FAMILIES AND ARRANGED MARRIAGES

A survey of early modern English sermons, conduct books, court records, and literature leaves little doubt that the family or interested ‘friends’ expected to play some role in the formation of the marriages of children. Indeed, the terms ‘friends’ and ‘family’ often overlapped in early modern England, for ‘friends’ could include parents, while ‘family’ was understood to include parents, wider kin, and the household. Servants or apprentices were also considered to be members of the household, and their masters could play a role in arranging their marriages.

Family involvement in arranging a marriage was generally considerable, but it varied widely in degree and kind according to factors such as the age of the children, local traditions, and social level. At one extreme a family could choose the bride or groom and finance the new household. At another the child's own marriage choice was merely condoned with a blessing.

The convention among the gentry and aristocracy was for marriages to be arranged by families with a view to securing advantages or alliances, conforming to a patriarchal model. It was expected that aristocratic children would submit willingly to such marriages, happy to comply with parental wishes. Although some children did resist, such arranged marriages were socially acceptable, even when made on a de futuro basis between very young children.