3 Family, sex and marriage
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Jennifer Mori
Abstract
Marriage is a tool of career development in the modern British diplomatic service. It indicates emotional maturity on the part of the diplomat, and denotes his/her readiness for positions of higher responsibility. Eighteenth-century diplomacy was very much a career for single men. The diplomatic profession was badly paid, as a result of which diplomats were unattractive propositions on the London market. Besides, few women wished to be parted from family and friends to live in social and linguistic isolation abroad. Many diplomats took mistresses wherever they could be found. One advantage of living abroad was the licence it gave to men and women to pursue irregular unions comparatively free from prying eyes. The question what women thought they were getting into when they chose to marry a diplomat, and why, marks the closing decades of the eighteenth century, a once unattractive choice of spouse had become more acceptable.
Abstract
Marriage is a tool of career development in the modern British diplomatic service. It indicates emotional maturity on the part of the diplomat, and denotes his/her readiness for positions of higher responsibility. Eighteenth-century diplomacy was very much a career for single men. The diplomatic profession was badly paid, as a result of which diplomats were unattractive propositions on the London market. Besides, few women wished to be parted from family and friends to live in social and linguistic isolation abroad. Many diplomats took mistresses wherever they could be found. One advantage of living abroad was the licence it gave to men and women to pursue irregular unions comparatively free from prying eyes. The question what women thought they were getting into when they chose to marry a diplomat, and why, marks the closing decades of the eighteenth century, a once unattractive choice of spouse had become more acceptable.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
