Bridgerton Season 4 finally introduces Benedict Bridgerton’s love interest, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), and her backstory is further explored in episode 2. At one point, she gets called a “ward” by Lord Penward (Arthur Lee), and to us modern folk, some of us might be wondering what that regency used term actually means.
Related: What Happened to Sophie’s Dad in Bridgerton? His Real Cause of Death Spoiled by the Books
The term comes up when the Lord introduces his wife, Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung) to his staff and she’s pretty confused to why a child is also in the mix. Lord Penward then says that Sophie is his ward. “I know you will care for her as your own,” he tells his new wife.
What does a ward mean in Bridgerton Season 4?
A ward is “a person, especially a child, who is legally put under the protection of a law court or a guardian,” per the Cambridge dictionary. In the books, it’s noted that Sophie was one of Lord Penward’s illegitimate children and that she was dropped by her mother on the doorsteps of Penward’s residence. Penward took her in.
However, during the regency era, being a “ward” had a more significant meaning since adoption usually wasn’t a standard practice back then. Fathers were preferred guardians to wards during that age.
When Lord Penward died, Araminta told Sophie that she had been left nothing in his will. According to regency expert L.A. Hilden, gaining guardianship of a ward was under the control of the Court of Chancery, and a person would need to apply to this court if no guardian had been named in the deceased father’s will. In order for Sophie to live a comfortable life, Araminta hires her as an unpaid maid and treats her pretty cruelly compared to her daughers Posy and Rosamund. She also excludes her from other opportunities, like dance lessons.
Araminta later fires Sophie for sneaking out to go to the masquerade ball, and she later finds an opportunity at Cavender House, where she also serves as a maid and has a fortunate meeting with Benedict. After being fired yet again after being harassed by men, Benedict helps her get employment in the Bridgerton House as a maid, and the passion between the two eventually explodes.
Lea Veloso
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