTER ELEVEN - GROWING UP
CHAPTER TWELVE - DEATH AND BURIAL
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - BROKEN FAMILIES
PART THREE ASSESSMENT – CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE IMPACT OF IDEAS ON FAMILY LIFE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - ECONOMIC CHANGE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - THE FAMILY AND KINSHIP IN PERSPECTIVE
PART FOUR - DOCUMENTS
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Biography
Will Coster is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Bedfordshire. His previous publications include Baptism and Spiritual Kinship in Early Modern England (2002) and Sacred Space in Early Modern Europe (co-edited with A. Spicer, 2005)
Praise of this edition:
"This is a highly readable introductory textbook on the history of the family in early modern England. The new edition updates the volume nicely, bringing it bang up-to-date with current research, which combines with helpful glossary, bibliographical and documents sections. Overall, a useful book for A-level students, undergraduates and the interested general reader."
James Daybell, Plymouth University, UK"Fresh, readable, sympathetic, engaging, and balanced: Coster has a keen eye for what matters and a felicitous way of summarising issues in a lucid and thoughtful way. This is a model textbook."
Rab Houston, University of St Andrews, UKPraise of the first edition:
"this excellent treatise [provides] understanding of the evolution of the family and an insight into family life some 500 years ago, by examining childhood, adolescence, marriage and sexuality amongst other topics"
Family Tree Magazine
'...very comprehensive in its scope'
The Historical Association
