Reading the Regency

Acceptable Occupations for Ladies

"Mad. de Rosier had reason to be pleased by the delicacy of several families of distinction in London, who offered her their services under the name of gratitude; but she was incapable of encroaching upon the kindness of her friends. Misfortune had not extinguished the energy of her mind, and she still possessed the power of maintaining herself honourably by her own exertions."
[The Good French Governess, Tales & Novels vol 1, by Maria Edgeworth]

During the early 19th century, a woman's primary role in life was considered as that of a wife and mother. That was a position every young female, regardless of status, would have aimed for.

Unfortunately, due to the wars the country had been involved in throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, there was a shortage of unmarried men from all levels of society.

Among the working and lower-middle classes, young girls could work in factories, or as servants, seamstresses, washer-women or barmaids. They could even run their own businesses without ruining their chances of getting married. They might have hoped that a future husband would support them financially while they took care of the house and bore their children, but there was no social stigma against being a working woman, whether married or single.

However, in the higher levels of society, things were different. Women were educated to manage a household and taught music and languages so they might be entertaining companions. Their socially acceptable education would have been useful as wives of gentlemen and peers, but it limited their options if they were unsuccessful in their search for a husband. This was a genuine problem, as.one source suggests that almost a quarter of daughters in the higher social classes would be unable to find a husband during their lifetime, and that number included Jane Austen herself.

As they passed the usual age for marriage, an unmarried daughter of a gentleman, clergyman or above would have been dependent on their parents, brothers or other family members for a place to live and food to eat. If they were fortunate they might inherit money from their parents or grandparents that could have been used to live independently.

The alternative would not have been appealing. They could choose to marry someone of lower social status, like a wealthy farmer or businessman, but this could see them and their future children looked down on and even pitied by socially superior family and friends. Fanny Price's mother in Mansfield Park fell beneath the status she had enjoyed from birth by marrying a "lieutenant of marines, without education, fortune, or connexions" and her children suffered as a consequence of that decision.

There were also those unfortunate young women who were left with no family to care for them. Many were orphans, others penniless widows, and some chose to remove themselves from a family home where their presence was a financial burden--those considered the genteel poor. These were not rare circumstances, and were covered in novels of the time:

"She arose next morning considerably refreshed, and, with some degree of calmness, began to reflect what would be the best plan she could adopt for her future subsistence. The first which occurred was to advertise for a situation as a governess, or companion to a lady. Having prepared an advertisement, she sent it to several newspapers, and after paying their demands, she found herself almost pennyless."
[The Lairds of Glenfern, vol 2, by Mary Johnston, pub. 1816]

There were two positions where a young woman of respectable birth, with a good education, could receive either an income or payment in the form of bed and board, and still cling to her status as the daughter of a gentleman.

Governess

"Don't you think she might be a lady, and yet a governess, Mrs. Sweetapple? It seems to me a governess ought to be a lady, else how should she know how to bring up ladies?"
[Lady Clarissa, by Emma Jane Worboise, pub. 1800]