This book draws on a wide range of sources to provide the first comprehensive account of the experience of eighteenth-century working girlhood across all regions of Britain, examining the lifecycle stage of growing up for the middling and lower classes as they worked and prepared for a life of work.

Studies of history have often tended to slide over the distinct history of girls in its focus on women’s history, merging their stories into broader narratives. This volume continues the more recent historical reclamation of girls and girlhood as a useful analytical tool, while also specifically addressing the lacunae in histories of eighteenth-century working girls. Examining the role of home, schools and apprenticeships in girls’ upbringing, it considers how mobility shaped their trajectories. Furthermore, it examines sociability, love, sex and the ‘misfortunes’ they might encounter. An underpinning message is the active role that girls played in shaping their own destinies using whatever tools were at their disposal.

Written in an accessible style and bridging gaps in the literature, this volume is a valuable resource for university courses in the history of childhood and women’s studies/history.

‘A one-stop shop for students and scholars of the eighteenth century interested in the history of girlhood.’

Elaine Chalus, University of Liverpool

‘Deborah Simonton draws on her extensive research in lesser known archives to offer a comprehensive overview of a life-stage which is often overlooked. The wealth of material makes it a valuable resource for both students and educators.’

Alison Duncan, freelance historian

‘[This book] provides a comprehensive and current overview of the experience of girlhood in eighteenth-century Europe. A must read for students and scholars of early modern social history.’

Katie Barclay, Macquarie University

Deborah Simonton is Associate Professor of British History, emerita, University of Southern Denmark; Visiting Professor, University of Turku; and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is co-editor of the Routledge History of Loneliness (2023), and author of Gender in the European Town (2023).