Dower house

Dower house
The Dower House at Dean Castle in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire

On an estate, a dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the estate-owner. The widow, often known as the "dowager" usually moves into the dower house from the larger family house on the death of her husband if the heir is married, and upon his marriage if he was single at his succession. The new heir occupies the now vacated principal house.

Examples

The British royal family maintains a dower house in London as well as one in the country. Well-known royal dower-houses in London have included Clarence House, Marlborough House, and (for a brief period in the early 19th century) Buckingham Palace (then known as "Buckingham House"). Frogmore House has served as Windsor Castle's dower house.


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  • dower house — noun Britain : a residence forming part of the dower of or intended for the use of a widow and usually being a less pretentious dwelling on the same grounds as the family residence * * * Brit. the dwelling that is intended for or occupied by the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • dower house — /ˈdaʊə haʊs/ (say dowuh hows) noun 1. a house set apart for a widow, often a small house on her deceased husband s estate. 2. any small house, once on the estate of a country house …  

  • dower house — noun Brit. a house intended for a widow, typically one on her late husband s estate …   English new terms dictionary

  • dower house — Brit. the dwelling that is intended for or occupied by the widowed mother of the owner of an ancestral estate. [1860 65] * * * …   Universalium

  • The Dower House, Stoke Park — Coordinates: 51°29′34″N 2°32′44″W / 51.492896°N 2.545427°W / 51.492896; 2.545427 …   Wikipedia

  • Dower — That portion of a dead man s property left to his widow; customarily one third. A dower house was a small house built on an estate for a widow, e.g. when the son had inherited and his mother moved out of the main house. This use of dower is not… …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • dower — n. & v. n. 1 a widow s share for life of her husband s estate. 2 archaic a dowry. 3 a natural gift or talent. v.tr. 1 archaic give a dowry to. 2 (foll. by with) endow with talent etc. Phrases and idioms: dower house Brit. a smaller house near a… …   Useful english dictionary

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  • House of Charm — The House of Charm is in Balboa Park, San Diego. It was called the Mining Building in January 1913, and was initially intended to showcase the mineral wealth and abudance of the region of San Diego. [… …   Wikipedia

  • John Dower — was a civil servant and architect, who, as secretary of the Standing Committee on National Parks, produced in 1945 the first post war official report which set out what National Parks in England and Wales should be like:: An extensive area of… …   Wikipedia

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