Nobility and Wealth in Jane Austen’s Time

Alternately titled “Nobody Cares about Lady Dalrymple Sir Walter, Go Read Your Snobby Book!”

Most of Austen’s characters are gentry, meaning they are old families with estates (some large, some small). There are a few characters with the title of “Sir” such as Sir William Lucas, a knight, and Sir Walter Elliot, who is a baronet. (He has a thing for titles and therefore falls all over himself to impress her ladyship, the Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple (viscount is two steps up from baronet). Guess who’s twitter he’d be following?)


                                             

(Sidenote: I wonder what Sir Walter would think of our Facebook “status” today? His would probably read. Sir Walter Elliot Is a real baronet. I actually have status. The rest of you shabby lowlifes have zero status and therefore should not be allowed on Facebook.)

Just in case you were wondering about the money matters found in whichever book you’re reading (or if you’re trying to figure out just how much 10,000 pounds a year actually is), a chart:

             

This comes from a very good essay about the economy of the Austen Novels, written in 1990 (which explains why “current” rates are shown for 1988). If you’re like me, a total nerd, you love finding out these kinds of things.

It sheds a lot of light on the situation of the Dashwood ladies and the kind of lifestyles some of the characters (Bertram and Ferrars) would live after the novel ends. But way to go Catherine and Emma, dang, that’s what I call a dowry. Also please note, Darcy is not actually an aristocrat, he’s just very, very well off.

Here’s another chart from the same essay, showing the cost of daily necessities:

                  

It makes sense that money and fortune would have been such a big deal to all the characters, especially the ladies who had to depend on the men (usually) to support them. It also tells a lot about Jane herself, and the lifestyle she chose by not marrying. Sometimes we fantasize about going back to a simpler time, with beautiful dresses and genteel manners, but based on the above, if you could go back, would you want to? In the immortal words of my friend Becca,

“I don't. As a woman no, I don't. As a wealthy man, certainly.”


What would you say?


Happy Reading!