Alberta Wrote:
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, the regency version does
> not require 2100 divided by seven, with us
> imagining that each Bennet daughter needs or is
> spending the equivalent of 300 pounds a year.
I agree. It's different if a gentleman or lady was living in his or her own separate household. Then he or she might need 300 a year for a proper genteel lifestyle, (although only 100 a year was already enough to live with a servant). A shared household is always less expensive than separate households. Col Brandon considered that the Delaford living of 200 to 250 a year (plus Edward's little income of 100 a year from his 2,000 pounds), was enough for him to be comfortable as a single gentleman, but not enough to marry upon, considering Edward's former "style of life". Elinor and Edward agreed it was not enough for them to marry; after the lukewarm reconciliation with Mrs Ferrars and she gave Edward 10,000, they agreed that it was "as much as was desired, and more than was expected", and began their married life on nearly 900 a year (Edward's 100 a year, Elinor's 50 a year, 200-250 a year from the living, and 500 a year from the 10,000). It did not mean their income will remain 900 a year, Edward could get another living later in addition to Delaford living, and could inherit another 10,000 or so from his mother, and Elinor would inherit between 2,000 to 3,000 from her mother.
In MP, Edmund's living of Thornton Lacey was "not less than 700 a year" (700 a year was a similar income to Willoughby's), and it was said that 700 a year was the minimum that a gentleman used to a genteel lifestyle would settle upon as sufficient for marriage. I believe in MP, Sir Thomas would also give Edmund and Fanny some money when they married, since by then he had become very fond of Fanny, the daughter he wanted. He had always meant to provide for her, and it was surely much better that her dowry would go to his own son than to anyone else -- he settled her at Thornton "with every possible attention for her comfort", and after Dr Grant's death, Edmund's income was doubled by the acquisition of Mansfield living.
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, the regency version does
> not require 2100 divided by seven, with us
> imagining that each Bennet daughter needs or is
> spending the equivalent of 300 pounds a year.
I agree. It's different if a gentleman or lady was living in his or her own separate household. Then he or she might need 300 a year for a proper genteel lifestyle, (although only 100 a year was already enough to live with a servant). A shared household is always less expensive than separate households. Col Brandon considered that the Delaford living of 200 to 250 a year (plus Edward's little income of 100 a year from his 2,000 pounds), was enough for him to be comfortable as a single gentleman, but not enough to marry upon, considering Edward's former "style of life". Elinor and Edward agreed it was not enough for them to marry; after the lukewarm reconciliation with Mrs Ferrars and she gave Edward 10,000, they agreed that it was "as much as was desired, and more than was expected", and began their married life on nearly 900 a year (Edward's 100 a year, Elinor's 50 a year, 200-250 a year from the living, and 500 a year from the 10,000). It did not mean their income will remain 900 a year, Edward could get another living later in addition to Delaford living, and could inherit another 10,000 or so from his mother, and Elinor would inherit between 2,000 to 3,000 from her mother.
In MP, Edmund's living of Thornton Lacey was "not less than 700 a year" (700 a year was a similar income to Willoughby's), and it was said that 700 a year was the minimum that a gentleman used to a genteel lifestyle would settle upon as sufficient for marriage. I believe in MP, Sir Thomas would also give Edmund and Fanny some money when they married, since by then he had become very fond of Fanny, the daughter he wanted. He had always meant to provide for her, and it was surely much better that her dowry would go to his own son than to anyone else -- he settled her at Thornton "with every possible attention for her comfort", and after Dr Grant's death, Edmund's income was doubled by the acquisition of Mansfield living.