In the 1800's, if the bride is from a different town than the groom, after the wedding, where would they most likely live? With the bride's family or the groom's family?
Thanks for your input.
John
Newly Married Couple, Living Where?
Re: Newly Married Couple, Living Where?
Hi John,
The following info is based on some research I have done in past years and, I believe, is a basic overview of the situation.
Erudita
In Northern Italy, where residents mainly supported themselves by sharecropping, newlyweds tended to reside with the groom’s family after marriage. This was also true in areas in Southern Italy and Sicily, where there was tenant farming, which was comparable to sharecropping. The new bride took up residence with the groom’s family which meant that she was now surrounded by his kinsmen-his parents, if they were alive, his married brothers, their families, and his unmarried siblings. In regions of southern Italy and Sicily where tenant farming wasn’t the norm, the newly married couple mainly formed a nuclear family. That is, they moved into their own house after marriage. Some acquired a house as part of the bride’s dowry, and this home would be located near the home of one of the sets of parents-be it her parents or his. In most instances, the newly married couple resided NEAR the bride’s family (her parents, if alive, or her siblings). They may, however, have also lived in the same home with one of the sets of parents at the outset of their married lives, if necessity required that they do so. If the family was too poor to buy the newly married couple a house, or could not afford to build one for them, then an existing house would be divided among family members.The nuclear families in Southern Italy and Sicily, however, were not self-sufficient. They would share material goods such as mules and tools needed to plow the fields or to work the land. The females would share household chores such as baking, washing, and child rearing, but the new bride would also have female relatives close by to assist her with female issues and childbirth.
The following info is based on some research I have done in past years and, I believe, is a basic overview of the situation.
Erudita
In Northern Italy, where residents mainly supported themselves by sharecropping, newlyweds tended to reside with the groom’s family after marriage. This was also true in areas in Southern Italy and Sicily, where there was tenant farming, which was comparable to sharecropping. The new bride took up residence with the groom’s family which meant that she was now surrounded by his kinsmen-his parents, if they were alive, his married brothers, their families, and his unmarried siblings. In regions of southern Italy and Sicily where tenant farming wasn’t the norm, the newly married couple mainly formed a nuclear family. That is, they moved into their own house after marriage. Some acquired a house as part of the bride’s dowry, and this home would be located near the home of one of the sets of parents-be it her parents or his. In most instances, the newly married couple resided NEAR the bride’s family (her parents, if alive, or her siblings). They may, however, have also lived in the same home with one of the sets of parents at the outset of their married lives, if necessity required that they do so. If the family was too poor to buy the newly married couple a house, or could not afford to build one for them, then an existing house would be divided among family members.The nuclear families in Southern Italy and Sicily, however, were not self-sufficient. They would share material goods such as mules and tools needed to plow the fields or to work the land. The females would share household chores such as baking, washing, and child rearing, but the new bride would also have female relatives close by to assist her with female issues and childbirth.
Re: Newly Married Couple, Living Where?
Erudita,
This is exactly what I wanted to know! I was concerned that I would not receive a reply to my question. Thank you, you have been a great help with my research.
Regards,
John
This is exactly what I wanted to know! I was concerned that I would not receive a reply to my question. Thank you, you have been a great help with my research.
Regards,
John
Re: Newly Married Couple, Living Where?
Hi John
Happy my research answered some of your questions. Here's some additional info which may be of interest to you.
Erudita
When the groom brought his new bride into his family home after marriage, where there was his mother, his unmarried sisters, and the wives of his married brothers, the new bride was very subordinate to all of these other women, and they basically had authority over her with respect to everything. If he died, her position in the home was weakened even further, as she didn't have him around to defend her, etc. Also, with so many women in the home, there was the possibility of gossip among them, so her reputation, and that of her own family, might become tainted in the community by things that these other women said about her or her family. If the bride was widowed while living in the home of the groom's family, they could do everything in their power to prevent her from remarrying. For one thing, if she remarried, they would have to return her dowry to her. They could also do everything in their power to prevent her from taking her children with her, if she remarried. If the husband became widowed while they lived in his family home, and the couple had children 12 and younger, there was no pressure on him to remarry. He had all of the female support he needed right there in his own home. His mom, sisters, or sisters-in law, could tend to his young children while he worked his long hours. Also bringing another woman into the home through remarriage just meant that there would be an additional mouth to feed, plus the possibility of additional children from the remarriage.
If, on the other hand, the groom lived in his own home with his new bride, and she died, he would promptly have to seek another spouse, particularly if he had young children to care for. So there then might be a short period of time between the death of his wife and his remarriage. If the wife was widowed, she didn't inherit from her husband, so this could prompt her to seek remarriage. However, if she had young children, the widow was not a good candidate for marriage and had very little chance of remarrying.
Happy my research answered some of your questions. Here's some additional info which may be of interest to you.
Erudita
When the groom brought his new bride into his family home after marriage, where there was his mother, his unmarried sisters, and the wives of his married brothers, the new bride was very subordinate to all of these other women, and they basically had authority over her with respect to everything. If he died, her position in the home was weakened even further, as she didn't have him around to defend her, etc. Also, with so many women in the home, there was the possibility of gossip among them, so her reputation, and that of her own family, might become tainted in the community by things that these other women said about her or her family. If the bride was widowed while living in the home of the groom's family, they could do everything in their power to prevent her from remarrying. For one thing, if she remarried, they would have to return her dowry to her. They could also do everything in their power to prevent her from taking her children with her, if she remarried. If the husband became widowed while they lived in his family home, and the couple had children 12 and younger, there was no pressure on him to remarry. He had all of the female support he needed right there in his own home. His mom, sisters, or sisters-in law, could tend to his young children while he worked his long hours. Also bringing another woman into the home through remarriage just meant that there would be an additional mouth to feed, plus the possibility of additional children from the remarriage.
If, on the other hand, the groom lived in his own home with his new bride, and she died, he would promptly have to seek another spouse, particularly if he had young children to care for. So there then might be a short period of time between the death of his wife and his remarriage. If the wife was widowed, she didn't inherit from her husband, so this could prompt her to seek remarriage. However, if she had young children, the widow was not a good candidate for marriage and had very little chance of remarrying.
Re: Newly Married Couple, Living Where?
That was an amazing information , Thanks 
