A Revisionist Perspective of Aristocratic Divorce in Georgian England
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2007 A revisionist perspective of aristocratic divorce in Georgian England Dawn Ham University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Ham, Dawn, "A revisionist perspective of aristocratic divorce in Georgian England" (2007). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2290. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/ytp6-nrym This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A REVISIONIST PERSPECTIVE OF ARISTROCRATIC DIVORCE IN GEORGIAN ENGLAND by Dawn Ham Associate o f Arts Fullerton College 1999 Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2004 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in History Department of History College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2008 UMI Number: 1456339 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1456339 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway PC Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Copyright by Dawn Ham 2008 All Rights Reserved Thesis Approval The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 17 .2008 The Thesis prepared by Dawn Barlow-Ham Entitled "A Revisionist Perspective of 18th Century Aristocratic Divorce in England" is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of _______________ Master of Arts in History_____ Examination Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate College Ext Examimtjhn Committee, her Graduate College Eacnlty Eéfifesentative 1017-53 11 ABSTRACT A Revisionist Perspective of Aristocratic Divorce in Georgian England by Dawn Ham Dr. Michelle Tusan, Examination Committee Chair Professor of History University of Nevada, Las Vegas This thesis is about the developments in aristocratic divorce in Georgian England. I specify aristocratic, because at this time they were the only individuals who had the financial means to obtain a divorce by Act of Parliament. Officially, no divorce law existed in England until 1857. I have analyzed three divorce cases for adultery from the 1770’s and researched how aspects of gender and class impacted the development of the process of divorce. I look at issues of power, shame, and the distinctions between the public and private spheres for men and women. I also investigate the impact of the title, “cuckold” and what it meant for men who were thus labeled in Georgian society. Lastly, I look at the role of the duel and how it served to reestablish a sense of control for cuckolded husbands who were increasingly turning to the law for recourse through the filing of suits for Criminal Conversation. Lawrence Stone and Amanda Vickery both argue that this period was one which experienced an increase in egalitarianism. The sources which I analyzed did not support this position. My findings reflect a conservative, traditional Georgian society. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 THE GRAFTON CASE STUDY......................................................... 13 History of Divorce in England...................................................................................... 17 Georgian Society and Gender........................................................................................ 22 The Grafton Narrative..................................................................................................... 27 The Aftermath.................................................................................................................. 45 Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 3 THE GROSVENOR CASE STUDY .................................................. 53 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 53 Female Discretion, Public Observations, and Private Conversations...................... 62 Exposing Adultery in Georgian England.................................................................... 65 The Narrative.................................................................................................................. 67 Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER 4 THE LIGONIER CASE STUDY ........................................................ 93 Introduction.................................................................................................................... 93 The Narrative.................................................................................................................. 100 The Role of the Duel in Cases of Georgian................................................................ 116 Shame and the Press.................................................................................................. 119 C O NCLUSIO N .................................................................................................................. 130 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 136 VITA .................................................................................................................................... 143 IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is dedicated to my Oma, Marion Guagliardo. She has always encouraged my love of history and learning. She has always believed in me, even when I gave her cause for despair. As I was growing up, she was the toughest taskmaster and my truest friend. I am the luckiest of women to have had the love and support of my amazing grandmother and the extra blessing, at thirty-eight years old, to be able to share my success with her. I would also like to thank my advisors, and particularly Drs. Tusan, Brown, and Kirk, for their unwavering compassion and support of my creativity. Thank you for making me think deeper, search harder, and persevere. I would also like to thank Lynette Webber and Kathy Adkins for their moral support and encouragement when things got really crazy for me. Lastly, I need to acknowledge the assistance I received from Mr. David Taylor of Cobham, in Surrey. I found Mr. Taylor via the World Wide Web many years ago. Early in my research for this project, I stumbled across his books online. We discovered that we had overlapping historical interests. He has shown me the kindest hospitality on several trips abroad and introduced me to the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland, through who my article on Edward Ligonier was published in 2006. He is truly a great historian and someone whose passion for history has been a great inspiration to me. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Modem scholarship on eighteenth century English culture paints a portrait of Georgian aristocracy poised on the brink of social change. Historians such as Lawrence Stone and Amanda Vickery both suggest that the study of marital relationships reveals a shift towards increasing egalitarianism and greater freedoms for women than previously thought. Stone began his inquiry into English familial relationships in 1977, with the publication of his first book on the subject. The Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800^ Nearly fifteen years later he turned to the topic of divorce specifically in his seminal work, Road to Divorce^ andBroken Lives^ followed three years later, providing case studies from the Georgian Aristocracy. InThe Gentleman’s Daughter, Vickery probes the archives and personal diaries of women from the “genteel” class. She writes, “This book does not present a history of Every woman; it offers a study of genteel women 'Lawrence Stone,The Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800 (New York: Harper and Row, 1977). ^Lawrence Stone,Road to Divorce: Separation and Divorce in England 1660-1857 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993). ^Lawrence Stone,Broken Lives: Separation and Divorce in England