Study has revealed that marriage in the 18th century was a mercenary affair . Historian Brides studied 400 announcements in London papers . Anne Laurence ' fortunes were described as 'ample ' , 'considerable ' or 'handsome ' But the wealth of the grooms were rarely mentioned in the publications .
Study has revealed that marriage in the 18th century was a mercenary affair . Historian Anne Laurence studied 400 announcements in London papers . Brides ' fortunes were described as 'ample ' , 'considerable ' or 'handsome ' But the wealth of the grooms were rarely mentioned in the publications .