The years under Queen Victoria’s reign (from 1837 to 1901) saw fewer marriages arranged by families, and more romance between couples. Young people from both upper and lower classes had opportunities to mingle in a supposedly safe environment with members of the opposite sex. For upper class people that might mean the opera and coming out balls, for lower class members of society there would be dances put on by churches. You’d probably be chaperoned through all of these activities, which is kind of a downer, at least until you were engaged.
The bad stuff came after you got married, especially because, at least as far as women were concerned, you were stuck in it. So, you had to make really good decisions about who you were going to marry. And you’d have to make them early, because most women married between 18 and 23 and waiting longer might make…
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