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Gentlewomanly capitalism? Spinsters, widows, and wealth holding in England and Wales, c. 1800–1860

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  • David R. Green
  • Alastair Owens

Abstract

This article examines the demographic and geographical importance of wealthy middle‐class women. It argues that in certain towns and cities, notably London, such women were of sufficient importance to merit attention in their own right. Drawing upon a sample of wills, it describes the types of wealth owned by these women. By examining women's investment in government securities, it argues that women's wealth was of crucial importance to the British state. Its findings challenge conventional understandings of the relationships between gender ideology, wealth holding, and economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • David R. Green & Alastair Owens, 2003. "Gentlewomanly capitalism? Spinsters, widows, and wealth holding in England and Wales, c. 1800–1860," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 56(3), pages 510-536, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:56:y:2003:i:3:p:510-536
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2003.00260.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tom Nicholas, 1999. "Wealth Making in Nineteenth-and Early Twentieth-Century Britain: Industry v. Commerce and Finance," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(1), pages 16-36.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. B. Zorina Khan, 2015. "Invisible Women: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Family Firms in France during Early Industrialization," NBER Working Papers 20854, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. van Bavel, Bas, 2016. "The Invisible Hand?: How Market Economies have Emerged and Declined Since AD 500," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199608133.
    3. Helen Doe, 2010. "Waiting for her ship to come in? The female investor in nineteenth‐century sailing vessels," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 63(1), pages 85-106, February.
    4. Acheson, Graeme G. & Campbell, Gareth & Turner, John D., 2015. "Who financed the expansion of the equity market? Shareholder clienteles in Victorian Britain," QUCEH Working Paper Series 15-07, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    5. Richard Rodger, 2022. "Property and inequality: Housing dynamics in a nineteenth‐century city," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(4), pages 1151-1181, November.
    6. Janette Rutterford & David R. Green & Josephine Maltby & Alastair Owens, 2011. "Who comprised the nation of shareholders? Gender and investment in Great Britain, c. 1870–1935," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 64(1), pages 157-187, February.
    7. Acheson, Graeme G. & Campbell, Gareth & Gallagher, Áine & Turner, John D., 2018. "Independent women: Shareholders in the age of the suffragettes," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2018-09, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    8. Sonia Baijot & Charlotte Le Chapelain, 2022. "Reassessing Women’s Participation in Entrepreneurial Activities in the Nineteenth Century: A Review of the Literature [Réévaluer la participation des femmes aux activités entrepreneuriales au dix-n," Post-Print hal-03932307, HAL.
    9. Janette Rutterford & Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos & Carry van Lieshout, 2023. "Individual investors and social ownership structures in the UK before the 1930s: Joint holdings and trustee investment," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 76(2), pages 661-692, May.
    10. Helen Paul, 2015. "Editorial: Women in economic and social history: twenty-fifth anniversary of the Women's Committee of the Economic History Society," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(2), pages 1-17, May.
    11. John D. Turner, 2009. "Wider share ownership?: investors in English and Welsh Bank shares in the nineteenth century1," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 62(s1), pages 167-192, August.
    12. David r. Green & Alastair Owens, 2013. "Geographies of wealth: real estate and personal property ownership in England and Wales, 1870–1902," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 66(3), pages 848-872, August.
    13. Janette Rutterford & Josephine Maltby, 2006. "“The Widow, The Clergyman And The Reckless”: Women Investors In England, 1830—1914," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1-2), pages 111-138.
    14. Sonia Baijot & Charlotte Le Chapelain, 2022. "Reassessing women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities in the nineteenth century: A review of the literature," Working Papers of BETA 2022-24, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    15. Dan Bogart & Gary Richardson, 2008. "Estate Acts, 1600 to 1830: A New Source for British History," NBER Working Papers 14393, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Sonia Baijot & Charlotte Le Chapelain, 2022. "Reassessing women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities in the nineteenth century: A review of the literature," Working Papers 07-22, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC).
    17. Acheson, Graeme G. & Coyle, Christopher & Jordan, David P. & Turner, John D., 2018. "Share trading activity and the rise of the rentier in the UK before 1920," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2018-04, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    18. Di Matteo, Livio, 2013. "Women, wealth and economic change: An assessment of the impact of women's property law in Wentworth County, Ontario, 1872–1927," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 285-307.

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