This book explores the history of the family in Lancashire during and after industrialisation. The family is society’s most basic building block and, as each contributor shows, its ability to adapt to circumstances is one of its most enduring qualities. Economic change created social stresses which, whilst resulting in administrative and institutional change, were primarily absorbed within family groups. Indeed, it could be argued that the family was society’s most effective safety valve and shock absorber, as individuals responded to the pressures created by industrialisation with its associated problems. This book brings together the work of leading historians who have each made unique contributions to our understanding of the family in the North West.

This is a sociological study of the impact of urban-industrial life on the kinship system of the working classes in nineteenth-century Lancashire. This book will interest scholars and graduates specialising in sociology and history and will serve as a valuable reference book for undergraduates.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

On a cold day on the thirtieth of January 1649 in London, an anonymous executioner severed the head of King Charles I of England. The watching crowds had very mixed feelings about this regicide, but Oliver Cromwell’s troops kept order, and eventually the crowd dispersed, stunned by this momentous event in English history, which left the country in turmoil. Amongst the crowd that day were a father of fifty-nine years and his three sons. This moment in history was to change their lives. Who were this family? Where had they come from? What would become of them? The answer to these questions would lead us back to King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, forward to our own Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and would also greatly influence much of American history.

Family names are an essential part of everyone's personal history. The story of their evolution is integral to family history and fascinating in its own right. Formed from first names, place names, nicknames and occupations, names allow us to trace the movements of our ancestors from the middle ages to the present day. David Hey shows how, when and where families first got their names, and proves that most families stayed close to their places of origin. Settlement patterns and family groupings can be traced back towards their origin by using national and local records. Family Names and Family History tells anyone interested in tracing their own name how to set about doing so.

If you want to find out about Lancashires history, and particularly if you have family links to the area and your ancestors lived or worked in the county, then this is the ideal book for you. As well as helping you to trace when and where your ancestors were born, married and died, it gives you an insight into the world they knew and a chance to explore their lives at work and at home.Sue Wilkess accessible and informative handbook outlines Lancashires history and describes the origins of its major industries - cotton, coal, transport, engineering, shipbuilding and others. She looks at the stories of important Lancashire families such as the Stanleys, Peels and Egertons, and famous entrepreneurs such as Richard Arkwright, in order to illustrate aspects of Lancashire life and to show how the many sources available for family and local history research can be used. Relevant documents, specialist archives and libraries, background reading and other sources are recommended throughout this practical book. Also included is a directory of Lancashire archives, libraries and academic repositories, as well as databases of family history societies, useful genealogy websites, and places to visit which bring Lancashires past to life. Sue Wilkess book is the essential companion for anyone who wants to discover their Lancashire roots.