Discussion Post: The Noble Bachelor
Aug. 21st, 2016 08:01 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
scfrankles.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sherlock60This week, the canon story we’re looking at is The Noble Bachelor and the chosen topic is The Upper Classes.
A few facts:
👑 The wealthiest aristocrats in Victorian times had a typical annual income of £30,000 (approx. £2,000,000/$2,700,000 today, going by The New Annotated’s conversion rate of £1 = £68).
Other aristocrats, wealthy merchants, bankers, and manufacturers had a typical income of £10,000.
Smallest landed gentry, some clergymen, physicians, barristers, businessmen had a typical income of £1,000-2,000. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 ...the aristocracy… held sway throughout the nineteenth century. Few, if any, in the upper-class worked and income came from inherited land and investments. As late as the 1880s, more than half the members of the House of Commons came from the upper classes and, of course, the entire House of Lords. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 The hereditary land-owning class was made up of aristocrats and the gentry. In the case of the aristocrats, the title and land usually went to the oldest son. With nineteenth century moral reforms coming to the forefront, the upper-class life of leisure and enjoyment lost favor. During this period, when the oldest son received the land, he was expected to… sit in Parliament, have a hand in local affairs, and use his influence in a charitable cause, even though he did not do any paid work. The younger sons might have inherited some of the estate, but they were prepared to enter a profession, especially as military officers, clergymen, or colonial administrators. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The head of a titled family had responsibilities and privileges. He couldn’t be arrested for debt, and if he was charged with a criminal offense, he would be tried by a “jury of his peers”, made up of other noblemen, in a special court held in Westminster Hall rather than in an ordinary criminal court. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The landed gentleman usually did not have a house in town. He spent most of the year on his estate, taking an active position on local issues. Generally, he was called “Squire”, which is a customary term for the most influential local landowner. During [the Victorian era], there were about two thousand squires with estates of between one thousand and three thousand acres. They were expected to be a justice of the peace and to take interest in the countryside, and also to promote local charities. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The social life of the upper classes revolved, very much, around itself and a rather predictable set of activities. There was, first and foremost… "The Season." While the upper class often had a full and active social life in the country, it was in the three months that they generally spent in London that the most splendid and expensive entertainment was available. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 ‘Society’, the elite… consist[ed] of an estimated 1,500 families approximating 10,000 people. This group include[d] the Royals, titled aristocracy, and old landed gentry as well as politicians, a few wealthy merchants and manufacturers, a few doctors and artists. You m[ight] also find included some who ha[d] achieved the designation of being outstanding such as an explorer or musician. You w[ould] not, however, find those considered as intellectuals or newspapermen. [Welcome to 1876 Victorian England.]
👑 ...the unspoken purpose for "The Season" was to bring together the right sort of people in an endless whirlwind of festivities and pleasure, while providing the setting for the largest "marriage market" in the world.
Young women would “come out” (that is, they “emerged into fashionable society”) during The Season, usually when they reached the age of eighteen. “Presentation at Court” was a necessary prerequisite for a young girl to “come out” or “appear” in society. Once she had been presented to the Queen… the young debutante could then participate in the many activities and festivities of high-society, including parties, balls, and elegant dinners… Lady Dorothy Neville recalled that during her first Season she attended “50 balls, 60 parties, 30 dinners and 25 breakfasts.” A spirited and energetic young lady… could begin her social round at 10:00 in the morning with a ride in Hyde Park and end it at 3:00 a.m. the following morning at a ball. [Dawn Aiello on The History Box]
👑 Not all of those who came out, particularly in the last years of the century, were from the aristocracy. If one had the right contacts it was possible to be presented. The informal embargo on those whose papa's were either manufacturers or significant tradesmen, however, began to break down towards the end of the century. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
For a marriageable young woman, the season was often the most important event of the year, for she knew that she had, at best, only two or three seasons in which to confirm her future through marriage. The first season would be her coming out, but if she was not successful in the marriage race, she knew she still had one, or at most two, more seasons in which to find a mate. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 Costume balls were a feature of "The Season," and there were none as elaborate as that given by the Duchess of Devonshire on 2 July 1897… [in] the Jubilee year; the sixtieth year of Victoria's reign. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 At the turn of the twentieth century, London boasted approximately two hundred gentleman's clubs; half… had been founded in the last thirty years of the century, and at midcentury applicants could expect to endure waits of eighteen or twenty years. Gentlemen's clubs tended to cluster in London in the exclusive preserve known as “clubland,” located [predominantly] on St. James's Street and Pall Mall… [Barbara Black on The Victorian Web]
👑 Winchester College was the earliest [public school—that is, paradoxically, an ‘exclusive and expensive educational establishment’], founded in 1382. The College of St Mary at Eton followed, in 1440. There was a burst of new foundations in the 19th century, reflecting the aspirations of the middle classes to the status symbols of the nobility and gentry. [Liza Picard on the British Library website]
👑 In the upper classes it was assumed that a girl would marry and that therefore she had no need of a formal education… If she could not find a husband she faced a grim future as a 'maiden aunt' whose help could always be called on to look after her aged parents or her siblings’ children. She might even be forced to take on employment as a governess… [T]heir future was improved when Queen’s College in Harley Street, London was founded in 1848, to give governesses a recognized and marketable qualification… Ten more years saw the foundation of Cheltenham Ladies’ College. Other girls’ public schools followed. [Liza Picard on the British Library website]
Some useful resources:
What Exactly Was Isabella’s Big Complaint? On 100 Classics Challenge. Mainly referring to Jane Austen’s novels but also gives typical annual income for the Victorian age.
Aristocracy in England On All Things Victorian. An index to 30 articles.
English Titles in the 18th and 19th Centuries by Jo Beverley. This brief run-down of English titles is for use by fiction writers. It is by no means comprehensive, but covers the more common situations arising in novels set in the above periods.
Class Structure of Victorian England On 100 Classics Challenge.
The Aristocracy On Victorian History.
The London Season by Dawn Aiello of Victorian Lace, on The History Box.
The London Season On Welcome to 1876 Victorian England.
Victorian Event of the Season: 1897 Devonshire Costume Ball by Geri Walton—unique histories from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Coming Out On Victorian History.
Love. Courtship and Marriage On All Things Victorian.
London by Day and Night, by David W.Bartlett, 1852 - Chapter 9 - The Aristocracy On The Dictionary of Victorian London.
London Clubs On The Victorian Web.
Education in Victorian Britain by Liza Picard, on the British Library website.
What Victorians Wore: An Overview of Victorian Costume On The Victorian Web. An index to several articles.
Domestic Architecture for the Rich, Poor, and Those in between On The Victorian Web. An index to several articles.
Victorian England Social Hierarchy On Hierarchy Structure.
Please feel free to discuss this topic in the comments.
Please also feel free to comment about the canon story itself or any related aspects outside this week’s theme. For example, any reactions, thoughts, theories, fic recs, favourite adaptations of the canon story… Or any other contribution you wish to make. And if you have any suggestions for fic prompts springing from this week's story, please feel free to share those in the comments as well.
A few facts:
👑 The wealthiest aristocrats in Victorian times had a typical annual income of £30,000 (approx. £2,000,000/$2,700,000 today, going by The New Annotated’s conversion rate of £1 = £68).
Other aristocrats, wealthy merchants, bankers, and manufacturers had a typical income of £10,000.
Smallest landed gentry, some clergymen, physicians, barristers, businessmen had a typical income of £1,000-2,000. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 ...the aristocracy… held sway throughout the nineteenth century. Few, if any, in the upper-class worked and income came from inherited land and investments. As late as the 1880s, more than half the members of the House of Commons came from the upper classes and, of course, the entire House of Lords. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 The hereditary land-owning class was made up of aristocrats and the gentry. In the case of the aristocrats, the title and land usually went to the oldest son. With nineteenth century moral reforms coming to the forefront, the upper-class life of leisure and enjoyment lost favor. During this period, when the oldest son received the land, he was expected to… sit in Parliament, have a hand in local affairs, and use his influence in a charitable cause, even though he did not do any paid work. The younger sons might have inherited some of the estate, but they were prepared to enter a profession, especially as military officers, clergymen, or colonial administrators. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The head of a titled family had responsibilities and privileges. He couldn’t be arrested for debt, and if he was charged with a criminal offense, he would be tried by a “jury of his peers”, made up of other noblemen, in a special court held in Westminster Hall rather than in an ordinary criminal court. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The landed gentleman usually did not have a house in town. He spent most of the year on his estate, taking an active position on local issues. Generally, he was called “Squire”, which is a customary term for the most influential local landowner. During [the Victorian era], there were about two thousand squires with estates of between one thousand and three thousand acres. They were expected to be a justice of the peace and to take interest in the countryside, and also to promote local charities. [100 Classics Challenge]
👑 The social life of the upper classes revolved, very much, around itself and a rather predictable set of activities. There was, first and foremost… "The Season." While the upper class often had a full and active social life in the country, it was in the three months that they generally spent in London that the most splendid and expensive entertainment was available. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 ‘Society’, the elite… consist[ed] of an estimated 1,500 families approximating 10,000 people. This group include[d] the Royals, titled aristocracy, and old landed gentry as well as politicians, a few wealthy merchants and manufacturers, a few doctors and artists. You m[ight] also find included some who ha[d] achieved the designation of being outstanding such as an explorer or musician. You w[ould] not, however, find those considered as intellectuals or newspapermen. [Welcome to 1876 Victorian England.]
👑 ...the unspoken purpose for "The Season" was to bring together the right sort of people in an endless whirlwind of festivities and pleasure, while providing the setting for the largest "marriage market" in the world.
Young women would “come out” (that is, they “emerged into fashionable society”) during The Season, usually when they reached the age of eighteen. “Presentation at Court” was a necessary prerequisite for a young girl to “come out” or “appear” in society. Once she had been presented to the Queen… the young debutante could then participate in the many activities and festivities of high-society, including parties, balls, and elegant dinners… Lady Dorothy Neville recalled that during her first Season she attended “50 balls, 60 parties, 30 dinners and 25 breakfasts.” A spirited and energetic young lady… could begin her social round at 10:00 in the morning with a ride in Hyde Park and end it at 3:00 a.m. the following morning at a ball. [Dawn Aiello on The History Box]
👑 Not all of those who came out, particularly in the last years of the century, were from the aristocracy. If one had the right contacts it was possible to be presented. The informal embargo on those whose papa's were either manufacturers or significant tradesmen, however, began to break down towards the end of the century. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
For a marriageable young woman, the season was often the most important event of the year, for she knew that she had, at best, only two or three seasons in which to confirm her future through marriage. The first season would be her coming out, but if she was not successful in the marriage race, she knew she still had one, or at most two, more seasons in which to find a mate. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 Costume balls were a feature of "The Season," and there were none as elaborate as that given by the Duchess of Devonshire on 2 July 1897… [in] the Jubilee year; the sixtieth year of Victoria's reign. [Dr Bruce Rosen on Victorian History]
👑 At the turn of the twentieth century, London boasted approximately two hundred gentleman's clubs; half… had been founded in the last thirty years of the century, and at midcentury applicants could expect to endure waits of eighteen or twenty years. Gentlemen's clubs tended to cluster in London in the exclusive preserve known as “clubland,” located [predominantly] on St. James's Street and Pall Mall… [Barbara Black on The Victorian Web]
👑 Winchester College was the earliest [public school—that is, paradoxically, an ‘exclusive and expensive educational establishment’], founded in 1382. The College of St Mary at Eton followed, in 1440. There was a burst of new foundations in the 19th century, reflecting the aspirations of the middle classes to the status symbols of the nobility and gentry. [Liza Picard on the British Library website]
👑 In the upper classes it was assumed that a girl would marry and that therefore she had no need of a formal education… If she could not find a husband she faced a grim future as a 'maiden aunt' whose help could always be called on to look after her aged parents or her siblings’ children. She might even be forced to take on employment as a governess… [T]heir future was improved when Queen’s College in Harley Street, London was founded in 1848, to give governesses a recognized and marketable qualification… Ten more years saw the foundation of Cheltenham Ladies’ College. Other girls’ public schools followed. [Liza Picard on the British Library website]
Some useful resources:
What Exactly Was Isabella’s Big Complaint? On 100 Classics Challenge. Mainly referring to Jane Austen’s novels but also gives typical annual income for the Victorian age.
Aristocracy in England On All Things Victorian. An index to 30 articles.
English Titles in the 18th and 19th Centuries by Jo Beverley. This brief run-down of English titles is for use by fiction writers. It is by no means comprehensive, but covers the more common situations arising in novels set in the above periods.
Class Structure of Victorian England On 100 Classics Challenge.
The Aristocracy On Victorian History.
The London Season by Dawn Aiello of Victorian Lace, on The History Box.
The London Season On Welcome to 1876 Victorian England.
Victorian Event of the Season: 1897 Devonshire Costume Ball by Geri Walton—unique histories from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Coming Out On Victorian History.
Love. Courtship and Marriage On All Things Victorian.
London by Day and Night, by David W.Bartlett, 1852 - Chapter 9 - The Aristocracy On The Dictionary of Victorian London.
London Clubs On The Victorian Web.
Education in Victorian Britain by Liza Picard, on the British Library website.
What Victorians Wore: An Overview of Victorian Costume On The Victorian Web. An index to several articles.
Domestic Architecture for the Rich, Poor, and Those in between On The Victorian Web. An index to several articles.
Victorian England Social Hierarchy On Hierarchy Structure.
Please feel free to discuss this topic in the comments.
Please also feel free to comment about the canon story itself or any related aspects outside this week’s theme. For example, any reactions, thoughts, theories, fic recs, favourite adaptations of the canon story… Or any other contribution you wish to make. And if you have any suggestions for fic prompts springing from this week's story, please feel free to share those in the comments as well.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 08:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 02:03 pm (UTC)And incidentally, that's such a thankfully clear guide to the British title system ^^"
no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 02:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-21 04:43 pm (UTC)