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Marriage strategy among the European nobility

Author

Listed:
  • Stefania Marcassa

    (CY - CY Cergy Paris Université)

  • Jérôme Pouyet

    (ESSEC Business School and THEMA (UMR 8184) - ESSEC Business School - THEMA - Théorie économique, modélisation et applications - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CY - CY Cergy Paris Université)

  • Thomas Trégouët

    (CY - CY Cergy Paris Université)

Abstract

We use a unique dataset to analyze marriage and union patterns of the European nobility from the 1500s to the 1800s. Historical evidence shows that: nobles tended to marry nobles with identical title; and, German marriages, whose dowry rules were more rigid, were characterized by a higher degree of homogamy in titles than English marriages. Moreover, we show that German data exhibit lower odds of intermarriage than English among high ranked titles, and hence provide evidence of a more stratified society. We propose a matching model that rationalizes our empirical findings: it predicts homogamy in title, and that more stringent constraints on the dowries lead to a higher degree of homogamy.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Stefania Marcassa & Jérôme Pouyet & Thomas Trégouët, 2020. "Marriage strategy among the European nobility," Post-Print hal-03122206, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03122206
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2019.101303
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcassa, Stefania & Pouyet, Jérôme & Trégouët, Thomas, 2020. "Marriage strategy among the European nobility," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    2. Hillman, Arye L., 2024. "Philanthropy as politics: The precolonial Georgia project for a new start in life for England's poor," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Ria Wilken, 2025. "Marrying a Billionaire: Studying US American billionaires’ family biographies using the Forbes World’s Billionaires List, 2010–2022," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 707-735, June.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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