He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 52

52. A Hefty Dowry

◈ London, Intelligence Club.

“A dowry of… 100,000… pounds?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Theo’s jaw dropped at Sir Walter Ricardo’s words.

Converting 100,000 pounds to 21st-century standards, it was an enormous sum, well over 15 billion won [approximately $12.5 million USD].

According to Sir Ricardo, a businessman named ‘Paul Osborne,’ who ran a large textile factory in Manchester, Lancashire, had offered a staggering 100,000 pounds as his daughter’s dowry.

With the opening of the Age of Exploration and the full-scale industrialization of England, a large number of newly wealthy capitalists emerged through trade and factory operations.

The profits they earned began to surpass the income of the existing nobles and landowners, making such a large dowry possible even for daughters of non-noble families.

“Is there a particular reason for offering such a large dowry?”

Sir Ricardo seemed to have a long-standing friendship with the businessman Paul Osborne.

“He only has one daughter. Moreover, he’s in his sixties and wants to find a suitable noble young man as a son-in-law before it’s too late.”

As a lot of money began to accumulate in the commercial and industrial sectors, the income from land, which was the main source for the existing nobility, gradually decreased.

The nobles, who had lived without doing any particular work, were in a situation where they had to reduce their standard of living due to decreasing income.

In these times, a dowry of 100,000 pounds was an attractive offer that would make the ears of young nobles perk up.

Only 300 to 400 people in England at this time earned an annual income of 10,000 pounds (about 1.5 billion won) [approximately $1.25 million USD].

So, 100,000 pounds was like receiving 10,000 pounds every year for 10 years, which was tempting to anyone.

In terms of 21st-century South Korea, it was like winning a 1.5 billion won lottery 10 times—a dream come true.

“With such a huge dowry, I’m sure many young nobles rushed in?”

Sir Ricardo waved his hand.

“Mr. Sanderson, you have no idea. Not only Manchester but the surrounding areas were buzzing. Moreover, the most prominent matchmakers from all over the country stepped up, trying to connect them, creating a long line and a huge commotion.”

However, it’s an unwritten rule that when such a large dowry is offered and matchmakers swarm, scammers always gather.

Among those who applied for a meeting, there were those who had already married but bribed matchmakers to pretend to be single, and there were even those who broke off engagements just before the wedding to rush in.

Theo frowned.

“It’s one thing to have a lot of money, but if you openly offer a large dowry and look for a groom, it’ll end up being full of people who are only after the money. Why did Mr. Osborne take such a risk?”

Sir Ricardo gave a bitter smile.

“That’s right. Mr. Osborne regretted it a lot later. He naively thought that the noblemen would be a little different from them. He didn’t think that nobles would abandon their minimum level of integrity and pride and rush in just for the money.”

“Even so, he should have had some experience with nobles while living his life.”

“He mainly had narrow relationships with merchants, having only worked his whole life, and whether he was lucky or unlucky, he seems to have received good impressions from all the nobles he had met so far.”

Well, considering he was close to someone like Sir Walter Ricardo, it seemed he had only seen nobles with pure hearts around him.

“Anyway, he did his best to verify their identities using all sorts of methods, and he finally selected three people.”

“But I highly doubt whether those three are proper grooms.”

“That’s right. I told him that too, and Mr. Osborne knows that and is worried about it. But then, Mr. Osborne asked about you, Mr. Sanderson.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. He asked me if I knew Theo Sanderson in London. So, I said that I knew you well, and he was very pleased and asked me to pass on a message. He seemed to know that you were famous for matchmaking.”

Even though there were no broadcasts, media, or internet, Theo was always amazed by the letters coming from all over London. But he was once again amazed that even a businessman from a distant place, which would take at least a week to reach by carriage, knew about him.

“But what message did he ask you to pass on to me?”

“Well, Mr. Osborne is scheduled to meet the three candidates sometime next week, but he says that he’s an ignorant merchant, so he thinks it’ll be very difficult to choose which of the three nobles to decide on. So, he asked if Mr. Sanderson, who has successfully arranged marriages for nobles, could come and help him decide on one of them.”

“……”

“Of course, he said he would compensate for all related expenses and any losses incurred from not being able to do business away from London for a while. And he said he’s preparing a special allowance if the matter is successfully concluded.”

“……”

Sir Ricardo looked very sorry, wondering if he had put an unnecessary burden on Theo, who was busy with matchmaking.

However, it wasn’t a bad offer for Theo.

He only had a few consultations scheduled for this month, and there were no special schedules.

‘I can move the consultations forward… and I need to raise as much money as possible to properly establish a matchmaking agency in London as soon as possible.’

Although it was a bit far, there was no reason to refuse if it was a deal that would bring in a lot of money at once.

Theo said that he would go to Manchester to meet Paul Osborne as soon as he finished the matchmaking work in London, and Sir Ricardo was overjoyed as if it were his own business.

◈ 10 days later, Manchester.

Clatter. Clatter.

From Hampstead in London to Manchester in Lancashire, it was quite a long distance, taking about a week by carriage, including overnight stays along the way.

He thought it would be fine since he had been to Birmingham, but the extra two or three days caused more fatigue than he had expected.

‘Hoo, I wish steam trains would be invented soon so that traveling would be faster and easier… But anyway, I arrived safely. Haaam-‘

Stretching and looking out the window, he saw an industrial city with a different atmosphere from Birmingham, where he had gone to see James Watt.

In particular, there was a difference in the appearance of the canals that crossed the city.

The canals in Birmingham were narrow and shallow, making it difficult for large ships to pass through, but the canals in Manchester were much larger and wider, allowing ships carrying large loads to move easily.

Perhaps due to the nature of Manchester’s commerce, which required transporting large quantities of raw materials such as coal and cotton to various mills and factories, the canals seemed to have been built large and deep.

As he was captivated by the bustling commercial city of Manchester, the carriage soon reached its destination.

*

Manchester, Paul Osborne’s mansion.

Woah- Woah-

The mansion of Paul Osborne, which he finally arrived at, was quite large at a glance.

Although it didn’t reach the level of a count’s family with large estates near London, the fact that a businessman who hadn’t inherited anything owned a mansion of this size meant that he had been very successful.

When he knocked on the door at the entrance of the mansion, a middle-aged man with a white wig came out.

He seemed to be the butler of the house.

His polite attitude and intelligent-looking eyes were impressive.

“You must be Mr. Theo Sanderson? I’ve been waiting for you. Please, follow me.”

He seemed to have already known that Theo was coming through Sir Ricardo and was prepared.

The butler walked along a long corridor and stopped in front of a door in the middle, then knocked.

Knock knock knock.

“Mr. Theo Sanderson has arrived.”

“Bring him in.”

Thump-

Opening the door, a spacious and well-decorated living room appeared.

As befitting a businessman who traded, various rare antiques and objects from different regions were displayed nicely throughout the room.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming all the way. I am Paul Osborne.”

“Thank you for welcoming me. I am Theo Sanderson.”

Paul Osborne in his sixties, whom he examined while exchanging greetings, was very different from what Theo had imagined.

He had thought that he would be a plump and cheerful old man, befitting a successful businessman, but he looked more like Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ novel, ‘A Christmas Carol’ [a miserly character known for his cold-heartedness].

He looked sturdy, but he was rather thin, with a pointed nose and small, sharp eyes. His lips were thin and his complexion was pale, which made him look somewhat nervous.

“Please, sit here.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The material of the coat he was wearing looked good, but it was quite old, and his shoes were worn out in places.

He was dressed so frugally that it felt stingy, which didn’t suit the luxurious and magnificent mansion.

‘Hmm… anxiety, worry, obsession…’

His current emotional state was evident in the subtle expressions and gestures of his face, which flashed with fierce eyes.

‘He’s made a lot of money, but now he’s completely consumed with worry about that money. Even though he has a lot of money, he’s trembling with anxiety, fearing that his money will disappear and that he won’t be able to earn more in the future.’

Theo was a little embarrassed after sensing his appearance and emotional state.

He was starting to worry about the only daughter he would be working for.

According to Sir Ricardo, her mother had also passed away early, and there seemed to be some unspeakable family affairs.

If so, there was a high possibility that Mr. Osborne’s only daughter had grown up psychologically unstable and not bright.

‘It’s not just a matter of choosing a groom; there might be a problem with the personality of Mr. Osborne’s daughter? Hmm…’

Marriage is not just a personal matter. It is a major event that involves the other person’s life.

Theo’s own rule was not to engage in matching if there was a significant flaw in personality that could cause pain to the other person, no matter which side it was.

‘Oh, I wonder if I made a mistake.’

When Sir Walter Ricardo talked about Mr. Osborne’s daughter, he had the feeling that she was a very decent woman.

‘Did I make too hasty assumptions based only on Sir Ricardo’s words?’

While he was wrapped up in subtle worries, Mr. Osborne spoke again.

“It must not have been easy to come all the way here. Thank you for your hard work.”

“…Ah, yes.”

At that moment, Theo caught a glimpse of a completely different appearance from the expressions and emotions he had just judged.

‘Oh, what is this… this warmth…?’

The emotion melted into his subtle smile, which seemed to be barely visible, was conveying an unexpected warmth shyly.

‘Hmm… he was hiding completely opposite emotions deeply.’

People often wear masks and create different emotions in meetings with others.

A mean person may act like a saint, and a person with intermittent explosive disorder may pretend to be calm.

Therefore, it is not easy to immediately distinguish their true emotions with just the first meeting.

However, Theo, who could instinctively read the other person’s emotions, could sense the true emotions of the person wearing the mask faster and more accurately than anyone else.

But Paul Osborne had both emotions were real.

Coldness and warmth.

Certainly, the proportion of coldness was overwhelmingly large, but there was also an unspeakably warm and affectionate emotion hidden within it.

“John!”

While Theo was lost in thought, Mr. Osborne called the butler, John Blake.

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell Catherine to come down here as soon as her painting lesson is over.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After the butler left the room, Paul Osborne said to Theo.

“My daughter is in a painting class right now, so it will take a little time.”

“It’s okay. Take your time. I’m planning to stay here for about a week anyway.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Theo put down his teacup and asked Mr. Osborne.

“When did you start operating the textile factory here?”

“About 15 years ago.”

“Did you start on such a large scale from the beginning?”

“No. At first, it was a small spinning factory that only produced yarn.”

(Spinning: the process of drawing out and twisting fibers to form yarn / Weaving: the process of interlacing yarn to make fabric / Textile: a general term for spinning and weaving)

Born in a small rural village in southern England, Mr. Osborne lost his parents before he was even seven years old.

After that, he had worked in factories and ports, doing all sorts of jobs. He settled in Manchester about 20 years ago as a lone wolf and started to save money by running a small spinning factory.

“Strangely, my life, which had been going nowhere, began to improve when I happened to acquire a factory that made cloth.”

In fact, England was a country of woolen fabrics using wool, and the country actively encouraged the woolen fabric industry.

However, woolen fabrics, which were thick, heavy, and difficult to wash, began to be pushed back by the popularity of cotton fabrics called Calico [a type of plain-woven cotton fabric], which came from India later.

Indian Calico cotton fabrics were light, easy to dye, and much easier to wash, so they became very popular in England.

‘In just a few years, cotton fabrics produced in English factories will be sold like hotcakes all over Europe. Mr. Osborne has chosen a really good business at a slightly early stage.’

Even in the early 1700s, the cotton fabric industry was a laborious and tedious manual process in which skilled technicians spun and turned the yarn by hand to make the fabric.

As such, production was bound to fall.

Then, in 1764, when Hargreaves created the Jenny spinning machine [an early multiple-spindle spinning frame], a dramatically improved spinning machine, a major shift occurred in the cotton industry.

Since then, England has begun to bring cotton from India and mass-produce cotton fabrics in factories based on its advanced technology, and Mr. Osborne came here and operated a factory around the time this trend began.

‘In two or three years, the mule spinning machine [a machine used to spin cotton and other fibers] will come out, and a major revolution will take place in textile factories with steam engines using coal.’

In just a few years, England’s cotton industry will spread all over the world.

English cotton fabrics, which have suppressed Indian cotton fabrics, will stand tall at the forefront of the world.

And the center of it was Manchester in the Lancashire region.

“After overcoming poor times and working hard, I got married late at the age of almost 40. But unlike the thriving business, unhappy things kept happening to my family.”

He had his first son a few years after his marriage, around the time he was running a textile factory, but he was stillborn.

The second son was born alive, but he died of a fever less than a year later.

Fortunately, the youngest daughter, Catherine, grew up healthy.

“Even my wife passed away 10 years ago, and now my only blood relative is my daughter. Still, I’m really proud and grateful that only my daughter has grown up so well.”

“Yes.”

However, his expression and atmosphere changed drastically when he talked about his daughter.

A subtle but warm emotion flowed from his blunt and cold-looking face.

The warm emotion felt behind Mr. Osborne’s stingy and cold appearance seemed to stem from his affection for his daughter.

Now Theo was curious about his only daughter. He wanted to see what kind of personality and character she had grown up with.

Mr. Osborne, who had emptied his cold tea, asked.

“Do you happen to know that I also import raw materials directly from India?”

“Yes, I heard a little from Sir Ricardo. So, do you go and import things like cotton yourself?”

“That’s right. I go directly to the Bengal region of India to see and pick out good quality cotton.”

“Ah, I see.”

Suddenly, Mr. Osborne got up from his seat and walked towards the wall opposite, then pointed to a large map and picture attached to the wall.

“This place on the map is the cotton farm in India. And we harvest and load it in the same way as in this picture.”

In the past, he used to bring good quality materials himself on a trading ship, but recently he mainly used employees to do it instead.

Now that he was in his 60s, long voyages were too much for him.

“Sometimes I regret getting old. I want to see and touch it with my own eyes and pick out better products.”

“Yes, I’m sure you do.”

Theo, who knew that the English cotton industry would enjoy a huge boom in the next few years, suddenly thought about investing.

‘I need a lot of money to set up a proper matchmaking agency as soon as possible. If so, there’s nothing as certain as the cotton industry in the future…’

If he knew not only the English cotton industry but also the situation of the cotton farms in India, Mr. Osborne could be of great help in investing.

Theo plucked up his courage and asked Mr. Osborne.

“Mr. Osborne. I’m actually interested in the cotton industry, so if you have time, could I take a look at the factory you’re currently operating?”

Paul Osborne readily nodded.

“Ah, of course. You have to stay here all week for my daughter’s work, so take your time to look around. I will show you the textile factory, warehouse, and transportation of products myself.”

“Thank you.”

It was then.

Thump-

“Father!”

A young lady with a lively voice ran into the living room and clung to Mr. Osborne’s neck.

It was Catherine Osborne, who had finished her painting lesson.