5
( 1765-1844) to Isabella Douglas( 1769-1802) at the end of the eighteenth century, suggests that Joseph had a strong identity developed from his Unitarian faith. A recreation of Isabella’ s spiritual identity was deemed necessary for a marital union between the two, judged acceptable to Joseph’ s close relatives and friends, while Isabella’ s family were required to accept the situation. The epistolary archives of Joseph, commercial manager of the Strutt family’ s industrial cotton-spinning business in Derbyshire, openly display the importance of compliant social behaviour expected of his personal beliefs, in his cross-religious courtship with Presbyterian Isabella. An exploration of the religious elements that defined the couple’ s relationship, outlines the intricate and delicate balance required for the contraction of a mixed religious marriage. This correspondence identifies Joseph’ s conduct towards Isabella as forceful and determined in the achievement of his goal and illuminates de facto male dominance within a faith that was supposedly gender-equal in the practices of worship, education and self-improvement. These letters offer a close encounter with an anxiety around conduct within the public sphere of assemblies and entertainments, and the difficulties that arose when a desired union upset the conduct of typical social and familial arrangements. These letters demonstrate the movement of the couple’ s private emotions through the public arena.
Religious Fervour
‘ My heart was a faithful Monitor, when it whispered me that I should offend you by telling you what I conceived was wrong in your conduct’( Joseph Strutt) 3
The tension created in the courtship between Joseph and Isabella from 1788 to their marriage in 1793, was not resolved until her Christening on 17 th January 1792, completing her conversion to the Unitarian faith. 4 Such conversion opened a strong possibility of friction or even antagonism between family members and friends, despite
separate private and public spheres endures( Amanda Vickery,‘ Golden Age to Separate Spheres? The History Journal, Jun 1993 and Robert B Shoemaker, Gender in English Society, 1650-1850: The emergence of separate spheres? Routledge, 2013) the latter noting Jürgen Habermas’ s definition of each. I would argue at this time that there is room for more than two spheres to exist, as a changing society makes for a more nuanced treatment of complex situations.
3
Letter from Joseph Strutt to Isabella Douglas( hereafter Joseph to Isabella) 12 th October 1788( Birmingham Archives Heritage and Photography Service( BAHPS) MS3101 / C / E / 4 / 8 / 13).
4
Letter from Joseph to Isabella, 3 rd January 1792( BAHPS MS3101 / C / E / 4 / 8 / 30).