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Terms of address between a wife and husband in Georgian England

Dienece Darling • Jan 18, 2024

Help me welcome author Dienece Darling as she shares about how a couple would address each other in Georgian England.


Hi, I’m inspirational author Dienece Darling. I write stories bathed in love and faith set in historical England. Today, I’d like to talk about how husbands and wives addressed each other in Georgian England and how I used that in my latest release, Freeing Defeat.

 

If you've ever read or watched Pride and Prejudice, you might have noticed Mrs. Bennet called her husband Mr. Bennet. It was actually a common practice for wives to formally address their spouses in Georgian England. It may seem a little strange to us, but the formality was a sign of deep respect and affection.

 

Even Mrs. Elton, renowned in Emma for her overly familiar manners, still referred to her own husband as Mr. E.

 

Conversely, Mr. Bennet was more relaxed with his wife, calling her ‘my dear.’ Which is not surprising when you recall he’d lost all respect and affection for his wife shortly after marriage. I imagine Mr. Bennet using ‘my dear’ facetiously. Can’t you just picture Mr. Bennet chuckling to himself that his foolish wife couldn’t see his clever joke?

 

I incorporated these antiquated formal terms into my latest reader’s magnet—minus Mr. Bennet’s insincerity, of course. It was actually a lot of fun to have my heroine’s mother sharply protest, “Mr. Townsend!” and have her husband echo back, “Yes, my dear.”

 

You can read the Georgian-Era romance Freeing Defeat for free by signing up to my newsletter here.

 

A Peek inside Freeing Defeat

A Georgian England Romance Novelette

 

Julie Townsend expects an imminent offer of marriage from a future baron. It’s a most inconvenient time for her father to offer accommodation to a penniless clergyman who keeps making Julie question the life she always thought she wanted.

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Andrew Hatfield knows God has called him to a small little parish somewhere far from the balls and finery that Julie loves. To stay true to his calling, he’ll have to steel himself against the allurements of his host’s only daughter.

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Will Andrew and Julie let inconvenient rule the day, or will God have His way after all?

 

About Dienece:

A former Georgia Belle and missionary’s kid, Dienece Darling calls Australia home with her Aussie husband and two sons. Through all the changes of life, books have remained her constant, pleasant companion, and libraries one of her favorite destinations. Her name is pronounced Denise.



Dienece can be reached at: www.dienecedarling.com, Dienece Darling, author | Melbourne VIC | Facebook, and Dienece Darling (@dienecedarling) | Instagram profile

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