Women and the British Army, 1815-1880

Erscheinungsjahr 2023
ISBN: 978-1-83765-055-2
Verlag: Boydell & Brewer

Buch, Englisch, 314 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 630 g

Reihe: Britain's Soldiers

This book explores the world of women who married, or dealt with British soldiers below the rank of officer during the nineteenth century, including fiancées, wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters, as well as the prostitutes they consorted with. It examines women's experiences over the time cycle of a soldier's service. It considers women's finances, how they struggled to make ends meet and how they appealed to the government for support, including in widowhood and after a soldier's service had been completed. It discusses how soldiers' women were viewed in the press, in literature and in society more widely, highlighting in particular issues concerning morality and independence, and outlines how the Crimean War and its aftermath brought about extensive army reforms and also a sharp revision of the reputation of soldiers' wives. The book includes an exploration of soldiers' relations with prostitutes and how prostitutes were regulated, and a consideration of the impact on soldiers' wives of physical arrangements such as barracks, and overall provides much insight into the nature of plebeian life in the nineteenth century. The women portrayed often emerge as exceptionally resolute, independent and canny.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mackay, Lynn

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Militärgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Weltgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction

1. Courtship, Marriage, and Affection
2. The Culture of the Wives: Life in the British Isles
3. Life Abroad
4. The Crimean War: Helping the Women Left Behind
5. Living through Crisis
6. Prostitution

Conclusion

Appendix: Ellen of Ayr
Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Mackay, Lynn
Lynn MacKay is a Professor of History at Brandon University, Manitoba, Canada