Family Life Flashcards
When did men usually get married?
Men usually got married in their late twenties
When did women usually get married?
Women usually got married in their mid-twenties
Why did gentry couples marry at a younger age than poorer couples?
Gentry couples married younger because they were richer and could afford it
Even though there was no reliable contraception, why were illegitimate babies uncommon?
Illegitimate babies were uncommon because the Church forbade sex outside marriage
If a women fell pregnant she had to…
Marry the father of the child
Up to _____ of brides were pregnant at their wedding
Up to 30% of brides were pregnant at their wedding
Why did a young person need permission to marry in a wealthy family, whereas the poor did not?
Wealthy families had to give their approval of a partner because property and status mattered. Young people in middling or labouring families could marry whoever they pleased
Elizabethan society was a __________ society, where men had more power than women
Elizabethan society was a patriarchal society, where men had more power than women.
What did Elizabethans disapprove of in husbands and wives?
They disapproved of violent husbands and scolding, domineering wives
Where wives of husband in middling and poor households expected to work or to stay at home?
The wives often helped their husbands in their work
Could couples divorce?
Yes, but divorce was difficult and required an Act of Parliament. Couples could separate informally but marriages often ended in death
Did people remarry?
Yes, when a spouse died remarrying was common. Many children were brought up by their step-parents
Why were families small?
Families were small because a quarter of all children died before the age of ten. Only nobles and gentry had big families
What relationship did parents have with their children?
Children were expected to be obedient and to respect their parents, however parents formed strong emotional bonds with their children
Which children attended school?
Rich children attended schools from the age of seven. Poorer children did not.
Were children physically punished?
At school beating was common, however at home there is little evidence of parents being cruel towards their children
When did poor children start to work?
Poor children started to work at home or on the farm from the age of seven. At the age of thirteen many left home to become apprentices or servants. They learnt skills to prepare them for adult life
Was extended family important?
Households rarely included members outside the nuclear family (a couple and their children). Sometimes an elderly parent or orphaned child was taken in
Did extended family live in the same village or town?
Often young people left home to work, so most families were scattered. People usually had relatives nearby but not in the same village
Who did people turn to instead of their families?
Their neighbours
Did people have family living abroad?
Very rarely
