English Aristocratic Marriage Negotiations, 1400-1700
Bruce Guy
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Dr. Emma Bate
September 23, 2013

Marriage from the 14th century through the 17th century was more of a business arrangement between two families than a joining of a man and woman to live together in the holy bonds of matrimony. In some cases, the women were married to the suitor who had the most to offer. Marriages during those centuries focused more on status and wealth than on love. According to Desmet, “to marry for affection alone was deemed irresponsible, even immoral” (Desmet 2002). A woman’s position in the aristocracy and her living standards depended heavily on her husband’s wealth, political power, and rank. The goal of her parents was to have her marry into the wealthiest, highest ranking family possible. Marriage among the aristocrats is a collective decision of family and kin, not an individual one. Past lineage associations, political patronage, extension of lineage connections, and property preservation and accumulation were the principle considerations. Property and power were the predominant issues which governed negotiations for marriage, while the greatest fear in a society so acutely conscious of status and hierarchy was of social derogation in marriage, of alliance with a family of lower estate or degree than ones own (Stone 1977). In most cases the parents and children agreed because their wellbeing was the major concern. “A girl from an aristocratic family, in particular, needed persistence and a strong will to marry the person of her choice” (Desmet 2002). The most important issue of negotiations was the size of the bride’s dowry and jointure. When it came to the woman, her father or guardian agreed to pay a dowry --usually a specific amount of money, which was