CASE OF THE MARRIED WOMAN

Caroline Norton dazzled 19th century society with her intelligence, poetry, and her role as an artist's muse. After her marriage in 1827 to the MP George Norton, Caroline continued to attract friends and admirers to her salon in Westminster, which included the young Benjamin Disraeli and the widowed Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. Racked with jealousy, Norton took the Prime Minister to court, suing him for damages on account of his 'Criminal Conversation' (adultery) with Caroline. A dramatic trial ensued, but despite the unexpected and sensational result - acquittal - Norton was still able to legally deny Caroline access to her three children, all under the age of seven. He also claimed her income as an author for himself, since the copyrights of a married woman belonged to her husband. Yet Caroline refused to despair. Beset by the personal cruelties of her husband and a society whose rules were set against her, she chose to fight. She channelled her energies into an area of much-needed reform - the rights of a married woman and specifically those of a mother, and campaigned tirelessly for years, achieving her first landmark victory with the Infant Custody Act of 1839. The prolific biographer Antonia Fraser renders her subject a woman of dignity, depth and character, a heroine who fought for herself and for her children, and this fascinating story is an historical delight about a modern figure. Tiny remainder mark, 286pp with fairly large print and 16 pages of illustrations including colour, family tree of the Sheridans and Nortons, and a note on names.