At the end of the 19th century there emerged a new class of wealth in America. Fortunes had been made by industrialists, businessmen and other enterprising entrepreneurs who lived extravagantly and often flaunted their fortunes. They were able to obtain everything that they wanted, but often entrance into the social elite world of old American money was unobtainable. To strengthen their case for acceptance, many of these fathers sent their daughters to England to find a husband among the aristocracy, consequently giving their daughters status and a title.

The popular television show “Downton Abbey” provides a fictionalized account of a woman who married for a title. During the period from 1870 to World War I at least 350 American heiresses married British aristocracy. These unions had a dual purpose. For the wife, she achieved the status of a title, and for the husband, he received an influx of money, which was often needed for the upkeep of their immense estates.

As part of the Durst collection, we have a rare copy of Titled Americans. A List of American Ladies Who Have Married Foreigners of Rank (New York: Street & Smith Publishers, 1890). It claims that it is revised annually, but there is no evidence another edition was printed until 2013 when there was a reprint published of the 1890 volume probably in response to the popularity of “Downton Abbey.”

Titled Americans: A List of American Ladies Who Have Married Foreigners of Rank, 1890

The volume included a listing of eligible bachelors listing their income, property value and net worth. It was a who’s who of British aristocracy.

Another section listed the women who had married aristocracy. Among those listed was Jennie Jerome, mother of Winston Churchill. Jenny was born in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn in 1854 (Brooklyn was not part of New York City until 1898). Her father was a financier, sportsman and speculator. He sent his daughter abroad where she married Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874.

Miss Jennie Jerome. Source: http://s289.photobucket.com/user/EnaBatt/media/JENNIE/Jenncloseup.jpg.html

‘Miss Jennie Jerome, Daughter of Leonard Jerome, Esq., of New York’ from Titled Americans, 1890.

Earl of Dudley. Source of http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/William_Humble_Ward_2nd_Earl_of_Dudley.jpg

Earl of Dudley’s family jewels worth $3 million ($77,848,502 in today’s money).

Earl of Dalkeith’s inheritance of $4,000,000 would be $103,798,003 in today’s money.

Although the 20th century saw a few American women marrying foreign nobles, the attraction of a European union lost popularity.

Happy Women’s History Month!