In the context of marriage, a "settlement" is a legal document that usually ensures that some or all of the property that the wife brings to the marriage ultimately belong to her, and will revert tot her or her children (though she does not necessarily have personal control over it during her marriage); otherwise it would basically belong entirely to her husband. And a settlement can also specify a guaranteed minimum that the children of the marriage are to inherit ("Five thousand pounds was settled by marriage articles on Mrs. Bennet and the children."). In Northanger Abbey, Henry Tilney can't be entirely disinherited by his father, General Tilney, because some of his inheritance is guaranteed by the marriage settlement of his late mother, also, in Sense and Sensibility the money that came with Mr. Henry Dashwood's late first wife is settled on their son, and it can't be used to help his second wife or his daughters by his second wife. A settlement is generally part of an overall pre-marital financial agreement between the wife or wife's family and the husband or husband's family (and can guarantee the amounts to be contributed). So to ensure Lydia's marriage, Mr. Bennet is required to guarantee to Lydia and Wickham "by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among his children after the decease of " Mr. Bennet and his wife, "and, moreover, to enter into an engagement of allowing her, during his life, one hundred pounds per" year. In addition, Darcy undertook to pay his debts and purchase an officer's commission (as an ensign or sublieutenant) in the regular army.
 
 

* Accomplishments / * Feminism in Jane Austen / * Marriage and the alternatives: the status of women / * Legalities of marriage / * Money and marriage / * Entail and inheritance / * Male Progeniture Succession / * Legal motivation for entails / * Legal aspects of entails / * Attitudes to the entail in Pride and Prejudice / * "Sister" and "Brother"; "Alliance" / * Return