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From: "Beth" <>
Subject: [LON] What is a Matrimonial Tour?
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 07:12:15 +1200


I am hoping some very knowledgeable person will be able to better interpret
some information I have discovered in an online newspaper. It reads as
follows: "An apology was made for the absence of Mr H ...on account of Mr H
having gone on a matrimonial tour, he having himself become united, as well
as the towns".

(Mr H had been unable to make an annual dinner of an association that
employed him which had joined with other similar associations in other
towns - becoming "united" so to speak.)

I immediately thought that Mr H had got married and gone on a honeymoon, but
the problem is that this paragraph was in a newspaper of Nov 1851 and the
first instancce that I know of with Mr H marrying is in March of 1852 in
Marylebone. When I googled matrimonial tours modern day references seem to
relate to organised tours where you travel to find a "mail-order" bride!
Googling e-books brings up some references of matrimonial tours, including
one where a man took his mother on a matrimonial tour. So I started to
think that a matrimonial tour was travelling around to find a wife; however,
this does not explain the rest of the sentence in which Mr H had become
united.

Was it typical that young men become engaged and then embarked on travel
before actually marrying - a twist on the the modern day OE (overseas
experience)? Some instances of matrimonial tours that I have come across do
refer to couples, so I have thoroughly confused myself online ...

I have also considered that Mr H was either not telling his employers the
truth, or that there was another marriage before the one in March 1852.

Mr H was well educated and had good job prospects in England. However, he
was unhappily married and deserted his wife in 1857, and left English
shores. His first wife eventually found him and divorced him - Mr H having
already remarried! Mr H has described himself as a bachelor on all marriage
certificates that I have found.

Collective wisdom would be much appreciated!!!

Beth



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