Family [Mis]Fortunes: Family Networks, Gender, and Financial Crisis in Nineteenth-Century Northern English Manufacturers

This article examines the role of the Reads’ family network to highlight the importance of extended family members, affinal links, and coordination between men and women in nineteenth-century English businesses. The Reads’ financial troubles reveal that family members utilized family strategy, obligation, affection, and reciprocity to persuade individuals to contribute investments of time and money. Their case study also demonstrates how membership and position within the family network altered throughout time due to the family's current needs, the individual's place within the life cycle and professional potential, and the addition of new connections through affinal ties.