Kara Sears
Mr Bennet is a fictional character and the patriarch of the Bennet family in Jane Austen's 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice. Mr Bennet is married to Mrs Bennet (née Gardiner), the daughter of a Meryton attorney. Mrs Bennet has two siblings, a sister, Mrs Phillips, and a brother, Mr Gardiner, making him Mr Bennet's brother-in-law. At the time the novel begins, the Bennets have been married for 23 years and have five unmarried daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia Bennet. Mr Bennet is also a cousin of Mr William Collins, who is the heir presumptive of the Bennet family estate, Longbourn.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Edward Gardiner |
| Relationship to Mr Bennet | Brother-in-law |
| Relationship to Mrs Bennet | Brother |
| Relationship to Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet | Uncle |
| Relationship to Mr and Mrs Gardiner | Brother |
| Relationship to Mrs Phillips | Brother |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Residence | London |
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What You'll Learn
Mr Bennet's brother-in-law, Mr Gardiner, is Mrs Bennet's brother
Mr Bennet's brother-in-law, Mr Gardiner, is indeed Mrs Bennet's brother. Mr and Mrs Bennet have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine ("Kitty"), and Lydia Bennet. Mrs Bennet (née Gardiner) is the daughter of a Meryton attorney, Mr Gardiner Sr. She has two siblings: Mrs Phillips and Mr Gardiner.
Mrs Bennet is described as being particularly eager to find suitable husbands for her daughters. This is due to the fact that the Bennet family estate, Longbourn, is entailed to the male line. This means that, as Mr and Mrs Bennet had no sons, the estate will pass to Mr Collins, Mr Bennet's cousin, upon his death. As Mr Collins is not a close relation, Mrs Bennet and her daughters will be left with little financial support.
The term "brother-in-law" was not used or invented until around 100 years after the publication of Pride and Prejudice. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the characters in the novel to refer to their in-laws as simply their "brothers" or "sisters". For example, Mrs Bennet calls Mrs Gardiner her "sister", and Elizabeth refers to Wickham as her "brother" after he marries her sister Lydia.
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Mrs Bennet calls Mrs Gardiner her sister
In Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, Mrs Bennet, born a Gardiner, is the daughter of a Meryton attorney. She has a brother and a sister, both married. Mrs Bennet is the sister-in-law of Mrs Gardiner, who is the wife of her brother, Edward Gardiner. Mrs Bennet refers to Mrs Gardiner as her sister, and Mr Gardiner is referred to as Mr Bennet's brother. This is because, at the time, the word "in-law" was not used, and it was common to refer to siblings-in-law as simply brothers or sisters.
Mrs Bennet is married to Mr Bennet, and they have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine (Kitty), and Lydia Bennet. Mr Bennet is the patriarch of the Bennet family and the owner of Longbourn, an estate in Hertfordshire. The family belongs to the landed gentry of the Regency era. Mr Bennet is also related to William Collins, who is his cousin and the heir presumptive of Longbourn.
Mrs Bennet is eager to find suitable husbands for her daughters, as the future of the Bennet family name rests on the hope that one of her daughters will bear a male heir. This is because Mr Bennet is the last male scion of the Bennet family, and without a male heir, their estate will pass to Mr Collins upon Mr Bennet's death.
Mrs Gardiner, being the wife of Mrs Bennet's brother, is the aunt of Mrs Bennet's daughters. Mrs Gardiner is mentioned in the novel as corresponding with the Bennet family and later hosting them in London.
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Mr Gardiner is also referred to as Mr Bennet's brother
Mr Gardiner is the brother of Mrs Bennet, née Gardiner, in Jane Austen's 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice. Mrs Bennet is married to Mr Bennet, and they have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. Mr Gardiner is, therefore, Mr Bennet's brother-in-law.
In the novel, Mr Gardiner is referred to as Mr Bennet's brother, which has caused some confusion. However, this was a common way of referring to in-laws at the time. The word "in-law" did not come into use until about 100 years after the publication of Pride and Prejudice. It was acceptable to refer to someone as a "brother" or "sister" even if they were not a blood relation. For example, in the novel, Elizabeth calls Wickham her brother after he marries her sister Lydia.
Mr Gardiner is the son of a Meryton attorney, Mr Gardiner Sr. He is described as "naturally genteel" and pursues an education and a higher social status in general trade in London. Mr Gardiner's profession is considered insufficiently genteel by some of the other characters in the novel, such as Darcy.
Mr Bennet is the patriarch of the Bennet family and the owner of Longbourn, an estate in Hertfordshire. He is the last male scion of the Bennet family, meaning that his death will be the end of the Bennet name. Mr Bennet is also the cousin of William Collins, who is the heir presumptive of Longbourn.
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Mr Gardiner is related to William Collins through marriage
Mr. Gardiner is the brother-in-law of Mr. Bennet, who is the patriarch of the Bennet family in Jane Austen's 1813 novel, 'Pride and Prejudice'. Mr. Bennet is married to Mrs. Bennet (née Gardiner), who is Mr. Gardiner's sister. Mrs. Bennet is the daughter of a Meryton attorney, Mr. Gardiner Sr.
Mrs. Bennet is also related to Mr. William Collins through marriage. Mr. Collins is the heir presumptive of the Bennet family estate, Longbourn House, as he is Mr. Bennet's cousin. Longbourn House comprises a residence and land located within the environs of the fictional town of Meryton, in Hertfordshire, just north of London.
The word "in-law" was not used or invented until about 100 years after 'Pride and Prejudice' was published, so it is not surprising that Mr. Gardiner is referred to as Mr. Bennet's brother in the novel. In the book, Mr. Gardiner is also called Mr. Bennet's "brother-in-law".
Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine ("Kitty"), and Lydia Bennet. Mr. Bennet is also the father-in-law of Charles Bingley, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and George Wickham.
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The word in-law wasn't used until 100 years after Pride and Prejudice was published
Jane Austen's beloved novel, "Pride and Prejudice," was first published in 1813, and the term "in-law" predates the book by several centuries. The term was first used in the 14th or 15th century, indicating a relationship established not by nature but by the eye of canon law. This term was used to refer to step-parents, who had the same rights and duties as biological parents through the legal pact of marriage.
In "Pride and Prejudice," Mr. Bennet, the patriarch of the Bennet family, is married to Mrs. Bennet, and they have five daughters: Jane Bingley, Elizabeth Darcy, Mary Bennet, Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, and Lydia Wickham. Mr. Bennet is a father-in-law to Charles Bingley, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and George Wickham through the marriages of his daughters.
Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, was born a Gardiner and is the daughter of an attorney in Meryton. She has a brother and a sister, both married. Mrs. Bennet's sister, Mrs. Phillips, marries a law clerk, while her brother pursues a higher social status in general trade in London.
While the term "in-law" was in existence long before "Pride and Prejudice" was published, the specific usage of the term in reference to Mr. Bennet's brothers-in-law or Mr. Bennet being a father-in-law himself is not explicitly mentioned in the novel. The focus of the story is primarily on the relationships and marriages of the Bennet daughters rather than the extended family members.
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Frequently asked questions
Mr Gardiner is the brother of Mrs Bennet, making him the brother-in-law of Mr Bennet.
Mrs Gardiner.
Edward.
The word "in-law" wasn't used/invented until roughly 100 years after Pride and Prejudice was published. Back then, if a sibling got married, they would refer to their spouse's siblings as their own.
