A Social History of England, 1500–1750

The first overview of early modern English social history since the 1980s, bringing together the leading authorities in the field.

Keith Wrightson (Edited by)

9781107614598, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2017

432 pages
22.8 x 16.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.62 kg

'Good textbooks on the social history of 'early modern' England are a rare thing … The field has come some way … as scholarship sought to expand, clarify and nuance the initial findings of that generation. This collection [with Wrightson as editor] reflects those efforts, and it will be of immeasurable value to students and teachers of the period, collating as it does much of the most important recent scholarship on a variety of critical topics into manageable chapters … Each contribution has its own argument and its own nuances. This book admirably synthesises this knowledge in an accessible and stimulating way and occupies a critical space in the literature on this period of English history.' Jonathan Healey, The English Historical Review

The rise of social history has had a transforming influence on the history of early modern England. It has broadened the historical agenda to include many previously little-studied, or wholly neglected, dimensions of the English past. It has also provided a fuller context for understanding more established themes in the political, religious, economic and intellectual histories of the period. This volume serves two main purposes. Firstly, it summarises, in an accessible way, the principal findings of forty years of research on English society in this period, providing a comprehensive overview of social and cultural change in an era vital to the development of English social identities. Second, the chapters, by leading experts, also stimulate fresh thinking by not only taking stock of current knowledge but also extending it, identifying problems, proposing fresh interpretations and pointing to unexplored possibilities. It will be essential reading for students, teachers and general readers.

Introduction: framing early modern England Keith Wrightson
Part I. Discovering the English: 1. Crafting the nation Cathy Shrank
2. Surveying the people Paul Griffiths
3. Little commonwealths I: the household and family relationships Linda Pollock
4. Little commonwealths II: communities Malcolm Gaskill
Part II. Currents of Change: 5. Reformations Alec Ryrie
6. Words, words, words: education, literacy and print Adam Fox
7. Land and people Jane Whittle
8. Urbanization Phil Withington
9. The people and the law Tim Stretton
10. Authority and protest John Walter
11. Consumption and material culture Adrian Green
Part III. Social Identities: 12. 'Gentlemen': re-making the English ruling class Henry French
13. The 'middling sort': an emergent cultural identity Craig Muldrew
14. The 'meaner sort': labouring people and the poor Jeremy Boulton
15. Gender, the body and sexuality Alexandra Shepard
16. The English and 'others' in England and beyond Alison Games
Coda: history, time and social memory Andy Wood.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural history [HBTB], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], British & Irish history [HBJD1]