Abstract
The situation of unmarried women has often been portrayed as a miserable experience, surviving on a limited income, and dependent on the oft‐failing good will of their families. However, for the daughters of the aristocracy, the situation could be empowering, as their access to an independent income enabled them to live enjoyable and rounded lives within the elite family. This article explores the experiences of wealthy single women and argues that their choice not to marry, whether positively taken or not, did not debar them from the powerful and enjoyable roles of elite women, including those of the chatelaine, ‘motherer’ and wife, and that they were accepted and acknowledged as important members of the country house family.
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