Historians have only recently awakened to the importance of the family, the basic social unit throughout human history. This book traces the development of marriage and the family from the Middle Ages to the early modern era. It describes how the Roman and barbarian cultural streams merged under the influence of the Christian church to forge new concepts, customs, laws, and practices. Century by century it follows the development -- sometimes gradual, at other times revolutionary -- of significant elements in the history of the family:

• The basic functions of the family as production unit, as well as its religious, social, judicial, and educational roles.


• The shift of marriage from private arrangement between families to public ceremony between individuals, and the adjustments in dowry, bride-price, and counter-dowry.


• The development of consanguinity rules and incest taboos in church law and lay custom.


• The peasant family in its varying condition of being free or unfree, poor, middling, or rich.


• The aristocratic estate, the problem of the younger son, and the disinheritance of daughters.


• The Black Death and its long-term effects on the family.
• Sex attitudes and customs: the effects of variations in age of men and women at marriage.


• The changing physical environment of noble, peasant, and urban families.


• Arrangements by families for old age and retirement.

In a mix of historical fact and folklore, 'biker-historian' David R. Ross journeys across Scotland to tell the stories of some of Scotland's finest women. From the legend of Scota over 3,000 years ago to the Bruce women, Black Agnes and the real Lady Macbeth, through Kay Matheson - who helped liberate the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey - and Wendy Wood in the 20th century, these proud and passionate women shaped the Scotland of today. Leading his readers to the sites where the past meets the present, this is a captivating insight into some remarkable tales of the Scottish people that have previously been neglected, a celebration of and tribute to the Women of Scotland. Often in my daily life I find that it is the women of Scotland that have the true patriot sould their menfolk sometimes lack. Scotland means something to so many of them, and Caledonia burns deep within their collective memory. I hope that both Scots men and women are inspired or moved by some of the stories told here. Women of Scotland, it is you who will bear and nurture our future generations. Instil in them a pride in their blood that will inspire the generations yet to come, so that our land will regain its place, and remain strong and free, defiant and proud, for the Scots yet unborn. - DAVID R. ROSS

This detailed study of the parish clergy in England on the Eve of the break with Rome is based on a wide variety of documentary sources, both ecclesiastical and secular, ranging from diocesan records to sworn evidence offered in litigation and acc

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2006. The reform of the Church of England in the first half of the nineteenth century was moulded considerably by the same pressures of industrialization, urbanization, and population growth that rapidly altered English society adn its institutions as a whole. The present work examines the responses of the episcopal leadership of the Church of England and Wales to the transformation of teh soceity to which they ministered. It considers primarily their social ideas and policies from teh decade preceding the French Revolution to the middle of the nineteenth century: from the period when a few bishops began to worry abotu the effectiveness of their abuse-ridden Church to the time when teh established Church,ecclesiastically reformed and spiritually revitalized, looked forward to evangelizing the multitudes who peopled the new age. The study concentrates on the attitudes and policies of those prelates installed in the years before 1783, between 1783 and 1812, between 1812 and 1830, and finally between 1830 and 1852. Professor Soloway also examines their socialconnections, showingthe predominantly aristocratic nature of the Church's leadership in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.He emphasises the importance of the role of these men in guiding, administering and reforming the established Church in a period of unprecedented economic and socialchange.

First published in 2006. This book is a study of the political struggles over the repeal of laws restricting or penalizing religious minorities in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and of the opinions and ideas expressed in the controversies surrounding these struggles.

An Army officer must lead men into frightening and dangerous situations and sometimes make them do things that they never thought they could do. This book recounts how British officers have led their men, and commanded their respect, from the days of Marlborough to the Second Iraq war of 2003. Anthony Clayton explores who the officers, men and now women, have been and are, where they came from, what ideals or traditions have motivated them, and their own perceptions of themselves. His account tells the fascinating story of how the role of the military officer evolved, illustrated by a selection of captivating images, and the personal memoirs, biographies and autobiographies of officers.

In these classic works, now reissued by Routledge, Professor Jordan studies the origins of modern social and cultural institutions in England. He is concerned with the momentous shift which occurred in men's aspirations for their society in the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as reflected in the charities which were established by gifts and bequests. In a fascinating account of the measures taken by the Tudors and Stuarts to deal with the problem of poverty, Jordan concludes that it was principally dealt relieved by an immense outpouring of charitable wealth.

Nation and the Writing of History in China and Britain explores, through a comparative approach, the reception of the nationalist worldview and its effects on the practice of history in China and Britain. This book proposes that nationalism, rather than a political doctrine, is a way of making sense of the world which results from the combination of a set of definite assumptions. The work analyzes how each one of these premises was accepted and negotiated by literati, intellectuals, historians, and other scholars in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The results of this research showcase how the reception of the new nationalist worldview crucially affected images of the past, the present, and the future in both societies and decisively framed cultural, social, and political debate. In addition, they likewise evidence the fundamental role that historical narratives play in the crystallization of national identities. This book is perfect for readers interested in China and Britain during this time period, but also to anyone attracted to new ways of conceiving nationalism and its role in our world.

AS SEEN IN THE TIMES AND UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller 'THE ROYAL BOOK OF THE YEAR' Daily Mail THIS CRISIS IS AS BIG AS THE ABDICATION - SAYS LACEY, HISTORICAL ADVISOR TO THE CROWN. The world has watched Prince William and Prince Harry since they were born. Raised by Princess Diana to be the closest of brothers, how have the boy princes grown into very different, now distanced men? From royal expert and bestselling author Robert Lacey, this book is an unparalleled insider account of tumult and secrecy revealing the untold details of William and Harry's early closeness then estrangement. It asks what happens when two sons are raised for vastly different futures - one burdened with the responsibility of one day becoming king, the other with the knowledge that he will always remain spare. How have William and Harry each formed their idea of a modern royal's duty and how they should behave? Were the seeds of damage sowed as Prince Charles and Diana's marriage painfully unraveled for all the world to see? In the previous generation, how have Prince Charles and Prince Andrew's lives unfolded in the shadow of the Crown? What choices has Queen Elizabeth II made in marshalling her feuding heirs? What parts have Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle played in helping their husbands to choose their differing paths? And what is the real, unvarnished story behind Harry and Meghan's dramatic departure? In the most intimate vision yet of life behind closed doors, with the family's highs, lows and hardest decisions all laid out, this is a journey into royal life as never offered before.

Originally published in 1994, This Working-Day World is lively collection of essays presenting a social, political and cultural view of British women's lives in the period 1914-45. The volume describes women's activities in many different areas, ranging from the weekly wash to the rescue of child refugees. Each essay, from an international list of contributors, is based on new research which will complement existing studies in a range of disciplines by adding information on, among other topics, women's teacher training colleges, and women in the BBC, in medical laboratories and in Art schools. The book does not, however, idealise women: the militarism and racism of the period infected women too, and this is revealed in the account of women in the British Union of Fascists, and the analysis of the Pankhursts' merging of patriotism and gender issues. Through studies and personal accounts, This Working-Day World reveals past issues that are still pertinent to debates in today's society. As we read the chapter on the recently discovered Diary of Doreen Bates which outlines possibly the first female civil servant campaign for rights as a single mother, we hear echoes of issues being discussed today. Indeed, as we approach the end of the century it is a good moment to look back and re-evaluate areas and degrees of progress - or the reverse - in society, and in British women's lives in particular. With its unusual photographs, this accessible and informative collection provides a rich resource for students in twentieth century social and cultural history, and women's studies courses, and an enlightening volume for general readers.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER '[A] clever, lively ... splendid new book' DAN JONES, SUNDAY TIMES 'A big gold bar of delight' SPECTATOR Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. In this sweeping and original history, renowned historian Marc Morris separates the truth from the legend and tells the extraordinary story of how the foundations of England were laid. 'Marc Morris is a genius of medieval narrative' IAN MORTIMER, author of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England 'Brilliant ... Beautifully written, incredibly accessible and deeply researched' JAMES O'BRIEN 'A much-needed book ... A gripping story, beautifully told' BERNARD CORNWELL, author of The Last Kingdom 'Highly informative and hugely enjoyable' IAN HISLOP 'A vivid, sharply drawn story of seven centuries of profound political change' THOMAS PENN, author of The Winter King

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2006. This book contributes towards a more just appreciation of the relative importance of the different major social groups in the life of the country. It deals in the main with the economic history of the landed interest, and with its role as a social group and includes much agrarian and some industrial history as seen from the landowners' point of view. The first seven chapters of the book aim to present an analysis and description of the main elements in the institutions and way of life of the landed classes, suggesting their significance for society at large, and emphasizing the forces of change which were at work within an order which in many ways presented a remarkably stable appearance to the outside world. The last five chapters take up the theme of change and examine the dynamic elements in the economic social and political life of the group, in a sequence of chronological subdivisions of the century and a half with which this book is concerned.

First Published in 2004. Throughout the half-century between the Crimean War and the outbreak of the First World War, few countries confronted successive British governments with the complexity of problems posed by the Ottoman Empire. This study attempts to attain three main objectives. The first is an analysis of the growth and development of British policy at two levels: the Embassy and the Foreign Office. The second is an assessment of the influence of various embassies on decision-making in the Foreign Office. The third is an estimate of the influence of European and Imperial considerations upon the formulation of Britain's policy towards the Ottoman Empire.

What was a "garden" in medieval and early modern British culture and how was it imagined? How did it change as Europe opened up to the wider world from the 16th century onwards? In a series of fresh approaches to these questions, the contributors offer chapters that identify and discuss newly-discovered pre-modern garden spaces in archaeology and archival sources, recognize a gendered language of the garden in fictional descriptions ("fictional" here being taken to mean any written text, regardless of its purpose), and offer new analysis of the uses to which gardens - real and imagined - might be put. Chapters investigate the definitions, forms and functions of physical gardens; explore how the material space of the garden was gendered as a secluded space for women, and as a place of recreation; examine the centrality of garden imagery in medieval Christian culture; and trace the development of garden motifs in the literary and artistic imagination to convey the sense of enclosure, transformation and release. The book uniquely underlines the current environmental "turn" in the humanities, and increasingly recognizes the value of exploring human interaction with the landscapes of the past as a route to health and well-being in the present.

'The unofficial voice of modern Irish history' Economist When President of the Irish Republic Michael Collins signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, he remarked to Lord Birkenhead, 'I may have signed my actual death warrant.' In August 1922 at the height of the Irish Civil War, that prophecy came true - Collins was shot and killed by a fellow Irishman in a shocking political assassination. So ended the life of the greatest of all Irish nationalists, but his visions and legacy lived on. This authorative and comprehensive biography presents the life of a man who became a legend in his own lifetime, whose idealistic vigour and determination were matched only by his political realism and supreme organisational abilities. Coogan's biography provides a fascinating insight into a great political leader, whilst vividly portraying the political unrest in a divided Ireland, that can help to shape our understanding of Ireland's past, present and future. 'There have been several other lives of Collins, but none has assembled such wealth of detail' Independent on Sunday

In Ireland, as in many other countries, the education and training of nurses is undergoing reform and what was a vocation is becoming a profession." A History of Apprenticeship Nurse Training in Ireland" traces the progress of nurse education, presenting a new authoritative and scholarly account of the history of the traditional system of training in Ireland.
Introduced as part of the reforms of hospital nursing in the late nineteenth century, apprenticeship nurse training was a vocational extension of secondary education. It resided outside the mainstream of higher educational provision and provided nurses with the knowledge and technical skills for sick nursing. It also functioned to socialize them into the role of hospital worker and to inculcate in them nursing's value systems. This system of training provided a ready supply of skilled, efficient, inexpensive and loyal workers. Gerard M. Fealy exposes social, cultural, political and economic factors that have influenced this provision and reform of nurse training, and demonstrates how these factors have shaped modern nursing in Ireland. He critically examines current historiography, bringing the hidden role of nurses and nursing to the fore.
Based on extensive primary sources, this in-depth study is essential reading for scholars and students of nursing history and Irish social history.

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 1967, this superb collection of essays on trade in the Middle Ages has been a major contribution to modern medieval studies. Professor Carus-Wilson examines:

* fifteenth-century Bristol
* trade with Iceland
* the Merchant Adventurers of London
* the thirteenth-century cloth industry (with its highly developed capitalist system)
* the export of English woollen cloth
* the wine trade.

Each paper is firmly rooted in original research and contemporary sources such as customs returns and company minutes, and, in addition, her expose of the dubious accuracy of Aulnage accounts is widely recognised as a classic.

First Published in 2005. In this book, the author seeks to bring out the causes which led to the coming of machinery and which made Great Britain the workshop of the world for a large part of the nineteenth century. Knowles especially stresses the world position of the United Kingdom during the past century owing to the developments of mechanical transport which were the inevitable outcome of the mass production by machines. This title also aims to account for the great change in public opinion after 1870, which led to the growth of State control, not merely in industry, but in commerce, agriculture, transport and imperial relations.

Dr Dorothy Marshall covers a vital period in English social development, during which the traditional social hierarchy of order and degree was giving place to a class society marked by the growth of a self-conscious working class.
The author shows how, between 1776 and 1851, industrialization brought about major changes in the structure of society, so that by 1851 the outlines of modern urban and industrial society had been irrevocably drawn. She examines the social implications of the Industrial Revolution, referring in particular to the growth of urban society, the repercussions on the rural community and the resulting alterations in the social structure. She examines upper-, middle- and working-class opinions on such topics as religion and education, and traces the effect of the economic and social changes on the constitution and on political life. In the final chapter Dr Marshall describes the way in which the abuses of the new society brought about the demand for parliamentary legislation to deal with the injustices of the Poor Law, the factory system, and the problem of sanitation. This fascinating book was first published in 1973.