NOVEMBER 1811
William and Catherine were eager to marry quickly. Weddings often took place within weeks of the engagement, and the excited young couple planned to marry before Christmas. Ordinary folk usually got married in church, where it was necessary to publish banns on three successive Sundays. This was intended to alert the community, so that any irregularity could be exposed prior to the marriage. People of high rank often gained exemption from the process, and their wedding ceremonies tended to be conducted in the privacy of their stately homes, after purchasing a ‘special licence’. As a result, rumours abounded in the press about when and where the forthcoming marriage would take place. The most likely venue seemed to be Apsley House, Marquess Wellesley’s magnificent residence in Mayfair, or perhaps Mr Pole’s town house in Savile Row.
As soon as the engagement was announced, dozens of letters of congratulations poured in from William’s family and friends. Writing from Houghton Hall, Lord Cholmondeley captured the general feeling of jubilation when he wrote, ‘Hurrah, Hurrah. Rejoiced I am dearest William. I am proud that my friend has so well succeeded. All here delighted I can inform you.’1 There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that William had won a great prize. All three of his sisters sent letters expressing their delight, while his mother could barely contain her euphoria when she wrote:
The more I reflect on the astounding good fortune you have had, the more delighted I am. For in my sober reflection, I lay aside the brilliancy of it, but I consider her good sense, her grand conduct, her affection and duty to her mother, her charity, and her religious disposition the foundation of all without which, she should not be in my eyes, as great an acquisition to our family as I expect she will prove.2
Although Mrs Pole doted on William, she was also a realist well aware of his reckless nature. Underlining for emphasis, she ended her note with a caution: ‘She is a very pretty likeable creature, and if ever you make her unhappy I shall hate you my dear! ’3
In contrast, the response from Catherine’s side was subdued. Bartholomew Bouverie was among those who voiced serious concerns to her face, and others sent anonymous letters with ominous predictions:
Is it possible that the amiable, the virtuous and good Miss Long is going to bestow her hand upon that reptile Pole? Your fortune Madam is a worldly accident, which any of us may possess. But that endowments such as yours, such a heart and such a temper, should be enjoyed by this peevish, vain, self-sufficient profligate young gentleman is not to be endured by anyone who ever had the pleasure of knowing you. He will break your heart, be assured.4
For some strange reason, Catherine held on to these warnings, although she did not heed the advice. She was too deeply in love with William to care about what others thought.
Although the young lovers were keen to marry immediately, Catherine’s family insisted on waiting until a pre-nuptial marriage settlement was in place. Catherine lived in a male-dominated society; the law of the time decreed that a woman’s entire assets automatically passed to her husband when she married. A husband gained absolute control of everything: his wife’s property, including clothing and jewellery, her earnings and even her children. This was why Catherine’s family considered it imperative to protect her interests with a marriage settlement, which was common practice among the propertied class.
The terms of the settlement were partly controlled by previous family wills, but much was left to Catherine’s discretion, with one advisor telling her, ‘The arrangements. . . must be entirely governed by your own feelings and judgement as they concern the dispensation of [your] property.’5 Sensible Catherine enlisted the help of Bartholomew Bouverie, the family member most forceful about safeguarding her interests. He was an astute negotiator, and a member of the renowned Shaftesbury family, so he was the perfect advocate to negotiate a fair deal. As William was heir to his father’s estates in Ireland, along with mansions in Savile Row and Blackheath, Bouverie suggested that he should bring his own inheritance to the table. William refused, claiming they were his father’s assets not his own. During these mediations, Bouverie found William to be a slippery character with barely ‘a squeeze of cordiality’.6 Once again he warned Catherine about his misgivings regarding her choice of husband, but she was determined to proceed.
Negotiations dragged on into January, and as one newspaper recorded, ‘The rolls of parchment employed in preparing the marriage articles, conveyances, and other deeds . . . are sufficiently numerous and bulky to load a cart.’7 By February, William was desperate to get married, and he wrote to Catherine with growing impatience, ‘My Dearest Love, we should have done all this business ourselves.’8 The couple had an unusually long time to wait, but this also gave them the opportunity to prepare for their big day. Catherine had plenty of time to design a special wedding outfit, while William set about purchasing gifts and other luxury items to present to his bride. They were both stylish and innovative, and what started out as fairly moderate plans quickly escalated into what would be a momentous moment in the history of the English wedding.9
Finally, after four solid months of negotiations, the pre-nuptial marriage settlement was in place. Catherine’s assets included around 23,000 acres of land and six stately homes, which were divided up between the couple. Catherine granted William a lifetime interest in the Tylney legacy, which included the family seat at Wanstead House:
William now had direct control of more than half of Catherine’s estates, for the term of his lifetime only. The ‘life interest’ clause meant that he was entitled to all the rents and income from the estates, but he did not have the power to sell.10 Catherine retained rights to the Long estates, including the family seat at Draycot:11
|
Landed estates assigned to Catherine |
acres |
|
Draycot and Seagry Houses, Wiltshire |
4,000 |
|
Athelhampton Manor and land in Dorset |
1,700 |
|
Land at Kirby Hill, Cundall with Leckby etc., N. Yorkshire |
4,400 |
|
Land at Higham Park, Northants |
600 |
|
Total |
10,700 |
In theory, Catherine still had control of approximately half her estates. Although she was the legal owner of this property, however, the law stipulated that a husband was entitled to his wife’s earnings. This meant that William was perfectly at liberty to seize all her rents and income. To prevent this happening, it was determined that Catherine would receive £11,000 in pin money every year, which would be raised by the trustees managing the rents and paid direct to her, into a separate bank account entirely for her own use.12 A clause specified that William was not permitted to ‘inter-meddle therewith’.13 This would allow Catherine some independence and protect her in the event of a separation. Every quarter the trustees would account as follows: Catherine would be paid one quarter of her pin money; instalments on annuities would be settled and William would receive all remaining rents of around £25,000.
The terms of the marriage settlement also specified that Catherine was not permitted to be a joint party to any loan agreements entered into by her husband, nor was she ‘subject to his debts or engagements’.14 This was to protect her against any liabilities that William might accrue.
William was delighted with the settlement and, despite some misgivings, Catherine’s advisors were ultimately pleased with the deal. Even if William managed to squander or gamble away the vast fortune, Catherine was protected because she could not be held liable for his debts and, furthermore, she had a substantial independent income of £11,000. Most importantly, William was not permitted to dispose of any land. The advisors firmly believed the agreement was watertight, and that they had done everything they could to preserve the Tylney Long legacy for future generations.
One of Catherine’s most endearing qualities was her generosity and compulsion to help others; she regularly donated to numerous trusts and charities. In recent years, she had been a guardian angel to her family, repaying her mother’s debts and shielding her when she was being blackmailed. It had become clear that her sisters needed money to enable them to live comfortably. As she would receive £11,000 in pin money each year, Catherine decided that she could afford to support them. Keeping £7,500 for herself, she provided annuities of £2,000 to Dora and £1,500 to Emma, who were enormously grateful to receive a regular income.15 A separate arrangement allowed Lady Catherine to continue living in the family home at Draycot House for the duration of her life, after which the property reverted to Catherine in accordance with her father’s will.
Catherine was also generous to ageing members of her staff at Draycot, sending them into retirement with handsome pensions, and the loyal old nursemaid who had tended her through her infancy was particularly well provided for. These parting gifts were bittersweet, as many of them had watched Catherine grow up and they loved her like a daughter. The old footman, Mr Porte, was warm in expressing his gratitude when he wrote, ‘My pen cannot express all my feelings, for though I have not the honour to reckon you amongst my children; I do love you very much indeed.’16
By now, Catherine knew all about William’s past. He had confessed much of it himself, but she had also heard the rumours and received numerous anonymous letters.17 She knew all about his exploits in Europe, plus other indiscretions of a more personal nature. On first returning to England, he had cohabited with a seamstress in Ipswich, followed by a liaison with woman called Mathilda. He had also accumulated debts, spending lavishly on clothes and raucous nights out. To his great credit, William did not deny the accusations, but was open and honest with her, repenting his mistakes and providing many reassurances. His sincerity was disarming, only serving to make Catherine feel closer to him, to love him even more. Furthermore, recent experience had taught her that no one was perfect; even her saintly mother had been indiscreet. Catherine knew about William’s faults and she was entering into the marriage with her eyes wide open.
William had wonderful parents; even before the marriage they adored Catherine and they would grow to love her like a daughter. Mr Pole believed that Catherine was the ideal match for his reckless son, because she was ‘the best and most sensible woman in the world’.18 From the very beginning, Mr Pole was candid, telling Catherine, ‘William has always been a most affectionate and dutiful son, and has ever (avoided all his follies, and you know there have been many), shown a most excellent heart. I trust he bids fair to be a good husband.’19 He was well aware that Catherine knew all about William’s recklessness, but she loved him anyway, because he was so good-natured, attentive and loving.
Mr Pole finished his letter by saying, ‘All my family will receive you as a sort of Guardian Angel to us.’20