ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests some of the possible ways of replacing by fact what is at present little more than folk myth. It is not concerned with the history of individual families, although such histories may be of great help in building up the overall picture. The chapter describes the patterns and uniformities in the family life of certain sectors of the population taken as a whole. Systematic historical research into family structure in past ages must therefore become an integral part of the sociology of the family. Much of the work that is done in the field is focused on the impact of industrialisation and urbanisation on some aspect of family structure. One should always ask oneself whether differences in work-base, size, location, death rates, migration rates or other factors between these other communities and the chosen town have had effects on their family structure.
