The history of the family has become the source of lively controversy and Ralph Houlbrooke's study has made a major contribution to the debate. Thorough investigations reveal the attitudes and aspirations of all levels of society set within economic, political and religious contexts and developments within the period.

Ralph Houlbrooke's study is a contribution to debates on the family. Drawing on evidence including letters, diaries and witness statements in court cases, he reveals the attitudes and aspirations of all levels of society and challenges the fashionable notion that the years between 1450-1700 saw major changes in family structure.