Women and Married Life

Marriage, a union created by the church and state to act as a framework for the family, regulated and shaped women's behaviour. Stereotypical roles which were assigned to women included being a wife and a mother. It was expected of a young woman to get married at a young age and bear many children. The contract of marriage acted as an unequal agreement where males held most of the power and women were inferior.

The institution of marriage was a sacrament in the church's eyes and subject to canon law. In the states' eyes, marriage was a civil contract which was governed by the Custom of Paris. However, males had to be fourteen and girls twelve in order for marriage to be valid under civil and canon law. Consent of the parents or commanding officer was required unless the male had reached 30 years of age and the female reached 25 years of age. For instance, permission was refused for the marriage of Chevalier Duvivier and Mlle de la Vallière because the consent of both the Du Chambon and Duvivier families was required. There was no indication as to how much individual freedom of choice a woman had in choosing her mate.

This older age of emancipation from parents created problems for minors who desired marriage. However, this legal age was created in order to protect the elders from being left poor. Adversity existed for some marriages in which there was marriage without permission, unions between cousins, weddings without banns, breach of the promise, premature pregnancy, and rash nuptials. If there was evidence of adultery, homicide, mistaken identity, or incest, a couple was separated until they were granted a dispensation. Divorce did not exist. Marriage also represented a carefully regulated transfer of property from one family to another.

There were more opportunities for women to increase their social status through marriage than men. Since most of the higher ranking positions in society were held by men, it was more probable that a female would marry up the social ladder than a male. However, this upward mobility would usually remain within the ranks of each social class. For instance, women servants might have married tradesmen, artisan's daughters might have wed into merchant families, and upper class women would probably find husbands who were military officers. It was more common that merchants' daughters (with money) marry upper class sons (for rank). Thus, it was rare for a lower class woman to marry an upper class gentleman. If a woman did not come from a family of nobility or did not bring a good dowry to a marriage, she would remain at the lower rung of the social scale. If she was fortunate to get an education by the Sisters of the Congregation, she might have a better chance at a higher paying job and enjoy a higher social status. However, many lower class women were taught at a young age much of the stereotypical work carried out by a female.

Wealth and rank were important factors to consider for upper class families with a son or daughter of marrying age. Officers and well-to-do merchants were very protective keeping the power in society and the unequal distribution of wealth across the social classes. Among the middle class habitants, equality of wealth and solid family connections were more important considerations for a daughter or son wanting to marry.

For some individuals, marriage was not very pleasant experience. For instance, Michel de Gannes deceived the widow, Marie-Anne Carrerot, into having sexual relations on the basis of a false promise of marriage. Her family successfully sued him for compensation of anguish, loss of honour, and expenses for the forthcoming child. The court ruled that the infant was to carry the de Gannes name and de Gannes himself was to pay for the child's upbringing. Interestingly, Carrerot later launched a formal protest with the superior court against de Gannes marrying another woman. Claiming that he should marry her, the court did not rule in her favour and he was allowed to marry the woman of his choice.

Do you feel marriage played a role in hindering the status of women in 18th century Louisbourg? What factors have changed the status of women in your culture today?