Expectations
of daughters in Elizabethan England
·
The best portion, the greatest inheritance and the
most precious jewel that they can take with them on their wedding day is
shamefastnes (the want whereof is most hurtful in all women)
·
Women must carefully avoid sluggish and nasty talk,
nice looks, flirtation and light expression when they walk abroad or be in
company
·
No man will look for any other thing of a women but
her honesty
·
If you take everything away from a maid or woman (such
as beauty and wealth) and give her chastity, you would have given her
everything. If her chastity is taken away and is given everything else, she
would be called a wore or naughty pack
17th
Century rules regarding marriage
·
Ministers were not allowed to marry anyone
without banners or licence
·
Ministers were only allowed to marry couples
between 8 and 12 in the forenoon
·
Ministers cannot marry two people in a private
place, only in the said churches or chapels where one of them dwells
·
The people getting married are not allowed to be
under the age of 21
Marriage
Customs
·
When a daughter turns 7, the father will have
help from his tenants to marry her
·
When the daughter turns 9, she is able to
deserve and have dower
·
When the daughter turns 12, she is allowed to
marry
·
A woman married at 12 cannot disagree
afterwards, however if she is married before 12, then she can disagree until
the age of 14
·
The first promising and inception of marriage is
in 2 parts – part 1 is when a man and woman bind themselves by their word only
to contract matrimony thereafter. Part 2 is when an oath is made
·
Chastity is the major feature of a woman – if she
doesn’t have it then no man would marry her
