Introduction: The Myth of Breach of Promise -- I. The Legal History of Breach of Promise -- II. The Court as Public Theatre -- III. Gender Roles -- IV. Courtships and Weddings -- V. Broken Engagements in Victorian England -- VI. Premarital Sex in Victorian England -- VII. Four Case Studies, 1846-1916 -- VIII. Elite Men Debate -- IX. Elite Women Debate -- Conclusion: The End of Breach of Promise?
Summary
In the nineteenth century, a woman who could prove a man had broken his promise to marry her was legally entitled to compensation for damages. Bridging the gap between history and literature, Ginger S. Frost offers an in-depth examination of these breaches of promise and compares actual with fictional cases. Although the most important factor in determining the outcome of such trials was gender, class was also vital in assessing the suitability of mates. Promises Broken highlights the courtship practices of lower- and lower middle-class Victorians, a group much neglected in previous scholarship
Analysis
Marriage Law History
England
Marriage Law History
England
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [211]-222) and index