Wedlock by Wendy Moore

Wedlock

by Wendy Moore

WEDLOCK is the remarkable story of the Countess of Strathmore and her marriage to Andrew Robinson Stoney. Mary Eleanor Bowes was one of Britain's richest young heiresses. She married the Count of Strathmore who died young, and pregnant with her lover's child, Mary became engaged to George Gray. Then in swooped Andrew Robinson Stoney. Mary was bowled over and married him within the week.

But nothing was as it seemed. Stoney was broke, and his pursuit of the wealthy Countess a calculated ploy. Once married to Mary, he embarked on years of ill treatment, seizing her lands, beating her, terrorising servants, introducing prostitutes to the family home, kidnapping his own sister. But finally after many years, a servant helped Mary to escape. She began a high-profile divorce case that was the scandal of the day and was successful. But then Andrew kidnapped her and undertook a week-long rampage of terror and cruelty until the law finally caught up with him.

Reviewed by wyvernfriend on

5 of 5 stars

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Mary Eleanor Bowes was a lucky girl. An only child, she was indulged and educated but was also an heiress. Her first marriage wasn't really much, Lord Strathmore or John Lyon, wasn't really a good match, he didn't really approve of her botanical studies (though he didn't stop her); and he was a little jealous of the wealth she brought into the relationship, along with stipulations. In 18th Century England a woman owned nothing, it was the males in her life that owned things, she was completely dependent. However Mary Eleanor's father ensured that she would have something. When Lord Stratmore died she wasn't heartbroken, and looked at this as an opportunity for a life without too much interference.

Little did she know what was going to happen next.

Andrew Robinson Stoney entered her life. He was a dashing soldier and when he had a duel over her honour and looked like he was a death's door she agreed to marry him. But it was all a lie. He recovered very quickly and proceeded to make her life a living hell. Beating her to unconsciousness (she describes in letters not being able to hear or see properly for a number of days after some of the beatings) forbidding her access to her gardens (and eventually ripping them out or selling them); parading his mistresses before her; raping the servants; starving her and generally being a horrible man.

One passage that stood out was a description by someone else about how she looked to him for permission to eat food offered to her. Permission he often denied. This man wanted full control over her and any other woman in his circle and was willing to do anything to create this. It reads sometimes like fiction but this is a true story.

Eventually Mary Elizabeth had an ally, a servant also called Mary who was horrified and helped her escape. These friends stood with her through the innumerable court cases, abduction and mud-slinging that Stoney engaged in until she won her freedom and Stoney's incarceration.

It's a riveting read, a moment in time where one woman stood up and said "enough" and started the ball rolling for more rights for women.

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  • Started reading
  • 17 March, 2010: Finished reading
  • 17 March, 2010: Reviewed