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Living in Sin: Cohabiting as Husband and Wife in Nineteenth-Century England

Hardback

Main Details

Title Living in Sin: Cohabiting as Husband and Wife in Nineteenth-Century England
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Ginger Frost
SeriesGender in History
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 138
Category/GenreBritish and Irish History
ISBN/Barcode 9780719077364
ClassificationsDewey:306.841094209034
Audience
General
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Manchester University Press
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publication Date 1 November 2008
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Living in sin is the first book-length study of cohabitation in nineteenth-century England, based on research into the lives of hundreds of couples. 'Common-law' marriages did not have any legal basis, so the Victorian courts had to wrestle with unions that resembled marriage in every way, yet did not meet its most basic requirements. The majority of those who lived in irregular unions did so because they could not marry legally. Others, though, chose not to marry, from indifference, from class differences, or because they dissented from marriage for philosophical reasons. This book looks at each motivation in turn, highlighting class, gender and generational differences, as well as the reactions of wider kin and community. Frost shows how these couples slowly widened the definition of legal marriage, preparing the way for the more substantial changes of the twentieth century, making this a valuable resource for all those interested in Gender and Social History. -- .

Author Biography

Ginger S. Frost is Professor of History at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama -- .