Courtship and marriage in Tudor England | HearLore
Courtship and marriage in Tudor England
In 1558, the will of Michael Wentworth contained a chilling clause that would strip a disobedient daughter of her dowry, leaving her to marry a man of her own fantastical brain without the financial safety net of her family. This was not an isolated incident of parental control but a reflection of a society where marriage was the primary economic engine of the Tudor era. For the nobility and gentry, the union of two people was rarely a matter of the heart; it was a strategic maneuver to preserve lineage, secure alliances, and transmit inheritance from one generation to the next. The concept of endogamy, or marrying within one's social group, was the bedrock of this system, ensuring that wealth and status remained concentrated within the family circle. Sir William Locke exemplified this rigid pragmatism when he demanded to see the account books of any prospective suitor for his daughter before granting permission for the match. The financial and political facets of marriage were the key considerations, with dowries and jointures serving as the currency of the realm. A dowry represented the cash and goods provided by the father of the bride, while a jointure acted as a pension guaranteeing the bride's maintenance should she become widowed. These financial arrangements were not merely transactions but were deeply embedded in the social fabric, dictated by the fifth commandment to honor one's father and mother. Even in the face of high adult mortality rates, parents left specific instructions in their wills regarding the conditions under which their children were permitted to marry, ensuring that the family's legacy was not squandered on a light person of questionable character.
The Hierarchy of Hearts
The experience of courtship and marriage in Tudor England varied drastically depending on one's place in the social hierarchy, creating a stark divide between the privileged and the poor. For the eldest sons of noble families, marriage was a duty undertaken in their early twenties, designed to ensure the continuation of the lineage and the inheritance of family wealth. In contrast, younger brothers often faced a lifetime of economic hardship, forced to accumulate income through individual efforts before they could afford to marry, or they chose to remain unmarried to enjoy the luxurious comforts of a gentleman's household. Women, regardless of their rank, were viewed as the submissive sex and treated as second-class citizens, expected to perform the roles of obedient wives and child bearers. Elizabeth Howard's story illustrates the precarious position of women, whose father-in-law agreed to settle several manors as her jointure to provide her with financial security. The middle class followed similar patterns to the nobility, though the economic resources exchanged were less in value. A Lancashire girl in 1514 married a man she disliked solely out of the fear of losing her family's land, highlighting the immense pressure to maintain social standing. The lower classes, however, enjoyed considerable freedom in choosing their spouse, as the crucial component of controlling marriages required some form of exchange in property or wealth. Between the ages of seven and fourteen, children of the poor often left home to work as domestic servants or apprentices, delaying their marriage until their middle to late twenties when they had accumulated sufficient funds. This delay allowed couples to be financially equipped to establish a household, and women were expected to support their husbands with their occupation, sometimes continuing to work as servants or wet nurses.
The path to marriage was often paved with small, seemingly insignificant objects that carried the weight of legal contracts and social witness. Courtship in Tudor England was a period intended for couples to get to know each other and develop personal affection, yet it was surrounded by the economic possessions that could be brought into a potential marriage. The practice of exchanging gifts and tokens demonstrated the social importance of the stages leading towards marriage, with men proving coins, trinkets, or clothing to the woman he was trying to woo. These items were not merely personal matters but defined socially public relations, as these gifts were often brought by intermediaries who acted as witnesses to the ordeal. The case of William Hanwell in 1519 serves as a stark reminder of the legal dangers inherent in courtship. Hanwell assigned two pennies to an intermediary to hand over to his partner, a gesture that ensured if any form of contract were to take place, there would be a reliable witness to testify. This exchange of present consent made the couple married instantaneously under ecclesiastical law, a fact the woman later challenged but could not overturn due to the testimony of the two witnesses present. Gift giving could continue into marriage, as seen in the example of Robert Mindum, who between 1593 and 1612 produced and engraved objects made from animal horn and bone, giving them to his friends and his wife, Jane Mindum. These material offerings were not just expressions of affection but were tangible proofs of a binding commitment, ensuring that the marriage was recognized by the courts and civil lawyers.
The Public Vow
Before a couple could be united in the eyes of the Church, they had to subject their intentions to the scrutiny of the entire community through the practice of crying the banns. This process required the announcement of their intention to marry on three consecutive Sundays, allowing anyone with objections to come forth and declare reasons why the union should not proceed. A common reason involved a pre-contract, where one of the partners was already promised to another person, rendering the new union invalid. If there were no obstacles, the Church provided its blessing, allowing the couple to pursue the wedding. The wedding day itself was a public spectacle that began with the arrival of the couple outside the church door, where the priest would initiate the service. During the ceremony, the couple took each other in marriage and promised to hold their vows until death do them part in both sickness and health. The woman additionally undertook an oath to obey her husband, a legal and social requirement that underscored the patriarchal nature of the institution. The man would place the ring on the Bible, where it was blessed, before putting it on the woman's right hand on the fourth finger. After the couple received a blessing from the priest, they were pronounced husband and wife, and the day continued with celebrations that included a wedding dinner and festive dancing. For couples from the lower classes, guests made gifts and could contribute to the bride ale, a tradition that provided entertainment and community support. However, for a marriage to be considered legally binding, it had to be consummated, a process that could involve the couple being accompanied to bed by the priest and other witnesses to ensure a testimony could be provided.
The Law of the Land
The legal framework surrounding marriage in Tudor England was a complex web of contracts, ages of consent, and ecclesiastical laws that could make or break a union. When a growing population of poverty caused by over-hasting marriages and over-soon setting up of households by the youth, the decree of the Common Council of London in 1556 raised the age of consent to twenty-one. This aligned with the contemporary views that condemned those who had no means to establish and maintain their own household. The Poor Relief Act 1601 also contributed to an increase in the average age of first marriage, allowing overseers to apprentice children of the parish poor from the age of ten to twenty-four, essentially delaying the prospects of marriage. There were two ways a marriage could be entered based on a contract, each with its own legal implications. The first type of contract was per verba de prasenti, which involved the mutual exchange of present consent between a man and woman, creating an indissoluble commitment under ecclesiastical law. The second type of contract was per verba de futuro, based on the mutual exchange of future consent. If this promise was then followed by consummation, the marriage would become legitimate, but if it was not followed by consummation, the marriage could be considered null and void. It was essential for contracts to be witnessed, in order for the courts and civil lawyers to recognize a couple as legally married. A witness had to be present during the oral commitment, and in the case of future consent, must be able to provide a testimony that sexual intercourse had taken place. These legal mechanisms ensured that marriage was not merely a private affair but a public institution regulated by the state and the church.