"Certainly the Proper Business of Woman": Household and Estate Management Techniques of Eighteenth-Century French Noblewomen

Abstract

This project explores the legal, economic, and social aspects of household and estate management in eighteenth-century France. It investigates two paradoxes surrounding noblewomen and household management. The first involves society's view of women's appropriate social, economic, and legal activities. The second centers on women's preparation for household and estate management. Using manuscript sources from noblewomen and their household advisors, as well as official notarial documentation, this study charts how, through household and estate management, women contributed to the social, economic, and legal landscapes of France in the eighteenth century. In addition, it examines the role of household advisors, such as notaries, lawyers, and experienced members of the domestic staff, in helping women overcome their educational and experiential deficiencies when they assumed responsibility for estates and households. Current historiography on eighteenth-century French nobility tends to normalize the experiences of men, implying either that women's experiences conformed to those of their male counterparts, or that exploring the lives of noblewomen does not reveal much about society. This project addresses this issue by detailing the unique social and economic contributions of women as household and estate managers.