Chaperones

By Rose

Chaperones are a necessity for most female characters in The London Life. Here are some tips for assigning your girls chaperones, to ensure they remain marriage material!

Basic Rules
1. All unmarried marriageable females required a chaperone in society.

2. A chaperone would ideally be a married female relative, typically her mother or aunt.

3. If there were no married female relatives to hand, then a (usually elderly) married or widowed woman could be paid to be a chaperone.

A chaperone's role was to protect their charge from social ruin. Half an hour alone with a man could ruin a girl for good. A chaperone was there to make sure that this didn't happen. Chaperones were not always necessary in the countryside because there was a much lower risk of danger to young women. Chaperones were not intended to protect against robbers, highwaymen etc. but to protect female virtue. So, the Bennet girls don't need chaperones in the countryside near where they live. But when Lydia Bennet goes to Brighton she is (supposed) to be always under the watchful chaperonage of Mrs. Forster.

An unsuitable chaperone would be one who could be prey to similar unwanted attention, so unmarried women (unless suitably old and worldly) were out and very young married women were not the best choice. Mrs. Forster turned out to be a very bad chaperone because she failed to protect her charge (Lydia Bennet) from a fortune hunter.

FAQ
Could an unmarried woman be a chaperone?
Yes. But only a sufficiently old one. Late twenties would be the absolute minimum age, if nobody else suitable could be found. Miss Bates chaperones Jane Fairfax at the Ball at the Crown.

Could a servant be a chaperone?
In some circumstances. A maid servant or groom could accompany an unmarried lady on an errand to the shops, to visit a close friend or on a ride in the park. However, they could absolutely not attend them in society. For a ball, trip to the opera/theatre, dinner party, then a proper chaperone would be required.

Could a man be a chaperone?
No. Absolutely not.

Even the girl's father or brother or guardian?
Obviously a girl could be with her father or brother without need of a chaperone but he could not replace the need for a chaperone at social events. A guardian less so- he could still be an unmarried fortune hunter (and often is in novels!). A maid would be required to be in attendance, though I expect it's a grey area.

So, can't my character do ANYTHING without her chaperone breathing down her neck?
Well, chaperones know how to make themselves discreet at the appropriate moment. It is in their interest to get their charges married off after all- though their ideas of what is the appropriate moment probably differs from their charge's!

A chaperone doesn't have to hang onto the girl's arm. So, Mrs. Allen chaperoned Catherine to the Pump Room, then went to talk to Mrs. Thorpe, Isabella's chaperone, while Catherine and Isabella walked around together. At balls, chaperones would traditionally disappear to the card room and leave the young people to manage by themselves, but still be on call in case of emergency.

So, when would my characters get their tête-à-têtes with men?
While dancing. While taking a turn about the room after a dance. Behind the back of a chaperone in a public place. While the maid is waiting in the carriage.

What else did chaperones do apart from trail their charges around?
Chaperones gave and accepted or declined invitations on behalf of their charge. And they decided whether the girl could go to the park/ball/theatre/carriage drive with X. Young people could not make such arrangements on their own, though most chaperones would be lenient about female friendships. No arrangements between a young lady or a young man could be legitimately made without going through the chaperone. Unless they wanted her reputation to be in tatters, of course.

Good dialogue:
Man: Will you for a drive/ride/trip to the art gallery with me?
Girl: Let me ask Mrs. Bloggs.

Bad dialogue:
Man: Will you for a drive/ride/trip to the art gallery with me?
Girl: Of course! See you there!

Examples of played LL chaperones
Mrs. Quartermaine (for Miss Staunton) - her great-aunt
The Duchess of Beaumont (for Lady Natalie Relmsey) - her aunt
Lady Ackland (for Miss Gardiner) - her sister-in-law
Miss Longstaffe (for Miss Pamela Longstaffe) - an unmarried, but sufficiently older, sister
Lady de Grave (for Miss Grenfell) - her sister-in-law
Lady Flemming (for Miss Grey) - her cousin

Examples of unplayed LL chaperones
Mrs. Greystone (for Lady Viola Fitzgerald and Lady Olivia Fitzgerald) - their widowed aunt
Lady Sylvia Holmes (for Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff and Miss Clare) - relative
Lady Saltash (for Miss Emma Vickery) - mother
Lady Emerson (for Miss Pritchard and Miss Hampton) - aunt/guardian

If your unmarried, female character does not have a chaperone, make sure she gets one fast before she is expelled from polite society!