Employment and wealth in 1830s England

[finding_jay]

My character, Eleanor, is the daughter of a fairly well-to-do family living in 1830s England. They're on the cusp from upper middle class to upper class, but lose their money, though not necessarily their social status. My character's parents are trying to marry her off so as to keep face

Comments

[wldrose]

at that time I would have her father lost his fortune because it was invested in 2-3 merchant ships that became lost at sea. He could have been something like a wine factor or a spice importer and just bad luck that a few ships in a row never came back

[finding_jay]

That's actually a good idea, I hadn't thought of merchant ships. Thanks =)

[marycatelli]

Industrialists do not have to get wealthy. There's a lot of capital tied up in the factory and if anything goes wrong, bankruptcies can breath down their necks very quickly.

[lilacsigil]

If he is an industrialist, one disaster (a flood, for example, or a major fire in his factory, someone invents and uses a better/cheaper process) at just the wrong time could wipe them out, just as happens with small businesses today.

[fatchickengirl]

he wouldn't be 'touching upper class' if he is 'self made'. the only thing you can do is he sold some of his land (landed gentry) and invested in ships then they are lost so is now cash poor. Self made can by their way into landed gentry (and did) but it took two to three generations to be accepted as anything other than middle-class/self-made (Trade).

[finding_jay]

Thanks for that info. If they're not looked upon well because they are self made, then all the better.

[starry_diadem]

What fatchickengirl said is absolutely right

[finding_jay]

I do have it in my mind that the family as a whole isn't considered to be accepted socially whether they are self made or not. This would definitely help in that sense. And if my character's marriage options are severely limited due to the loss of money, then that helps even more.

Thanks so much =)