The Scandalous Mrs W

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Anyone watching? I love a good period drama me

Yes I think that on marriage your property became your husband's. The £20k was what she came with on marriage. That's why in a lot of 18c novels the Men with titles but no money marry women with money but no status. The women get the status the men get the dowry. Is not a million years ago that women couldn't own property or work if they were married with children.

Thanks fancy. My mother had to give up her Librarian job when she married. This was in 1955. It was common, even then.

Something else I don't quite get, though, is: Iif Seymour was already wealthy in her own right, why did she marry at all if, on marriage, her property became her husband's? What's the incentive?

He sued Bisset for 20k, which would have ruined him. So she/they called to the stand the some. But the info that it was her husband forcing her to have sex with c.27 men, whilst he watched at the keyhole, devalued the damages.

Here is a review of the (excellent) book on which the tv thing was based, which gives a more sober account of what apparently happened.

I thought that the reason she ended up being worth only a shilling was because she had been "devalued" by sleeping with all those other men (and having had sti's) before Bissett met her. So whilst he did take the wife and there was adultery she was effectively "damaged goods" beforehand.

In the scene where her maid brings her a bowl and she is shown to lift up her leg onto a stool, was that to indicate that she was about to do an abortion?
I assumed it was to douche and wash out the sperm in an attempt to prevent pregnancy.

Something else I don't quite get, though, is: Iif Seymour was already wealthy in her own right, why did she marry at all if, on marriage, her property became her husband's?
I may well be wrong but as I understand it she couldn't access the money. In those days a woman was the property of her father until she married and then was the property of her husband. She either had access to her father's money or her husbands. The money that she was worth was her dowery. She wouldn't have been able to access that, much like a slave could be sold for £100 but they would never get that £100.

Ok. So she wouldn't have been able to access the money, as it was a dowry so intended for a future husband. Presumably she could have spent the money inside the marriage, if her husband allowed it.

Does it also mean that, had she divorced, the money would have reverted back to her? Creating a fresh dowry for another potential husband?

I got a bit confused in the programme, but didn't Bissett give her up when it became evident that she couldn't divorce, therefore was worthless ti him? (In financial terms anyway..)

Has it already started?! Fucks sake!

It was only on last night Slag.

I thought Bisset left as he couldn't take the shame of her having 27 lovers and being labelled whore?

I didn't like him from the start I
felt sad after she did all that for them to be together then when shit got real he fucked off! Twat!

Married Women's Property Act was 1870s - until then, anything a woman took into a marriage became her husband's - and it was the 1970s before a woman could have a bank loan or other credit without her husband's or father's or other male relative's signature. Rape in marriage has only been illegal since 1991.

Women had almost no rights - they were very much their husbands' property. The fact that she ended up not being totally ruined (in the end), despite the scandal, is very unusual. Caroline Norton's case in the 19th century lead to the start of changes in the position of women in marriage and divorce.

Loved the scarlet silk Seymour was wearing at the end.

Oh phew! Is it just a one off?

I'm not sure about divorce. I think as the husband was the only one who could divorce the wife, he would have had to give her an allowance. Not sure if the divorce was on the grounds of her adultery he would have to do that. The dowry would have stayed his money though, and the children his children. Women who say they are not feminists and want to hark back to the 1950's should go and live there for a week and see how they feel then! It really irritates me!!

I didn't watch it, but have read on Wiki.

Why did Bisset leave her? Says on Wiki because her husband wouldn't divorce her.

Why would tnat mattef?

They'd had an affair and eloped!

Would she have been entitled to money if they divorced?