How Money Worked in the Bridgerton Era

Bridgerton season 3 has been a ride, and we're hoping to see benophies season in Bridgerton season 4, until then, let's talk about how money worked in the "Bridgerton era".

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#bopping #bridgerton

[eleborate]

pen being a secret millionaire is such a slay ngl

[ashleegmitchell]

Penelope paid for her sisters' ball, not Portia. Prudence and Phillipa only assumed that their Mother paid for it, and Penelope was happy to let them think that.

[roguenrawwellness]

I was impressed that Simon refused her dowry and demanded it be put in a trust for Daphne.

[tracygoode]

Even dukes and earls could go broke in those days, and be on the lookout for a rich wife. A title was not a guarantee of wealth; it was a guarantee of status in society. It did not guarantee that the holder would be good at managing money.

[twlee]

I felt quite bad for Cressida after her father took away her dowry.

[jazziered]

From what I understand, the cost of an average wardrobe per season for a girl was about $100, 000 in today's money.

[mdharris]

The Bridgertons are richer than most in their class due to a few factors. It is implied that the father and previous generations did a good job investing and managing the money, so the family didn't fall into the trap many of the landed gentry did with overspending and poor investments. If you have read or watched The Buccaneers, Guy Thwarte was to inherit a lot of money from his mother, but his father, who is portrayed as a cad and irresponsible, invested it poorly, took risks, and lost it all, which is why Guy has to go make his fortune. Violet was also the only child of a wealthy family and likely had a large dowery that would have been invested for the children to inherit.

[Melissa-wxlu]

I hope we see Cressida again. I would like to know how it turns out for her. Without a dowry, she might have to resort to those professions to earn a living. But I have a feeling her Aunt has a plan for her.

[msriram]

Great Britain essentially extracted/stole $45 trillion worth of wealth from the Indian subcontinent, turning what was once an ancient and very wealthy civilization into a state of impoverishment . That effect is still felt today in India. A lot of their wealth came from their colonialization of other parts of the world.

[fogsights]

Thank you for this. I was always curious, especially after Penelope said she could afford to pay Cressida's blackmail price.

[Lapreghiera]

The viscount could've been wealthier than duke eventually, etc... because the families squandered wealth over the years until all that is passed down is pedigree, title, and memories of better years. As the industrial age rose many gentleman deigned to engage in business with the rising middle/merchant class, and definitely not marry from/into even if a dowry would be presented or the son could keep a noblemans daughter in style and help the family.

[TheMelbournelad]

Saying “slightly more” feels like understatement.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t double or triple the amount

[lisahoshowsky]

As an added detail, the timeline in the book is a lot longer (somewhere around 10 years that she’s been writing). So while Pen still made a HUGE sum it took her longer than 2 and a bit seasons in the novel which maybe makes it a little more “realistic.” It doesn’t diminish that it’s still a shocking and impressive sum though! I just thought as a book reader it was interesting to me they kept the earnings the same (actually they had her earn a bit more in the show even, I think it was just under 9k in the novel) but had her earn that in waaayy shorter of a time🙂 people did love to read their Whistledown!

[Alayne]

There is one other thing about British culture and the aristocracy.
Their houses were not just their homes; they functioned as country Bed and Breakfast hotels. They were expected to host people on their estate. Travelling preachers, business men, other nobility, doctors, etc. The noble houses were hotels. Hence why so many staff were required. It takes staff to maintain a hotel; to launder, cook, etc.

You can see the legacy of this when you read an Agatha Christie murder novel, or travel the countryside in England nowawayds. I travelled to England (from Australia) back in 2022, and the same attitude to the country estate homes still exists. I stayed in one for a couple of days. Most of them are still working bed and breakfast hotels. We were chatting with other guests there. For some, they literally go to a country estate house to get away from the city. Distance also works differently in the UK. One gentleman was staying overnight in the house, because he had driven two hours that day, and needed a rest, as he still had a further 2 hours to travel the next day (In Australia, I have travelled 6 to 12 hours a day in a car trip!). But for them, dividing such drives up into an overnight stay made perfect sense.


The attitude to service was very different between the two countries. They had a LOT more service staff in England. There was also a staff member at EVERY point in our train trip. There was a staff member who directed us to where the train tickets were sold. There was a ticket salesperson. They then directed us to the staff member who helped people get down the stairs (they either helped them find the elevator, or helped carry suitcases). Then there was another staff member who helped you find your platform. Then on the platform, another staff member helped you find your train, and a different staff member helped you get on board the train, then inside the train there was someone else to help you find your assigned seat. We saw 10 different service personnel for the one train trip, in 30 minutes. In Australia, you have one ticket person, and one attendant at the gates; that's it. It was similar in all the accommodation; there was a separate staff member who insisted on helping you get your suitcases upstairs, and a different girl at the front desk, and a different girl doing the laundering. When you sat in the lounge, someone brought in the platter of snacks and cups of tea. At no point did we have the opportunity to feel lost or confused. So I think shows like Bridgerton, with lots of servants - it's not just about wealth; it's about a cultural expectation that is unique to Britain, and still exists even in the modern world.
In comparison, in Australia, we very much adopt an attitude of "I'm tough, and I can handle it myself". We foster a bit more independence. My mum and I were horrified at the idea of letting an elderly man lug our suitcases upstairs. We insisted on doing it ourselves. They understood it was an Aussie thing, and smiled and let us do it. But for them, it would be completely normal for ordinary, middle class guests to leave their suitcases in the foyer, and for a staff member to take it up while the guests relaxed in the lounge.

[missyface]

Yay more Bridgerton! My hyperfixation lives on!!

[gigimain]

So Francisca married an Earl and he’s worth more than the Bridgerton

[ifiknewthen]

It is no different today. The King gave his son the properties he had as a prince. The Dutchie is now providing the Prince and his family a bloody good income!!

[pamelamccall]

Great clip! Very educational on that period.

[janebeckman]

Divorce? Divorce only (very rarely) occurred by an act of Parliament, and always favored the man.

[Zinnia]

Thank you for this video. Hope you can make other videos like explaining the rankings of people in society. It would also be interesting to explain about the household staff, their roles, etc.