Laura Beers

What was marriage like for a woman back in the Regency period?

Sadly, women in the Regency period had few individual rights and everything a woman brought into the marriage became the possession of her husband.

Which is why it was imperative for her family, or the woman herself, to negotiate for her financial future, binding it in the legal settlement. What happened to her and her children depended upon this.

Unfortunately, courtship was not very enjoyable because of these legalities. The first step of the courtship was to create a settlement contract. 

Items that were typically included in a settlement contract:

• Dowry – Daughters of wealthy families had a specific dowry amount set aside for them. This may include a portion of the dowry her mother brought to the marriage. The dowry was an amount well known, such financial matters expected to play a role in why a woman was chosen as a wife.
• Pin Money – An annual allowance allotted to the wife for her personal needs during her husband’s lifetime.
• Children – Some settlements detailed specific provisions for future children, such as a base dowry amount for any daughters or a monetary inheritance for sons beside the heir.
• Death – Details were specified for after the husband’s death, this called the “jointure.” This may include where the wife could live, if any properties were to be given to her or made available, the jewels she could keep, an annual allowance, provisions for minor children, and so on.

If an engaged person terminated the agreement before the marriage, he/she could face legal action in a “breach of promise” suit.

Nothing says romance like a settlement contract!