Description
This 2007 text was the first volume in recent years to provide an overview and assessment of the most important research that has been published on the English family in the past three decades. Some of the most distinguished historians of family illuminate early modern family ideals and experiences.
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The editors of this study on the family in England from 1500 to 1800 have chosen to honor the work of noted historian and teacher, Anthony Fletcher. Many of the authors were his colleagues and students. However, Berry (early modern history, University of Newcastle upon Tyne) and Foyster (history, Clare College, Cambridge) frame this collection by the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Lawrence Stone's Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800. While Stone was an early advocate for the study of family history, his work was severely flawed. Each essay begins with a point made by Stone that the author refutes. The work as a whole reflects recent research in family history, often using sources that are often ignored, such as broadsides and ballads. It is made clear that the concept of the family differed according to status, gender and stage of life. Articles note the various roles that women played, even as family partners in crime. The role of men in family life is also reassessed, their position as fathers and their regret when marriages produced no children. The introduction gives an excellent historiography of the field. The editors also remind the reader that the conclusions of the authors are only for England and that a good comparative international study has still to be written. The essays in this volume are all excellent, well researched and well written. They provide a comparative base for scholars of other times and places as well as a different viewpoint for those interested in the history of Early Modern England. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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