Promises broken
Subtitle: courtship, class, and gender in Victorian England
By: Ginger S. Frost.
Series: Victorian literature and culture series
Publisher: University Press of Virginia
Published: 1995
Place of publication: Charlottesville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 241
Subjects: Breach of promise -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.; Man-woman relationships -- England -- History -- 19th century.; Courtship -- England -- History -- 19th century.
Description: 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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-222) and index.