The Case of the Married Woman: Caroline Norton: A 19th Century Heroine Who Wanted Justice for Women

by Antonia Fraser

Caroline Norton, a nineteenth-century heroine who wanted justice for women. Poet, pamphleteer and artist's muse, Caroline Norton dazzled 19-century society with her vivacity and intelligence. In 1836 Caroline underwent a dramatic trial when her jealous husband sued the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, for adultery. Provisions which are now taken for granted - such as the right of a mother to have access to her children - owe much to Caroline, who was determined to secure justice for women at all levels of society. Award-winning historian Antonia Fraser brilliantly portrays a woman who refused to be curbed by the personal and political constraints of her time.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Biography Memoir, Womens, Audiobook, 19th Century

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2021

About the author

Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's Lot in Seventeenth Century Britain (Wolfson Award for History, 1984), The Warrior Queens: Boadecia's Chariot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette: The Journey (Franco-British Literary Prize 2001), which was made into a film by Sofia Coppola in 2006 and most recently Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. Antonia Fraser was made DBE in 2011 for her services to literature. Her most recent book is Must You Go?, celebrating her life with Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few. Books from Antonia Fraser and everyone has gotten 4 stars. Very informative and keeps being intresting through the whole book without feeling info dumpy. It's easy to read and get invested in. I didn't knew much or at all by Caroline Norton before picking it up. I've only read about women I knew quite a lot about before from her. But this was as equally as intresting.

[Anisha Inkspill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Coraline Norton when I was doing some side reading to The Second Sex (Vintage Classics) , whom Simone de Beauvoir makes no mention of but I discovered Coraline Norton in a Kindle search of books downloaded on my device.

Listening to this reminded me how little rights women had in Caroline Norton’s time. Caroline Norton, the granddaughter of the playwright Richard Sheridan, lived in 1800s, England. Antonia Fraser’s biography draws Caroline Norton as a vivacious, intelligent woman who campaigns for the rights of mothers after her ex-husband, George Norton, denies her access to her children.

When, in 1830s Caroline Norton succeeds in changing the custody laws in England, it’s a bitter victory as it gives her no access to her own children, her ex-husband has moved their children to Scotland, where this law does not apply.

Antonia Fraser also shows the lengths George Norton goes to make Caroline Norton’s life difficult and smear her social reputation.

For the last few months of her life, Caroline Norton finds happiness in a second marriage, Antonio Fraser says this is what she has always wanted, along with being a mother to her children.

This was an inspiring audiobook, reminding me how easy it is to overlook women like Caroline Norton and the difference they have made.

[Deborah Siddoway · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I should start with a bit of a disclaimer. I am, I must confess, somewhat obsessed with Caroline Norton. I am also a fan of Antonia Fraser and her writing, as she sees the stories in history and focusses on telling those stories with a mesmerising mastery. So before I even opened the book, I knew I was going to enjoy it. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. Fraser really brings Caroline to life, looking beyond the unhappiness and scandals that blighted her life, and the criticisms of her feminism that have muddied her legacy, to paint a portrait of the woman, the mother, and the activist that Caroline was.

Maintaining the interest of her reader, without bogging the book (and Caroline's story) down with too much irrelevant detail, the book charts Caroline's life from beginning to end, with all of the tragedy and triumph that came along with that. As it is Fraser, as I expected, the narrative is bolstered by her meticulous research, but she never lets the minutiae of that research get in the way of what is a cracking story. On the minus side, sometimes I wished there had been an additional footnote or two when I really wanted to know what her source material was.

The area that I had the most difficulty with is her coverage of the crim con trial that Caroline's husband brought against Lord Melbourne. While Fraser was right to note that the history of the criminal conversation suit was a somewhat chequered one, the explanation that she offers of its relationship to divorce is not entirely correct. As I have previously mentioned in other reviews, divorce was not illegal prior to 1857, it was just largely inaccessible as the ability to pronounce a divorce was vested in parliament and not the courts. Illegality suggests that it is against the law. Divorce was not against the law - the law simply did not offer it as a remedy for those who wished to extricate themselves from their marriages. The criminal conversation suit was also, by convention, a necessary pre-requisite for those men wishing to obtain a divorce from Parliament. But this is a small niggle, picked up only because it falls within my area of knowledge.

The book is a useful addition to the biographies on Caroline that preceded this, with those of Perkins and Acland feeling somewhat outdated by comparison. I closed the book feeling that Fraser had done justice to Caroline and her legacy.

[Julie Yates]

Struggled with this one. It is a full (and not particularly well organized) biography while I was expecting much more on Caroline's political activities leading to the passage of the Custody of Infants Act, Matrimonial Causes Act, and the Married Women's Property Act. This is a story of a woman using what little power she has (her personality and her pen) to change laws, while also falling in love with a lot of powerful men who didn't necessarily love her back.

I've chosen not to rate this because I didn't like this at all and struggled through it over several weeks. But I kind of think it is a "me" issue as compared to a fully flawed work. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I really didn't like Caroline. Lots about her unfortunate love affairs, whiney letters to Lord Melbourne etc. Caroline seemed to be something of an outrageous coquette, yet the author stated that any woman who didn't like her was jealous. And I do realize Caroline is using the only power she has (sex appeal) but she didn't seem to use it very well.

Caroline, a beautiful and extremely flirtatious woman, married a wretched George Norton, a man who routinely beat her, belittled her, kept her from her children, and kept all her money from her writing career (as he earned very little it was the only thing keeping him solvent.) One of her flirtations (well, many of them, probably) with Lord Melbourne veered into physical intimacy and George publicly sued them in court for "Criminal Conduct" (adultery.) Although the charge failed, it basically ruined Caroline's already not sparkling reputation Lord Melbourne, of course, had no lasting affects.

George, unable to get Caroline - who at this point he beat so badly she had a miscarriage - to move back in with him now took their 3 children to Scotland and refused to allow her to see them. At this point, Caroline, a very talented writer and still a vivacious woman with many contacts, began trying to change the law to allow (virtuous only) married women to see their children even if their husbands tried to keep them away. Only after George basically managed to kill one of the boys by neglect did this law to pass.

Then more about her fighting with George over money, her novels, her love affairs. What a sad life.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative & compelling

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you'd expect from Antonia Fraser, a really well written book and fascinating story of a woman significant to the feminist cause (even if she wouldn't see that herself). The misogyny and lack of compassion of that time still makes my blood boil.

[Bethany Pehora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fraser writes a compelling narrative of an author and mother working to challenge the laws of the land to protect married women. The story of the life of Caroline Norton is punctuated with discussions of the lives of the characters she wrote, using their stories to highlight those of real people facing hardship under the law and the hypocritical opinion of society.

[Claudia Isaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now officially in love with Caroline Norton! This biographical account of her campaigning life for the rights of women is really readable and makes a great case for her importance in the history of feminist legislation.

[Geneva Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an age where women’s rights are looking less certain in some parts of the world, this is a really empowering book/life. Though Caroline lived a devastatingly tragic life, her spirit and dedication never faltered. As someone who was slightly unfamiliar with the nitty gritty of modern history in England, I found this book surprisingly very easy to read- Antonia Fraser has done a fantastic job at making this book accessible to those who aren’t familiar with this time period, so don’t at all feel daunted if you haven’t read histories/biographies before!

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Norton was a contemporary of Queen Victoria, Lord Melbourne, Mary Shelley and so many others from the Victorian era that we know. She was in the background of all the events of that time that we know about but we didn't realize she was there. As the wife of a politician and friend of the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, she held popular salons in her home where all the major figures of the day gathered to talk and debate. She was a popular, celebrated author whose works were widely published and read by commoners and the Queen. Sadly, she is most widely known for being the subject of a notorious court case in which her husband, who was known to physically abuse her, took Lord Melbourne to Court for being in "criminal conversation" (can you guess what that means?) with his wife. Lord M. was found not guilty and continued his historic career, but Caroline's was the reputation that was ruined. In a time when a husband controlled all of his wife's property (including her children and the clothes on her back) and divorce was obtainable only by an Act of Parliament, Caroline spent most of the rest of her life pursing custody/visitation rights to her sons and the use of the income she earned with her writing. She was instrumental in convincing Parliament to pass the first laws granting "Infant Custody" to mothers. At the end of her life, she found happiness (after her husband died) in a loving but too-short second marriage. I was amazed that I had never heard of this influential woman and I am grateful for Fraser's well-written, thorough biography of her.

[Mary Kesson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I'm unusual, as an American, in knowing nothing of Caroline Norton prior to reading this book. The focus here on parental and property rights is interesting as a precursor to the battle over women's suffrage, which is a topic that's more familiar to us given the recent centennial of the 19th Amendment.

As another reviewer also noted, this quote from her Letter to the Queen (1855) captures the essence of her story: "From time immemorial, changes in the laws of nations have been brought about by individual examples of oppression. Such examples cannot be unimportant, for they are, and ever will be, the little hinges on which the great doors of justice are made to turn."

Also, two small notes on the American edition - I think the cover is far superior to the one currently shown on Goodreads, which I assume is from the UK edition - and there's a small typo on the family tree - Caroline's mother was obviously not born in 1799, it should be 1779.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

My best friend has written about Caroline Norton in her women, law, and literature academic pieces. Another friend recommended this book by Antonia Fraser whose writing I have enjoyed in the past.

Caroline Norton, living in the mid to late 1800s, brought to light the laws that meant women were nonentities, specifically in relation to child custody and earnings and inheritances. I particularly liked this quote from a letter from Norton to Queen Victoria in 1855: "From time immemorial, changes in the laws of nations have been brought about by individual examples of oppression. Such examples cannot be unimportant, for they are, and ever will be, the little hinges on which the great doors of justice are made to turn."

[Nila Novotny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caroline Norton married in England in the early 1800s and became a women's rights champion when she was estranged from her abusive husband and attempted to get rights to her children. She was involved in a lawsuit between her husband and the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne who was accused of adultery. She ended up with her 3 children and eventually grandchildren. She was a writer and made money in her own right when women had no rights to money they made or inherited. She was lively and interesting at the court. She led an interesting life and was well known for some of her controversial stances,

[Gareth Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fraser’s author’s note suggest this book is the third part of a trilogy looking at 19th century reform. It’s a very different book from the first two books which examine Catholic emancipation and the 1832 Reform Act. The earlier books follow the path to the acts becoming law, whereas this book is a biography of Caroline Norton. There’s much of interest here, but it’s quite a comprehensive biography covering Norton’s literary output as well as her campaigning, although, to be fair, these can’t really be separated.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched account by always compelling Antonia Fraser. I had never heard of Caroline Norton and was intrigued to hear her story the impact her early fight for feminism and recognition under the law of the time. It really is amazing that women have come from such a point in history where we didn’t exist to governing countries around the world. It is equally amazing that patriarchy and the
male dominated world continues to be supported through religion, superstition and ignorance.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 2/3 of this book was very good and really did a very good job addressing the difficulties faced by women and the attempts to change the law. The author did a very good job balancing the private and public aspect of the main person's life. The end is mostly about her personal life and felt this dragged a bit.

[East Greenbush Community Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

All women who assume certain rights, such as infant custody and property, should read this account and have their eyes opened. Caroline Norton, whose husband mistreated her both in private and in the courts, used her wit, beauty and intelligence to fight for bills to be passed even though it meant that her embarrassment was kept in the public.

[Elsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lawyer and a lover of history I’m always eager to learn more about the people behind famous cases. This was a really thorough peak into the life of Caroline Norton. I kind of wish we got to read a bit more detail about the legal case itself but that’s for another story. This was worth the read!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just read a few biographies that read like lists of everything that ever happened to a person, or that they mentioned in a letter, I was relieved to find this a much more engagingly written biography. Antonia Fraser tells a good story. I learned a lot, both about the political changes Caroline Norton worked to make happen, about her literary career and about society at the time.

[Alicia Primer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively bio of the liveliest of subjects: Caroline Norton, the 19th century independent thinker and feminist crusader for the rights of married women. Which at the time of her separation from her abusive husband were exactly none.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read some other books about Caroline Norton and her fight to get women equal rights in and out of marriage. Perhaps that's why this didn't do much for me. I love Fraser's work but nothing new was covered here and it seemed like a re-hash of earlier and better books.

[Mary Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book.. I thought it was a dull. I had expected more about her actual fight for women's equality in marriage in the UK.. it was more a quick review if her life .. with some info about her achievements.. it was interesting.. but not that great..

[Tara Corrigall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio - I didn’t know anything about her contributions to society and fighting for women and mother’s rights.
A lot of detail, a lot of history. If you watched Young Victoria, a certain Prime Minister is a big part of the story.

[Sándor Nagy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story not a history

A correct, but descriptive, rather positivist biography, without any serious problem, questions or analysis of the historical context. A light, though after a while boring read.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is obviously very well researched but too much of the research went into the book. It goes off on so many tangents that I lost track of the life of a. clearly significant woman. It ended up being a slog I was delighted to finish!

[Coffee & books · Rating 2 out of 5]

The audio book is horrific. Why the narrator used funny voices for quotes from poems and letters is beyond me. This is a non-fiction book, it should have read in an appropriate manner.
It was almost a DNF for me.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instructive

Caroline Norton was a 19th century celebrity, who used the scandals surrounding her ( mostly fictional) to advocate for reform to the laws affecting women and children.

[Caroline Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the 75 - not as good as the others but interesting.

[Frankie Urrutia-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Antonia Fraser book, and a woman worth reading about!