working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

CAPITALISTSTerm includes aristocracy and nouveau-riche. Tendency of these two classes toapproximate in manners-activity of aristocratic women with affain of household,estate and nation-Zeal for patents and monopolies-Money lenders-Shipping trade-Contractors-Joan Dant-Dorothy petty-~ssociation ofwives in husbands' businesses-Decrease of women's business activity inupperclasses-Contrast of Dutch women-Growing idleness of gentlewomen.PERHAPS it is impossible to say what exactly constitutesa capitalist, and no attempt will be qade to definethe term, which is used here to include the aristocracywho had long been accustomed to the control ofwealth, and also those families whose wealth had beennewly acquired through trade or commerce. Thesecond group conforms more nearly to the ideasgenerally understood by the term capitalist ; butin English society the two groups are closely related.The first group naturally represents the oldertraditional relation of women to affairs in the upperclasses, while the second responded more quickly to thenew spirit which was being manifested in Englishlife. No rigid line of demarcation existed betweenthem, because while the younger sons of the gentryengaged in trade, the daughters of wealthy tradesmenwere eagerly sought as brides by an impoverishedaristocracy. Therefore the manners and customs ofthe two groups gradually approximated to each other.At the beginning of the seventeenth century it wasusual for the women of the aristocracy to be very busywith affairs-affairs which concerned their household,their estates and even the Government.Thus Lady Barrymore writes she is " a cuntrylady living in Ireland and convercing with none butCAPITALISTSmasons and carpendors, for I am now finishing ahouse, so that if my govenour [Sir Edmund Verney]please to build a new house, that may be well seatedand have a good prospect, I will give him my bestadvice gratis."'Lady Gardiner's husband apologises for her notwriting personally to Sir Ralph Verney, she " beingalmost melted with the double heat of the weather andher hotter employment, because the fruit is suddenlyripe and she is so busy preserving."= Their householdconsisted of thirty persons.Among the nobility the management of the estatewas often left for months in the wife's care while thehusband was detained at Court for business or pleasure.It was during her husband's absence that Brilliana,Lady Harley defended Brampton Castle from anattack by the Royalist forces who laid siege to it forsix weeks, when her defence became famous for itsdetermination and success. Her difficulties in estatemanagement are described in letters to her son :" You know how your fathers biusnes is neglected ;and alas ! it is not speaking will sarue turne, whearetheare is not abilltise to doo other ways ; theareforeI could wisch, that your father had one of morevnderstanding to intrust, to looke to, if his rents arenot payed, and I thinke it will be so. I could desire,if your father thought well of it, that Mr. TomasMoore weare intrusted with it ; he knows your fathersestate, and is an honnest man, and not giuen to greatexpences, and thearefore I thinke he would goo themost frugally way. I knowe it would be some chargesto haue him and his wife in the howes ; but I thinkeit would quite the chargess. I should be loth tohaue a stranger, nowe your father is away."'l Verney Family, Memoirs durrng the Cavzl War, Vol. I., p. 2 10.Ibid. Vol I , p. 12.' Harley, Letters of Brilliana, the Lady, pp. r 46-7, 1641.1 S