You often hear, when reading literature
about the Georgian and Victorian period or watching films and television programmes
set in this time, about “the season” in London. This colloquial term refers to
a period of time every year when aristocratic and gentry families would travel
to London from their country houses and would live in London socialising and
visiting friends and family.
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| A Drawing Room at St James Palace Photo Source: Regency History Website |
The London season itself first came into
being as wives and families of members of parliament accompanied their husbands
to London for the parliamentary session and needed events and things to do to
keep them occupied during this time. The parliamentary session ran roughly from
October/November to May/June and so families would find themselves in London
for half of the year and subsequently needed activities to fill their time.
Visiting friends, family and acquaintances,
visiting the opera and the ballet, walking in the numerous parks, attending an
exhibition or visiting a museum, and of course public and private balls and
assemblies were all diversions for the aristocracy and gentry to take part in
whilst they stayed in London and as the season became more popular, more and
more social events were available.
As this habit became a regular occurrence
each year, the popularity of the season began to grow and soon it became a
fashionable thing to do as well as practical. For one to remain popular within
society circles and indeed in order to broaden one’s social circle, you had to
travel to London for the ‘season.’
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| Lady Rose being presented at Court in Downton Abbey Photo Source: NumberOneLondon |
Mothers began to recognise that by coming to
London and attending a range of public and private events, that eligible
bachelors were more accessible for their daughters to meet than when they were
sequestered away at their country estates. Therefore, the London season became
known as a marriage market as well as a parliamentary event and young women who
were eligible to marry, planned their ‘coming out’ into society balls for
during this period, knowing they would be able to attract more bachelors and
therefore increase their chances of meeting their future husband.
‘Coming out’ in society marked a change
from child to adult and would mean a daughter could take part in more social
events, would be able to go out on an evening to social events, and of course
would be able to find a husband and get married. A young lady ‘coming out’ into
society was marked by a ceremony where the young woman would be presented to
the monarch at Court. This tradition is still upheld to this day with young
women from some families still being presented to the monarch at court.
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| Georgiana, 5th Duchess of Devonshire with her infant daughter Georgiana who would become the 6th Countess of Carlisle Photo Source: Wikipedia |
Georgiana, 5th Duchess of
Devonshire organised a lavish coming out ball for her eldest daughter Georgiana
Cavendish during the London season of 1800 where she met George Howard,
Viscount Morpeth who was the heir to the 5th Earl of Carlisle and
lived at the palatial Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. George Howard fell in love with Georgiana and courted her for a
year, spending time getting to know the beautiful young woman and the following
year they married.
The London season was at its most popular
in the 19th century and since the twentieth century has disappeared
as the nature of society and London as a city has changed. Aristocratic
families began to give up their London houses, particularly after the first
world war, and an increasing number of public events meant that it was harder
to maintain exclusivity. From this time on, aristocratic families tended to
move back to their country estates, privatising their balls and instead
favouring the ‘country house, house party’, an altogether more exclusive,
invite only event.
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