u/ForagedFoodie

Hello! A lot of conversations on this subreddit surround the topic of why the Bennet girls lacked a governness and doweries, despite those things being both within the Bennet family's budget (small doweries, at least) *and* nearly essential for their survival.

And some very good points are frequently raised, including:

- Mrs. Bennet, being uneducated herself, failing to see the value in an education

- Mr. Bennet simply not caring enough about his family

- Mrs. Bennet allowing her daughters to spend more than was wise on clothing and entertainment

- The family eating very well, probably spending more on fine foods than even gentlepersons of their level usually would

- Both parents assuming they would have a son and he could take care of his sisters

And yeah, for what it's worth, I think this all is true. But it still doesn't *add up*. Even if all 4 daughters are spending a whopping 50-90£ each on clothing, travel and frivolites as young women, they certainly didn't spend that when they were young. Why wasn't money spent on a governess ( >50£ a year) or saved for doweries during that time?

My. Bennet earns 2000£ a year from his estate. Maintaining his home probably costs him between 1000-1200£ per year when the girls were young and *maybe* as much as 1700-1800£ when they are *all* out, which has only *just* happened when the novel opens. Mr. Bennet *should* have been able to easily save 1,000 - 1,500£ for *each* girl before she came out (5,000 to 7,500, total) *and* pay for a governness. Invested at 4%, that 1500 would have grown significantly over the first 15 years of each girl's life.

So, where *was* the money going for the first ~17-20 years of the Bennet marriage?

My theory: Mr. Bennet's library.

Books were very expensive at the time. The most frequently used reference point was that a novel (which would be split into 3 parts) would cost around $100 in today's money. A single, good quality book, ( not a novel) cost between 7£ and 10£, according to this source. https://reginajeffers.blog/2025/02/14/cost-of-items-during-the-regency-period/

The AI says that a set of encyclopedia cost the equivalent of $2500 to $4500 in modern currency, though it doesn't provide a source.

In addition to the cost of printing, a book needed to be bound. The books arrived between paperboard, and the owner would subsequently have the book bound. Books in circulating libraries (really book clubs for the affluent and wealthy) might be bound in nice paper or canvas. But privately-owned books were bound in leather, often dyed to match. The binding would generally cost more than the book.

We know that Darcy has an extensive library collected over generations and that he considers it patt of his responsibility to add to it. We also know that Bingley, a man who makes more than *double* what Mr. Bennet makes, has a very small offering of books.

And yet, Mr. Bennet spends pretty much *all* his time in his library, indicating that there's enough there to keep him occupied.

So yeah. My theory is that the Bennets have around 500£ spare each year. When the girls are "out" this largely goes to clothing, frivolites and travel for them, but for the first 17 or so years of their marriage, this would have pretty much all gone to the library.

Edit: This video shows that "serious" books, like a history, could take 5 volumes, so as much as 55£. And then, you could spend 4 times that to bind it, though i would imagine that Mr. Bennet was probably doing a mid-grade leather rather than a half binding or a high-grade leather. But that still could mean around 100£ to bind those 5 volumes, so a single book (in 5 volumes) might have cost him around 150£. So if he bought 5 whole books a year, yeah. That's 500£ right there. https://youtu.be/bRZ5GSMKnXg?si=5PR4noqq4Cc7sEyj

Estate sale find. Cave in rock?

Cracked chert healed with the tiniest agates you've ever seen!

Theory: Mr. Bennet spent the money that could have gone to his daughters' futures on his library

Catch and Release, but probably the best thing I’ll ever find at goodwill