Family Life and Sociability in Upper and Lower Canada, 1780-1870 : A View From Diaries and Family Correspondence

Drawing on diaries and letters exchanged between family members Françoise Noël considers the nature of family, the couple during courtship and after marriage, parents and children in childhood and after the children leave home, and the social life of the family in terms of both leisure time and entertainment and the mutual assistance provided by social networks of kin, neighbours, and friends. Drawing From Diaries, Family Correspondence, And Other Archival Sources, Family Life And Sociability In Upper And Lower Canada, 1780-1870 Is An Intimate Look At Everyday Life, Relationships, And Community In Early Canada. Noel Illuminates The Lives Of Anglophone And Francophone Couples Of Different Religious Backgrounds During Courtships And Marriage, Childbirth And The Parent-child Relationship, Aging And Death. From Jewish Merchant Abraham Joseph And His Extended Family In Quebec City, To Patriote Amedee Papineau And His New Wife Mary Wescott In Montreal, To Chatham Lawyer William Douglas's Unorthodox Meeting With Jane Hudson And Their Courtship By Correspondence, This Book Highlights The Rituals, Celebrations, Kinship, And Community At Large That Influenced Family Dynamics, Giving Us A Much Better Understanding Of Nineteenth-century Family Life In The Canadas.--jacket. Pt. 1. The Couple -- 1. Courtship And Engagement -- 2. Marriage -- 3. Housekeeping And Household Production -- 4. Married Life -- Pt. 2. Parents And Children -- 5. Childbirth And Infancy -- 6. Childhood -- 7. Childhood Accidents, Illness, And Death -- 8. Parent-child Relationships -- Pt. 3. Kinship And Community -- 9. Domestic Rituals And Celebrations -- 10. Family Sociability -- 11. Mutual Assistance And Reciprocity -- 12. Family Correspondence. Françoise Noël. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [347]-361) And Index. "Drawing from diaries, family correspondence, and other archival sources, Family Life and Sociability in Upper and Lower Canada, 1780-1870 is an intimate look at everyday life, relationships, and community in early Canada. Noel illuminates the lives of anglophone and francophone couples of different religious backgrounds during courtships and marriage, childbirth and the parent-child relationship, aging and death. From Jewish merchant Abraham Joseph and his extended family in Quebec city, to patriote Amedee Papineau and his new wife Mary Wescott in Montreal, to Chatham lawyer William Douglas's unorthodox meeting with Jane Hudson and their courtship by correspondence, this book highlights the rituals, celebrations, kinship, and community at large that influenced family dynamics, giving us a much better understanding of nineteenth-century family life in the Canadas."--Résumé de l'éditeur "Drawing from diaries, family correspondence, and other archival sources, Family Life and Sociability in Upper and Lower Canada, 1780-1870 is an intimate look at everyday life, relationships, and community in early Canada. Noel illuminates the lives of anglophone and francophone couples of different religious backgrounds during courtships and marriage, childbirth and the parent-child relationship, aging and death. From Jewish merchant Abraham Joseph and his extended family in Quebec city, to patriote Amedee Papineau and his new wife Mary Wescott in Montreal, to Chatham lawyer William Douglas's unorthodox meeting with Jane Hudson and their courtship by correspondence, this book highlights the rituals, celebrations, kinship, and community at large that influenced family dynamics, giving us a much better understanding of nineteenth-century family life in the Canadas."--BOOK JACKET. Drawing on diaries and letters exchanged between family members Francoise Noel considers the nature of family, the couple during courtship and after marriage, parents and children in childhood and after the children leave home, and the social life of the family in terms of both leisure time and entertainment and the mutual assistance provided by social networks of kin, neighbours and friends. She notes that courtship usually took place within the social network of interactions with kin and neighbours and shows that family life was located in a broad social space that included people of various ages. By examining the correspondence and diaries of francophone and anglophone middle-class families of various faiths, No l presents touching stories of family life in the Canadas in the early 19th century. Contents Tables and Figures Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE: THE COUPLE 1 Courtship and Engagement 2 Marriage 3 Housekeeping and Household Production 4 Married Life PART TWO: PARENTS AND CHILDREN Introduction 5 Childbirth and Infancy 6 Childhood 7 Childhood Accidents, Illness, and Death 8 Parent-Child Relationships PART THREE: KINSHIP AND COMMUNITY Introduction 9 Domestic Rituals and Celebrations 10 Family Sociability 11 Mutual Assistance and Reciprocity 12 Family Correspondence Conclusion Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Notes Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y She notes that courtship usually took place within the social network of interactions with kin and neighbours and shows that family life was located in a broad social space that included people of various ages. By examining the correspondence and diaries of francophone and anglophone middle-class families of various faiths, Noël presents touching stories of family life in the Canadas in the early nineteenth century. Drawing on diaries and letters exchanged between family members, the author considers the nature of family, the couple during courtship and after marriage, parents and children in childhood and after the children leave home, and the social life of the family in terms of both leisure time and entertainment and the mutual assistance provided by social networks of kin, neighbours, and friends. (Midwest)