Stepfamilies in Early Modern Europe: Paths of Historical Inquiry

Many of the circumstances of the early modern stepfamily after remarriage by a widowed parent elude us. In historiography on the early modern family, widowhood, mothers' roles as guardians and the opportunities to remain widowed or to remarry have been well studied, but the consequences of a remarriage have not. When historical information emerges on the stepfamily in the European past, it is often more by accident through the study of widowhood, remarriage or inheritance practices than by design. But the stepfamily was a common family form experienced by many in early modern Europe and precisely because stepfamilies were ever-present they feature intermittently in the works of leading historians. These complex families of stepbrothers and stepsisters, half-brothers or half-sisters deserve to be the focus of attention. This article suggests paths of inquiry into stepfamilies and blended families in Europe from the 1400s to 1700s, from considering the famously wicked reputation of the stepmother to seeking out the little known stepfather. The essay also explores questions about the residence of children of the first marriage and subsequent unions as well as the relationships between stepsiblings and half-siblings.