I have been reading
‘The
Dressmaker’, a Victorian novel written exquisitely by Posie Graeme-Evans.
The heroine in the novel slightly reminds me of Margaret Hale in North and
South (by Elizabeth Gaskell). Ellen Gowan (the heroine in ‘The Dressmaker’) had
a father – a poor vicar – who died in a tragic accident, thus the story also reminded
me of Edward Ferrars in
Sense and
Sensibility (not that he died in the SS novel). I haven’t discovered how poor Reverend Gowan was (his
entitlement or stipend, etc), or to some extent, the general living condition
of an honest but poor vicar (like Jane Austen’s own father, albeit in a
different era). I do however, remembered a passage or two in SS about Edward’s
entitlement. This is from Chapter 49:
One question after this only remained undecided between
them, one difficulty only was to be overcome. They were brought together by
mutual affection, with the warmest approbation of their real friends; their
intimate knowledge of each other seemed to make their happiness certain -- and
they only wanted something to live upon. Edward had two thousand pounds, and
Elinor one, which, with Delaford living, was all that they could call their
own; for it was impossible that Mrs. Dashwood should advance anything, and they
were neither of them quite enough in love to think that three hundred and fifty
pounds a year would supply them with the comforts of life.
I then found an eloquent article by
Ms Place from
The
Jane Austen’s World that explained a great deal of living cost during the
Regency Era. Vic (Ms Place) also quoted a passage from Chapter 17 of SS:
"And yet two thousand a-year is a very moderate
income," said Marianne. "A family cannot well be maintained on a
smaller. I am sure I am not extravagant in my demands. A proper establishment
of servants, a carriage, perhaps two, and hunters, cannot be supported on less."
How much does GBP 2,000 of the 1810
worth now?
Ms
Place used
the UK
national archives to calculate the worth of GBP 2,000 (Edward Ferrar’s
entitlement) in 2005. It was GBP 67,920 or approximately GBP 81,000 in 2011 using the UK
Consumer Price Index. Putting it in AUD (so I can imagine the
purchasing power), that amount is about AUD 122,000 per annum or AUD 2,340
per week for 2011.
It is a lot of money.
But Chapter 49 of SS stated that
Edward’s and Elinor’s annual income would only be GBP 350 per annum. Perhaps
they could not use their entitlement, only the annual interest of their
combined entitlement. If so, Edward and Elinor would only live with GBP 11,886
per annum in 2005 or GBP 14,175.97
per annum in 2011. In the 2011 AUD,
it is about AUD 21,400 per annum, or AUD 411 per week. That’s the lower level stipend
of a postgraduate student in Australia, which practically only provides the
student for rent, basic groceries, bus ride and occasionally cheap movie nights.
The amount is certainly not enough for a family living.
Now I know why the Dashwood ladies were distressed when they received
only GBP 500 per annum for their living (three ladies and two maids). If this
is about the amount that Rev Gowan (Ellen’s father from The Dressmaker)
received during his years of service, no wonder Ellen was concerned about their
income once her father passed away…
