Unique among all the nations, the Catholics of England have
believed for centuries that their country is in a special sense the
Dowry of Mary. The word „dowry‟ (from the Latin dos, meaning
„donation‟, „gift‟ or „endowment‟) is commonly understood as
the donation accompanying a bride upon marriage. In medieval
English law, however, the meaning was reversed, in that a
husband would set apart a portion of his estate designated for the
maintenance of his wife, should she become a widow. On landed
estates the Dower House is a property set aside for precisely that
purpose. The historical understanding of England as Mary's
Dowry is understood in this sense: that England has been set
apart for Our Lady. Indeed, the very use of the term „Our Lady‟
or the „Lady Mary‟ to refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, although
common in Western Europe from the twelfth century onwards,
has a more ancient history in England, where the first extant
example comes from an Anglo-Saxon poet at the end of the
eighth century.
An article by John Christopher Armitage who is a British-Irish
billionaire and the hedge fund manager, the chief investment
officer and a co-founder of Egerton Capital. when he wrote about
the Dowry The title „Dowry of Mary‟ is believed to originate
from the reign of St Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) though
the precise origin is unclear. This I found it very fascinating.
This used to happen in other counties.
It had become widespread by the middle of the fourteenth
century and around the year 1350 a mendicant preacher stated in
a sermon that „it is commonly said that the land of England is the
Virgin's dowry‟, thus reflecting the origin of the title in the deep
devotion of its people to the mother of God in the Middle Ages.
In Victorian England, dowries were perceived by the upper class
as an early payment of the daughter inheritance. The financial
aspects of marriage were openly discussed, akin to todays
prenuptial agreements. Where both parties disclose the size of
their fortunes. There is also The title "Dowry of Mary" which
was written by John Christopher regarding the Dowry of Mary; it
is to be believed to have originated from the reign of St Edward
the Confessor(1042-1066) though the precise origin is unclear. It
become widespread by the middle of the fourteen century and
the year 1350 mendicant preacher stated in a sermon that "its
commonly said that the land of England is the "Virgin's dowry"
thus reflecting of the title in the deep devotion of its people to
the Mother of God in the Middle Ages.