Laws of the Victorian England!
By: Taylor Peterson and Alexis Shivers
Divorce laws of Victorian England./ Custody of Infant Acts.
Great changes in the situation of women took place during the Victorian Era, especially concerning marriage laws and the legal status of women. A basic fight would have the father consoling custody of the children, leaving the mother with no rights. This fight began a battle. The Custody of Infants Act of 1839, gave loyal and productive mothers access to see their children in the event of seperation or divorce.
The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 gave women the right to a divorce. But while the men only had to prove there wifes had commited adultery to approve for a divorce, the women have to prove that their husbands have commited adultery, incest, bigamy, cruelty or desertion.
*Words to Know
| Adultery |
Voluntery sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse. |
| Incest |
Sexual intercourse between closely related persons. |
| Bigamy |
The crime of marring while one has a wife or husband still living, from whom no valid divorce as been affected. |
| Cruelty |
Conduct by a spouse that causes grievous bodily harm or mental sufferings. |
| Desertion |
Willfull abandonment, of ones wife without consent. In violation of legal or moral obligations. |
The Custody of Infants Acts of 1873 gave access to children to all women in the event of sepration or divorce. Later (1878) on they decided that if you divorce for a cruelty claim that the women was to have full custody of the child.The Magistrates authorized a protection order given you divorced from aggresive behavior. More down the line of time the woman begin to gain more respect in the public eye.
Prostitution Laws
Back in 1864 in towns with a large millitary population, women were suspected of being prostitutes. Woman who were suspected of being a prostitute had to immediately subject themselves into an involuntary genital examination. If they were said to have an illness they were confined to hospitals until completely cured. This law applied to women only since military doctors believed that these shameful examinations would destroy a mans self-respect.
*Words To Know
| Prostitute |
one who solicits and accepts payment for sex acts |
The Corn Law
The Corn Laws exist between 1815 and 1846. This law kept corn prices at a high level. This measure was intended to [protect English farmers form cheap foreign imports of grain following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The context "corn" means all grains, not just the vegetable corn. The beneficiaries of the Corn Laws were the nobility and other large land holders who owned the majority of profitable farmland. Land owners had
an interest in seeing in the Corn Laws remain in force. And since the right to vote was not yet universal, but rather depended on lo and ownership, voting memebers of Parliament had no interest in repealng the Corn Laws.
Works Consulted
“Women in the Victorian era” Wikipedia.
1 march 20008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era
“The Corn Laws” The Britain Express
2 march 2008 http://www.britainexpress.com/History/victorian/corn-laws.htm
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