The first study of early modern English courtship as a subject in its own right. New historical and anthropological insights into the making of marriage, and an arresting and exciting contribution to the history of the family. Takes the interpretation of the English church court material to a new level of sophistication. Explores new or neglected subjects such as the use of gifts or tokens and the role of go-betweens in English courtship. The fresh and wholly original perspectives on English courtship offered here should redirect and revitalise the history of marriage in early modern England.

About the Author
Diana O'Hara received a PhD in history from the University of Kent at Canterbury in 1995, and is a researcher with Victoria County History

Reviews
'... one of the most illuminating studies of marriage in the period that I have read in the last thirty years.' Professor K. E. Wrightson 'Overall, then, this is a quite wonderful book, richly rewarding in its detail, insights and conclusions. It will change the way historians think about the origins of the European marriage pattern, about the popular acculturation of marriage law, about the dynamics of inheritance and most of all about the freedom which is conventionally understood to have underpinned the making of English marriage.' Journal of Continuity and Change



Book Information
ISBN 9780719062513
Author Diana O'Hara
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publisher Manchester University Press
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 16mm