Family and Household in Medieval England

Author:   Peter Fleming
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:  

9780333610794


Pages:   172
Publication Date:   06 December 2000
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Out of stock   Availability explained


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Family and Household in Medieval England


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Overview

Drawing upon a wide range of historical research, Family and Household in Medieval England offers a stimulating and engaging introduction to the formative period of one of the central institutions of western society. The family and household together provided the basic unit of social organisation in the Middle Ages, and this period saw the emergence of many aspects of modern life, not least the marriage service and its attendant ceremonies. The family was one of the few experiences or institutions common to every rank of medieval society, from princes to peasants. The centrality of this theme is reflected in the breadth of topics considered here, which embrace demography, the law, theology and popular belief, property-holding, employment, and, of course, love and emotional relationships. These areas are explored in a clear and accessible manner. After discussing the family in the religious and legal traditions from the late classical and barbarian periods to the Middle ages, the book adopts a 'life-cycle' approach to the history of the medieval English family, beginning with courtship and marriage, encompassing childbirth and the parent-child relationship along the way, through to the dissolution of marriage, either by death or separation, and ending with a discussion of widowhood, wardship and retirement. The text is illuminated with examples from the experiences of people from all levels of medieval soicety, reflecting the diversity of family life in this period. The history of the family touches upon the most intimate areas of life, and Fleming never forgets that it is real people, who possessed complex emotions, sensibilities and private lives, who form the heart of this study.

Full Product Details

Author:   Peter Fleming
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Red Globe Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.10cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.230kg
ISBN:  

9780333610794


ISBN 10:   0333610792
Pages:   172
Publication Date:   06 December 2000
Audience:   College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  A / AS level ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Out of stock   Availability explained

Table of Contents

Introduction MARRIAGE MAKING Marriage in Theory and Law Age at First Marriage Coercion and Freedom of Choice Marriage Strategies Marriage Settlements The Ordering of Marriage FAMILY LIFE Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Family Size Leaving Home Servants Kinship THE DISSOLUTION OF A MARRIAGE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES Annulment and Separation Widows and Widowers Wardship Inheritance Retirement Conclusion Select Bibliography Index.

Reviews

'This is a lucid and concise handbook on marriage, family law, and local custom in medieval England, 1066-1520. Peter Fleming's survey draws on church law, modern demographic statistics, and evidence from contemporary records and court proceedings, and covers a wide social range from the aristocracy to the urban and rural poor. The argument is balanced, refreshingly free from jargon, and well supplied with suggestions for further reading.' - Rosalind Field, Medieval Studies '...this is an extremely useful contribution to the study of the family and household.' - Albion 'Deserves to take a prominent place on the reading lists...elegantly written, very readable, concise, yet packed with information.' - Speculum


'This is a lucid and concise handbook on marriage, family law, and local custom in medieval England, 1066-1520. Peter Fleming's survey draws on church law, modern demographic statistics, and evidence from contemporary records and court proceedings, and covers a wide social range from the aristocracy to the urban and rural poor. The argument is balanced, refreshingly free from jargon, and well supplied with suggestions for further reading.' - Rosalind Field, Medieval Studies '...this is an extremely useful contribution to the study of the family and household.' - Albion 'Deserves to take a prominent place on the reading lists...elegantly written, very readable, concise, yet packed with information.' - Speculum


Author Information

PETER FLEMING is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of the West of England.

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