Widowhood in the 19th century has several similarities to widowhood in earlier centuries. Women were dependent on their husbands, and without them they could lose their households and be left to rely on distant relatives for support. In the case of Sarah Connell Ayer, this state and the grief over her husband left her miserable and angst-ridden (not exactly prime material for remarriage!). I’m left wondering what effects companionate marriage had on widowhood for both men and women. If women and men looked for partners on the basis of love and affection, did the loss of those partners create even more grief? -- Taylor Brann | Widowhood in the 19th century has several similarities to widowhood in earlier centuries. Women were dependent on their husbands, and without them they could lose their households and be left to rely on distant relatives for support. In the case of Sarah Connell Ayer, this state and the grief over her husband left her miserable and angst-ridden (not exactly prime material for remarriage!). I’m left wondering what effects companionate marriage had on widowhood for both men and women. If women and men looked for partners on the basis of love and affection, did the loss of those partners create even more grief? -- Taylor Brann |