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 chose not to marry, from indifference, from cl...

This book explores the legal and social consequences of growing up illegitimate in England and Wales. Unlike most other studies of illegitimacy, Frost's book concentrates on the late-Victorian period and the early twentieth century, and takes the child's point of view rather than that of the mother or of 'child-saving' groups. Doing so allows for an extended analysis of criminal and civil cases involving illegitimacy, including less-studied aspects such as affiliation suits, the poor law a...

Youth migration is a global phenomenon, and it is gendered. This collection presents original studies on gender and youth migration from the 19th century onwards, from international and interdisciplinary perspectives.An international group of contributors explore the imperial histories of youth migration, their identities and sexualities, the impact of education, policies and practices, and the roles, contribution and challenges of young migrants in certain industries and services,...

An introduction to the myths and realities of the history of Victorian Britain, with accompanying primary sources.While the Victorian era captivates many today, much of what people believe about the Victorian world is actually false. This book looks at nine specific myths about Victorian Britain, explaining how the myths perpetuated and then showing why they are inaccurate. Coverage spans 1830–1914, from shortly before Victoria's reign to World War I.The bo...

Casey Coffield has a growing list of personal flaws he keeps locked away in his head:He’s never on time.His list of IOUs to his best friend is endless.Money is always short.Goals are never in reach.Oh, and he’s decided to add college drop-out to that list, too. He doesn’t really think that last one’s such a bad thing, but his family insists it is, so it stays on the list.On paper, he’s a zero. But in person, when he’s mixing tracks for a sea ...