Abstract
Between 1800 and 1939 the average size of the English landed gentry family fell from 5.96 children per married couple to 2.25. Reproductive patterns in gentry society exhibited early signs of demographic behavior that would become the norm for the rest of the population by the mid-twentieth century. The conscious limitation of fertility has been an important component of modern society, having been linked with a series of significant developments, not the least of which is the state provision of universal welfare and education. The evolution of gentry fertility patterns also poses specific implications for understanding the national fertility decline and the history of landed society
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 674-694 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of British Studies |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2009 |