British Family Life, 1780–1914

The family was central to Victorian ideology, and yet the long nineteenth century saw considerable change in the family unit. The onset of industrialization and the expansion of the British Empire meant that there were demands and opportunities away from the home. This led to changes in traditional ways of life and the ways in which people lived together as ‘families’.

The volumes in this collection focus on various aspects of family life. The experience of childhood is addressed not just from an adult perspective, but also using sources written by children and adolescents. The roles of the husband and father, frequently portrayed as emotionally distant disciplinarian or as a drunken abuser, are explored, as are the roles of wife and mother. Documents are selected to focus on exceptions, as well as the norm. Finally, the extended family and the substitute family are looked at. These include not only kin-based family groups, but also servants, lodgers, foster care, adoption and variations of social welfare.

• Provides a voice to the neglected areas of family life
• Sources provide a broad coverage across social classes
• Twenty texts are transcribed from manuscript sources
• Editorial apparatus includes a general introduction, volume introductions, headnotes and endnotes
• An index appears in the final volume

Contents

Volume 1: Growing Up

Building a Better Child: George Armstrong, MD, ‘Rules to be Observed in the Nursing of Children’, from An account of the diseases most incident to children (1783); Thomas Spencer Cobbold, Sophonisba [manuscript] (1818); Sarah Candler, ‘Richard Cumberland’ and ‘Lucy Hutchinson,’ from Buds of Genius, or Some Account of the Early Lives of Celebrated Characters: Who Were Remarkable in Their Childhood (1818); Anon, Rules for the Behaviour of Children, with the Reasons for Them (c.1840); Anon, ‘The Duties of Parents’, Jewish Chronicle (1842); Anon, ‘Management of Children’ from Tracts on Practical Subjects Addressed to the Working Classes (1861); Rev C H Grundy, ‘The Ideal Daughter’, Girl’s Own Paper (1893); ‘Ellis Ethelmer’ [Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy and Ben Elmy], The Human Flower (1894)*. Experiencing Childhood and Adolescence: Journals of Louisa Gurney [manuscript] (1797)*; Letters from Henry, William, and Charles Villiers-Stuart [manuscript] (1820–4)*; Louisa Gurney Hoare, The Work-House Boy: Containing His Letters, with a Short Account of Him (c.1825); Christabel Coleridge, ‘Giftie the Changeling: Part II’ [manuscript] (1867); Journal of Emily Krabbé [manuscript] (1869)*; Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Annual Report (1884); Nenoli, ‘The Nipper’, Australian Young Folks (1898); Journal of Enid Pease Robinson [manuscript] (1901)*; Robert H Sherard, ‘The Child Slaves of Britain: London’, Journal of the New Zealand Labour Department (1904); Elsa Burrows, ‘Stone Walls’, Girls’ Realm (1913)

Volume 2: Husbands and Fathers

Guidance and Ideals: John Aikin, ‘On the Choice of a Wife’, from Letters from a Father to a Son on Various Topics (1794); Rev James Plumptree, ‘Extract from an account of a cottage at Shelford’, from The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor (1802); Anon, The new guide to matrimony; or, The lover’s vade-mecum ... Farther illustrated by New Hints for the Choice of a Husband and Advice to the Young, with a Journey to the Land of Hyman (1809); Joseph Entwisle, ‘The family of God’: a sermon ([1814]); Thomas K Kyde, Joseph Peters: or, the Negro Slave Emancipated by the Power of the Gospel of the Son of God (1832); H W H, How to Choose a Wife (1855); Thomas Legh Claughton, The Duty of Fathers Concerning the Education of Their Children (1864); William H M H Aitken, ‘Preface and Introduction’ and ‘The Prodigal Son: The Welcome Home’, from The Love of the Father: Sermons on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and Other Subjects Illustrative of the Fatherly Love of God (1887); Louisa C Silke, Bravely Borne (1888)*. Experiencing Family Life: Silas and Jane Whitney, letters written to Josiah Wedgwood II (1821–38) [manuscript]; Stephen Morell, The Family Memorial; or a Father’s Tribute to the Memory of Four Children (c.1830); Robert Joseph Phillimore, A Report of the Judgement ... in the Case of Belcher, the Wife, Against Belcher, the Husband (1833)*; ‘Ladyfern’ [Mary Frances Dundas], ‘The Family Man’, Barnacle [manuscript] (1863); Kelly v. Kelly, The Law Reports. Courts of Probate and Divorce, ed. James Redfoord Bulwer (1872)*; Nicholas Heald, letters [manuscript]. Threats and Anxieties: ‘Lord Frederick Fitz-Whankee’, A broomstick wedding; or, The loves of William and Dolly (1832); Anon, The Rod and Its Uses, or Thomas Dodd and Bill Collins (1865)*; James McCurrey, The life of James McCurrey, from 1801–1876 (1876)*; Josephine Butler, A Grave Question That Needs Answering by the Churches of Great Britain (1886); Lee Jones, League of Welldoers (aka The Food and Betterment Association) [manuscript] (1890s–1910)*; Charles V Drysdale, Neo-Malthusianism and Eugenics (1912)

Volume 3: Wives and Mothers

Guidance and Ideals: Joseph Fawcett, ‘Sermon VI: Let every one of you in particular so love his wife, even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband’, from An humble attempt to form a system of conjugal morality (1787); William Duff, Letters on the intellectual and moral character of women (1807)*; ‘Mrs John Clayton’, from Thomas Timpson, British female biography: being select memoirs of pious ladies in various ranks of public and private life (1846); Anon, ‘Ellen Lyndhurst – An Old Bachelor’s Story’, ‘The Jessamine’ and ‘Our Mother’, from The Family Friend (1852)*; Anon, To a Christian Parent on the Death of an Infant (1855); Anon, ‘Marriage’, Tracts on Practical Subjects Addressed to the Working Classes (1861); Cecil Chapman, Marriage and Divorce: Some Needed Reforms in Church and State. Report of the Royal Commission (1911)*; ‘M G’, Comforting Words for Widows, and Others Who Mourn (1905)*; Madame Cecilia, ‘Mothers’ Meetings’, from Girls’ Clubs & Mothers’ Meetings (1911). Experiencing Family Life: Letters of Eliza Fenwick to Mary Hays, 1798–1828, from The Fate of the Fenwicks (1927)*; Rev Dr Glasse, ‘Extract from an account of the superior advantages of dibbling wheat, or setting it by hand’, from The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor (1802); Mrs [Esther] Copley, ‘Early Management of Infants’, from The Young Mother; or Affectionate Advice to a Married Daughter [early 1800s]; Dr Edward Rigby, ‘Signs of Pregnancy’, from A System of Midwifery (1841); Agnes Giberne, Miss Devereux, Spinster: A Novel of Development (1891)*; E Nesbit, ‘The Criminal’, Neolith (1907); Eleanor Rathbone, Report on the Condition of Widows under the Poor Law in Liverpool (1913)*. Threats and Anxieties: Henrietta Battier, ‘An Elegy, on the Author’s Son, Who Departed This Life, the Third Day of September, 1789’, ‘An Elegy on the Death of the Author’s Child’ and ‘Addressed to an Officer’s Widow, after the American War’, from The protected fugitives. A collection of miscellaneous poems, the genuine productions of a lady (1791); Anon, Trial for a breach of promise of marriage. Miss Elizabeth Chapman, against William Shaw, Esq (1790); Mary Leadbeater’s journals, kept in Ireland during the 1798 rebellion [manuscript]*; Jacob Jones, The Stepmother (1829)*; ‘In re Besant’, The Law Reports Division I: Chancery, ed. George Wirgman Hemming (1879); Mrs George Gladstone, ‘Fine Feathers’, from Wives and Their Husbands (1881); Liverpool Assistant Medical Officer of Health Visiting Day Journal, [manuscript] (1883–6); Anon, ‘The Proper Age for Women to Marry’, Women’s Penny Paper (1890); Bessie Drysdale, ‘Specially for Women’, in The Malthusian (1908); Mrs Stanbury, ‘The Effects upon Children of the Mother’s Activity Outside the Home’ and Mrs Ratcliffe, ‘The Disabilities of Motherhood according to Mrs Stetson in “Women and Economics”’, from Summary of Eight Papers and Discussions upon the Disabilities of Mothers as Workers (1910)

Volume 4: Extended Families

Beyond Parents and Children: Anon, ‘Grand-Mothers’ and ‘Old Maids’, from Instructions for the conduct of females (1788); Correspondence of Elizabeth Wedgwood, wife of Josiah Wedgwood II, with her sisters, [manuscript] (1803–20s); Anon, ‘Three Reports of the Sub-Committee, Appointed by the Fever Institution, to direct the White-washing, with quick Lime, of those Dwellings of the Poor’, from Appendix to The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor (1802); Jacob Phillips, A Letter from a Grandfather to His Grandson (1818); Anon, Harry & William, or, The two cousins (1821)*; Old Humphrey [George Mogridge], My Grandfather Gregory (c.1820s)*; Mrs O F Walton, Nobody Loves Me (1883)*; Anon, ‘Interview: Miss Agnes Garrett’, Women’s Penny Paper (1890). Servants and Lodgers: Anon, The contrast: or the opposite consequences of good and evil habits, exhibited in the lowest ranks of rural life ([1787])*; Letters from the Wedgwood Archive concerning the hiring of house servants and their references [manuscript] (1789–1819); A M, ‘The Duty of Servants to Masters’ and ‘The Duty of Masters to Servants’ from Moral Essays, Chiefly Collected from Different Authors (1796); Anon, Advice to Governesses (1827)*; Mary Ann Ashford, Life of a Licensed Victualler’s Daughter (1844)*; F E Reade, Mrs Smith’s Lodgers (c.1889)*; Anon, ‘Address to young servants’ from Tracts on Practical Subjects Addressed to the Working Classes (1861); Rose Mary Crawshay, Domestic Service for Gentlewomen: A Record of Experience and Success (1874). Emigres: Stéphanie Félicité Genlis, The young exiles, or correspondence of some juvenile emigrants; a work intended for the entertainment and instruction of youth (1799)*; Anon, ‘New South Wales, and Van Diemen’s Land’, in Colonial Register and West India Journal (1824); Anon, ‘A Tale’, Jewish Chronicle (1841–2); Mary Edwards Weitbrecht, Female Missionaries in India: Letters from a Missionary’s Wife Abroad to a Friend in England (1843)*; Joseph Fayrer, European Child-Life in Bengal (1873)

Volume 5: Substitute Families

Dependent Children: Anon, Original papers relative to the establishment of a society in Bengal, for the protection of the orphans of officers ([1784])*; Anon, An account of the institution and proceedings of the Guardians of the Asylum, or, house of refuge, situate in the parish of Lambeth (1789)*; Journal of the Superintendent of the Reform [manuscript] (1793–5)*; Mrs Bernard, ‘Extract from an Account of a Parish Library for the Poor’, from The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor (1802); George Simcox, Esq, ‘Extract from an Account of the Harborne Penny Club for Supplying Poor Children with Clothing’, and ‘Regulations for Preserving the Health and Morals of Apprentices and others’, from The Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor (1802); Foundling Hospital, London, 1860–1890 [case file for one child] [manuscript]; Industrial Schools at Ardwick Green and Barnes’ Home, Manchester, 1870–1880s [sample of entries from Minute Book and Annual Report of Industrial Schools for Girls and Boys] [manuscript]; Liverpool Orphan Asylum, 1870s–90s [sample of entries detailing admission of orphans to the Asylum, their condition on entering the asylum, and circumstances precipitating entry and Visiting Committee report from corresponding year] [manuscript]; R H Lundie, Little Ben and His Guardians: Echoes from the Free Breakfast and the Sheltering Home (c.1880); M H Mason, Classification of Girls and Boys in Workhouses and the Legal Powers of Board of Guardians for Placing them Beyond the Workhouse (1884); Thomas Barnardo, The 1/- Baby: An Incident of the London Slave Trade (1889); Maria S Rye, What the People Say about the Children and What the Children Say about Canada (1871); Emily Anne Beaufort Smythe, Lady Strangford, The Need of Trained Nurses for the Sick Poor (1880)*. Utopian Communities and New ‘Homes’ for Adults: Elizabeth Hamilton, ‘Edinburgh House of Industry’, from Exercises in Religious Knowledge (1809); Records of New Lanark Mills, cotton manufacturers, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1784–1903 [manuscript]*; Stevenson MacGill, A Sermon Delivered at Glasgow, on Thursday, February 9th, 1815, on the Opening of the Magdalene Asylum (1815); Catherine Cappe, Thoughts on the Desirableness and Utility of Ladies Visiting the Female Wards of Lunatic Asylums (1816); Rev Herbert Smith, An Account of the Situation and Treatment of the Women with Illegitimate Children in the New Forest Union Workhouse (1838); Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future (1889)*; Newstead Home, Salvation Army, 1890s [manuscript] (1899–1908); M O Pelton, Four Lessons on Mary Slessor (c.1914).

*denotes an excerpted text

Related titles

• Conduct Literature for Women, Part IV, 1770–1830
• Conduct Literature for Women, Part V, 1830–1900
• Domesticating Electricity : Technology, Uncertainty and Gender, 1880–1914
• Female Economic Strategies in the Modern World
• Marriage and its Dissolution in Early Modern England
• Rural Unwed Mothers : An American Experience, 1870–1950
• The Urban Working Class in Britain, 1830–1914
• Women Writing Home, 1700–1920 : Female Correspondence across the British Empire

Leaflets

• Colour leaflet

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