Synopses & Reviews
For British aristocratic women from the beginning of the Tudor era to the end of the First World War, there was nothing more important than making a suitable marriage to a groom of high rank. Failure could well have catastrophic consequences. It was the marriages of these noble daughters, far more than the unions of their brothers, which ensured a family's continued place within the titled ranks. Through an analysis of the marriage patterns of thousands of aristocratic women as well as an examination of diaries, letters, and memoirs, Schutte demonstrates that the sense of rank identity as manifested in these women's marriages remained remarkably stable for centuries, until it was finally shattered by the First World War.
Synopsis
Through an analysis of the marriage patterns of thousands of aristocratic women as well as an examination of diaries, letters, and memoirs, this book demonstrates that the sense of rank identity as manifested in these women's marriages remained remarkably stable for centuries, until it was finally shattered by the First World War.
About the Author
Kimberly Schutte is currently Visiting Assistant Professor at the State University of New York, at Brockport, USA. Her work focuses on the lives and careers of the aristocracy, particularly aristocratic women. She is the author of A Biography of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (1515-1578) (2002).
Table of Contents
Introduction
Prologue: Identity and Rank
PART I: THE STATISTICAL SIDE OF THE STORY
1. The Basic Marriage Patterns
2. 'British' Marriages
3. An Open Aristocracy?
PART II: THE LESS STATISTICAL ASPECTS OF THE STORY
4. The Marriage Market
5. Practical Considerations
6. Kinship Groups
7. Elopement and Defiant Matches
Conclusion