Household-Family In Eighteenth Century England

In Naomi Tadmor’s article, The Concept of the Household-Family in Eighteenth Century England, she discussed what a household family consisted of though the analization of five different books written in the eighteen century. Although she used all five, she concentrated on a personal diary of Thomas Turner, a mid-eighteenth century shopkeeper. Through his writings, she depicted what family life was like. She thought that his diary would be the best example because he speaks of his personal experience on a daily basis. The personal experiences of a real person are always better than those of a character in a novel because the situations are real, and therefore more reliable.

Throughout the article, Tadmor explains that the eighteenth century English family was characteristically nuclear, and non-complex. In the early modern period, it was uncharacteristic of an English family to be large and complex. English people often were referring to all types of dependants who lived in their household when they spoke of their families. These dependents usually consisted of spouses, children, servants, apprentices, and co-resident relatives. Tadmor notes that the

Family members were not required to be emotionally attached to one another. They were attached to one another institutionally and instrumentally. This does not mean that emotions were overlooked, children and spouses were sentimental and affectionate towards each other as with any blood or marriage-based relationship. Ties through blood and marriage were not considered to be insignificant. Household-family relationships were domestic as well as occupational.

Complex living arrangements did happen on occasion in eighteenth century England. Tadmor notes that many people experienced orphan-hood, early widowhood and remarriage. She also notes that there were prevailing rates of mortality and life expectancy, as well as a high rate of remarriage. The majority of English people at that time at some stage in their lives lived in a household where they were not related to any of the members. The fluctuating composition of the household-family was a very common thing in those times. These changes were said to be experienced and therefore, understood.

When a person would come to live in the household, he or she would quickly be referred to as being among “the family at home.” Upon arrival, he or she would sign an agreement that would set the terms for his or her family inclusion. Tadmor explains this as a “contractual relationship.” There were several different kinds of contractual relationships; the first was marriage. The contract for marriage was life-long, and formal, and

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