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The Regency era of British history is commonly understood as the years between c. 1795 and 1837, although the official regency for which it is named only spanned the years 1811 to 1820. King George III first suffered debilitating illness in the late 1780s, and relapsed into his final mental illness in 1810.
Jointure was a legal concept used largely in late mediaeval and early modern Britain, denoting the estate given to a married couple by the husband's family.One of its most important functions was providing a livelihood for the wife if she became widowed, and it is most often used in this sense, interchangeably with dower.
Esther is crowned in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld.. Hypergamy (colloquially referred to as "dating up" or "marrying up" [1]) is a term used in social science for the act or practice of a person dating or marrying a spouse of higher social status or sexual capital than themselves.
In the Puritan colonies of New England, marriage required the consent of both parents and children. Law and custom governed courtship. [6]: 281–286 Marriage in New England was considered a civil contract, rather than a sacrament. [7] A potential suitor would approach a young woman's parents, often with a small gift, and seek their consent.
The following are the two main definitions relating to literature found in the Oxford English Dictionary: A fictitious narrative, usually in prose, in which the settings or the events depicted are remote from everyday life, or in which sensational or exciting events or adventures form the central theme; a book, etc., containing such a narrative.
The Oxford American English Dictionary defines spinster as "an unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage". It adds: "In modern everyday English, however, spinster cannot be used to mean simply 'unmarried woman'; as such, it is a derogatory term, referring or alluding to a stereotype of an older woman who is ...
Marriage was often the primary way for women to gain independence, as under English law, unmarried women were legally under the control of their fathers or other male relatives. [5] However, in an era where the number of women exceeded that of men, [6] finding an acceptable suitor, [note 1] [6] could become a significant concern. [7]
Relations may be by consanguinity or affinity, meaning by blood or by marriage. On the marriage of cousins, Catholic policy has evolved from initial acceptance, through a long period of general prohibition, to the contemporary requirement for a dispensation. [78] Islam has always allowed it, while Hindu texts vary widely. [79] [80]