Social strategies of family formation: Data for British female cohorts born 1831–1906

Data from the Census of 1911, the Family Census of 1946 and the Census of 1951 are used to derive estimated joint distributions of female birth cohorts by age at marriage and by control or non-control of fertility and estimated parity distribution of those controlling, or attempting to control, fertility, Age at marriage, control of fertility and actual fertility of those attempting to control it are viewed as aspects of ‘social strategies of family formation’ of societies, social categories, or groups; and these are compared among British female cohorts born in the period 1831–1906. The data indicate a consistent increase in the estimated percentages controlling fertility in the successive cohorts represented. There is some increase over time in the percentage marrying at ages under 20 years, and there is some support for the hypothesis that the increase in early marriage is associated with increasing practice of fertility control. The percentage childless among those controlling fertility seems to decrease over time, but the percentage with three or more live births, also decreases. There are very notable differences in strategies of family formation among the separate socio-economic groups. Within socio-economic groups there is variation in accordance with husbands' educational achievement and industry-group attachments.