‘Bridgerton’ and source of wealth!
So, you’re binging “Bridgerton,” right? Swept away by the romance, the scandals, and those amazing outfits. But then, you hit pause and wonder, “How do the Bridgertons actually make their money?”
I mean, it’s not like they have regular jobs, but they still live in this massive house and throw the best parties in town. “Wait, how on earth do the Bridgertons afford all this? Like, what’s their day job?”
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To answer that, we need to go back, way back to the era the series is set in, the Regency period in England (that’s around 1811 to 1820 if you’re curious). Back then, folks like the Bridgertons weren’t heading into an office 9 to 5. No way! They were aristocrats, which meant their money came from a whole different set of rules.
Aristocrats, including the Bridgertons, usually got their money from owning land, usually inherited land. They were kind of like the landlords of their time. They would rent out vast amounts of farmland to tenant farmers, who would pay the rent from the money they made selling the crops they grew.
The Bridgertons, being a wealthy and prominent family, would have owned a ton of this land. In fact, owning land wasn’t just about money – it was also a status symbol, showing off their family’s long history and importance.
But that’s not all. Aristocrats also made money through what we call ‘investments’. They could invest their wealth in different businesses or schemes to grow it. This wasn’t like today’s investing where you might buy stocks online. Instead, they might fund a trading ship’s voyage or put money into new industries like coal or iron. These investments could bring in big money if they went well, but could also lead to big losses.
Also, they often had a bunch of fancy stuff like art, jewelry, and even whole buildings that they could sell if they needed cash. All these ways of making money could mix together, creating a sort of safety net that kept the aristocrats wealthy even if one part of it fell through.
Oh, and let’s not forget about their townhouse in London. They own that too, and property in the city isn’t cheap, even back then. So, when you add it all up, the land, the properties, the rents, it equals a pretty comfortable lifestyle, with plenty of time for balls, courting, and all the fun and drama we see on the show.
The Duke of Hastings for example spoke about his properties that needed to be looked at in the village. The arrangement at that time was that the farmworkers could make their homes on those lands as long as they produced them, from there they were only left with what they needed to survive (which if the landlord wanted it was very little), and the profits from the sales of the rest belonged to the owner of the earth.
To put it simply, if you’re a Bridgerton, you’re basically a landlord, but on a much grander scale. You don’t need to work a 9 to 5, your money comes in from your tenants. This allowed families like the Bridgertons to spend their time hosting and attending parties, mingling in high society, and focusing on securing good marriages, which was pretty much the full-time job for the ladies in the family.
