To Marry an English Lord
Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery
by Gail Maccoll
Mem. Ed. $10.99
Pub. Ed. $15.95
You pay $0.20
To Marry an English Lord
They were matches made in heaven: beautiful, rich American heiresses tired of being looked down upon by the entrenched aristocracy, packed up and set off for Britain and love. On the other side of the pond, debt-ridden Brits with impressive titles eagerly awaited their arrival.
In 1895, nine American girls, including a Vanderbilt (railroads), LaRoche (pharmaceuticals), Rogers (oil) and Whitney (New York trolleys), married peers of the British new money, among them, a duke, an earl, three barons and a knight. It was the peak year of a social phenomenon that began when the entrenched members of old New York snubbed these "new money" families after the Civil War, sending them off to England in quest of class.
More than 100 heiresses in all invaded Great Britain and swapped dollars for titles—just like Cora Crawley, the first of the “Downton Abbey” characters Julian Fellowes was inspired to create after reading To Marry an English Lord. Filled with vivid personalities, gossipy anecdotes and a wealth of period detail—plus photographs, illustrations and the finer points of etiquette—To Marry an English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible.
Softcover Book : 416 pages
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company ( February 22, 2012 )
Item #: 13-592367
ISBN: 9780761171959
Product Dimensions: 6.0 x 9.0 x 1.062inches
Product Weight: 16.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Love and Loss in the Gilded Age 
July 08, 2012
After finishing this book, I did something that I seldom do: I immediately began reading it again. I wanted to check on how various characters had been introduced, and how they changed throughout the narrative. I felt that the name, Cora Cash, was a bit silly for the wealthiest woman in the world, but that was a small complaint. I enjoyed the slice of history which this book evoked so very well.
Reviewer: Karen K
Wonderful!
May 26, 2012
A great book that is fun and wonderfully entertaining!!! i tis full of history and amusing sayings, as well as loaded with amazing photos of the real people!! Loved it and wouldn't part this book ever!!
Reviewer: Bev
To Marry an English Lord
May 22, 2012
Great book that doesn't require a lot of deep thought. Just a book for light entertainment.
Reviewer: Carol
Just a delight! 
May 09, 2012
If you like seeing how the other half lived-this book is great. All the juicy tidbits and name dropping make for an interesting read.
Reviewer: Carletta
Love this book
May 05, 2012
I bought this book several years ago, wanted to purchase a copy for a friend and it was no longer available. Its a great book with wonderful details of what the young ladies of wealth did and their families did to get titles.So glad to see it here!
Reviewer: Annie
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