Thanks for the questions, Alex, and for being a Regency Reader!
An 1808 reference to nouveau riche means “one who has recently acquired wealth; a wealthy upstart” and was taken from the French term, mean new rich, which was more commonly used in the early 19th century (Search ‘nouveau riche’ on etymonline). Most applications in primary sources until the 1830s in Britain are directly referencing France or French culture or literature. That is to say that it would not have had broad application to the “middling class” or industrialists or even nabobs of the long Regency.
Industrialists, or enterprising and increasingly wealthy middle class, were often referred to as “Cits” – meaning their wealth came from business and investments, and they displayed city manners. Cit also could stand for citizen, or an untitled person that nevertheless had some power and influence – yet typically not the ability to vote until the 1832 Reform Act. Nabobs made their money abroad, typically with the East India Company, and were often seen as encroaching when returned to Britain and setting themselves up.
Did they integrate themselves with the aristocracy, nobility, and gentry? In some cases, the lure of luchre would have been too much to resist, although their true ability to integrate is questionable (Newman, G. (1997). The Rise of English Nationalism: A Cultural History, 1740-1830. United Kingdom: Macmillan.). Even in many cases that perpetuate a myth of intermarriage or similar integration are underscored by distant relationship, on the part of the wealthy citizen, to nobility or gentry. Exceptions, of course, existed, and I have a post on famous courtesans who married Dukes here: Representing Regency: Courtesans, Marriage and Dukes – Regency Reader.
While in the Gilded Age, American heiresses (called Dollar princesses or Dollar duchesses) would marry into the British aristocracy, this was much less common in the British Regency. It was more common for titled ladies to marry commoners, as was the case with Lady Anne Lindsay and Lady Elizabeth Foster (Blog | Regency History). Money and political connections were usually at the root of these approved marriages, although I have certainly read stories of ladies running off with footmen, presumably for love.
Much more common would be landed gentry marrying into the nobility or in the upper middle classes.
In the Regency, the stigma of “being in trade” or new money (“stinking of the shop”) was often too much for most to bear. The London Season was critical for maintaining an elite circle of suitable matches for young men and women, founded on power, wealth, and maintaining power and control. As Goni (2015) points out, there is a universal and timeliess marital assortative matching – or people choosing similar social classes, education, and income as the basis for a life partner, whether its obvious or not (Goni, M. (2015). Assortative matching and persistent inequality: Evidence from the world’s most exclusive marriage market. In Economic History Association 2015 Annual Meeting, Nashville (USA).).
Instead of trying to integrate (although they did sometimes try to imitate), the middle classes worked hard throughout the long Regency to establish their own power, wealth, and influence. There were rare occasions where this was one by “marrying up” but by in large, the classes maintained separate spheres.
I hope that offers some insight!
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