Extended family

During Restoration there was a change in family structures, due to changing structures in politics (poor relief, law enforcement) and education (extension of schools and universities) and changing views of religious ideals (from catholic chastity to protestant individual conscience). These changes led to the formation of the nuclear family.

The term 'Extended Family' refers to a very traditional family pattern of the 17th century that includes more than one blood- (or kin-) related family unit and "could comprise up to 50 people." This family structure, sometimes also referred to as 'Kinship-' or 'Clan'-Family, did not consist only of father, mother and children but rather included more than one related generation (grandparents, uncles, nieces, etc.) plus servants in one household. These structures developed over time - when a man got married he usually brought his wife into his childhood home and from there on the 'Clan' extended.

The functions of this Kinship-system were very social, supportive and practical: Socialisation and Education for the children through relatives, Welfare within the family (when money was needed, the family helped), Economy relations, Law Enforcement within the family (Vendettas).

However, family structures also differed from area to area. In contrary to the country side, in the city centre and rich areas the 'extended family'-style was more common - households were also larger because of the higher number of servants. Another reason was the age of marriage - in the country, men and women got married at a far older age than in the city. At that time the parents and grandparents were not alive anymore and consequently the households were smaller.

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Sources:

http://early-moderneurope.blogspot.de/2009/10/seventeenth-century-family.html

http://www.sexarchive.info/ATLAS_EN/html/the_traditional_extended_famil.html

Merry, Mark; Baker Philip: Family an Household in 17th Century London, Centre for Metropolitan History 2006