Of Dragons and Dowries
In Dancing with Dragons Margaret Dashwood, lacking a responsible family, has a dowry provided by a kindly estate dragon. But what exactly was a dowry and how did it work?
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The Gentlemanly Professions
What options did the younger sons of the gentry have when choosing a profession.
Continue reading →Marriage Annulments in Jane Austen’s World
Marriage was a serious business in the regency. Divorce was nearly impossible to obtain, but what about annulments? What happened if a young person ‘married in haste’ but then repented of his or her decision? Annulment, when possible, was the best option to end a marriage since it did not carry the social stigma of a divorce (which was nearly impossible to obtain). Unlike a divorce, an annulment voided a marriage, making it as if it … Continue reading →
Hardwicke Marriage Act in Jane Austen’s World
The Hardwicke Marriage Act laid out the path to the altar for regency couples Engagements in the regency era were generally brief, often only a few weeks long. Why the hurry? Since premarital sex was common and the birth of illegitimate children problematic for inheritance, parents preferred to see couples married sooner rather than later. Reading the banns or acquiring a license and having the marriage performed required a minimum of fifteen days to accomplish. If there was property or fortune involved, … Continue reading →
Providing for young ladies’ future in Jane Austen’s World
How did dowries provide for a young woman’s future? A Woman’s Dowry Though Pride and Prejudice’s (1995, movie version) Mr. Bennet referred to dowries as “bribes to worthless young men to marry his daughters,” dowries were more commonly considered a means by which a responsible family compensated a husband for their daughter’s lifelong upkeep. How’s that for a romantic notion? Dowries (or more commonly the interest earned off a dowry) were used to provide a … Continue reading →