Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: How Younger Sons Made Their Way in Jane Austen's England
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Overview
A history of younger sons in Regency England and how these “spares” supported themselves: “Illuminates the hard facts with vignettes of actual lives lived.” —The Spectator
In Regency England the eldest son usually inherited almost everything—while his younger brothers, left with little inheritance, had to make a crucial decision: What should they do to make an independent living?
Historian Rory Muir weaves together the stories of many obscure and well-known young men of good family but small fortune, shedding light on an overlooked aspect of Regency society. This is the first scholarly yet accessible exploration of the lifestyle and prospects of these younger sons.
In Regency England the eldest son usually inherited almost everything—while his younger brothers, left with little inheritance, had to make a crucial decision: What should they do to make an independent living?
Historian Rory Muir weaves together the stories of many obscure and well-known young men of good family but small fortune, shedding light on an overlooked aspect of Regency society. This is the first scholarly yet accessible exploration of the lifestyle and prospects of these younger sons.
- Title: Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: How Younger Sons Made Their Way in Jane Austen's England
- Author: Rory Muir
- Publisher: Yale University Press
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Pages: 399
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9780300249545, 9780300244311, 0300244312, 0300249543
- Resource ID: LLS:9780300249545
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-21T19:54:16Z
Rory Muir is a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide and a renowned expert on British history. His books include Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon and his two-part biography of Wellington, which won the SAHR Templer Medal.