Managing aristocratic households : women's agency within the Montagu property network, c.1709-1827
The English country house has captured peopleâs interest and imagination for centuries, and has been the subject of many popular and academic studies. However, due to a tendency to focus upon the art and architecture of such properties, how families actually lived in and used these great houses has often been obscured and underexplored. The eighteenth-century Montagu family will be used as a case study through which to explore a number of key themes associated with the social, rather than architectural side of the country house. Their country seat of Boughton House, Northamptonshire will be considered as part of their wider network of urban, suburban and country estates, which increased throughout the century through marriages and inheritance patterns, in order to explore the position of the country house in connection to other aristocratic properties. This thesis will use the Montagu family to examine how aristocratic families used, managed and moved between a large network of estates. It will highlight the importance of inheritance and legal terminology in giving elite women agency, power and influence within households, within their marriages and over their own finances. It will explore the position that
Purcell, Emma Frances
Managing aristocratic households : women's agency within the Montagu property network, c.1709-1827. The English country house has captured peopleâs interest and imagination for centuries, and has been the subject of many popular and academic studies. However, due to a tendency to focus upon the art and architecture of such properties, how families actually lived in and used these great houses has often been obscured and underexplored. The eighteenth-century Montagu family will be used as a case study through which to explore a number of key themes associated with the social, rather than architectural side of the country house. Their country seat of Boughton House, Northamptonshire will be considered as part of their wider network of urban, suburban and country estates, which increased throughout the century through marriages and inheritance patterns, in order to explore the position of the country house in connection to other aristocratic properties. This thesis will use the Montagu family to examine how aristocratic families used, managed and moved between a large network of estates. It will highlight the importance of inheritance and legal terminology in giving elite women agency, power and influence within households, within their marriages and over their own finances. It will explore the position that
managing aristocratic household woman agency_within property network english country house capture people interest imagination century subject many popular academic_study however_due tendency focus_upon art architecture property family actually live used great house often obscure underexplored eighteenth_century family use case_study explore number_key theme associate social rather architectural side country house country seat house northamptonshire consider part_wider network urban suburban country estates increase throughout_century marriage inheritance pattern order_explore position country house connection aristocratic property use family examine aristocratic family use manage move large network estate highlight_importance inheritance legal terminology give elite woman agency power_influence within_household within marriage finance explore position