As the nuclear family became an increasingly important construct throughout the eighteenth century so too did the relationship between husband and wife. The marital relationship was idealised and sentimentalised by writers, commentators and artists. Affectionate, sensible marriage increasingly became associated with the expression of both masculinity and femininity. The idea, however, that all eighteenth-century marriages transformed from patriarchal to companionate models is both unrealistic and inaccurate. Most marriages would have been a combination of patriarchal dominance and companionship. Husbands and wives had specific roles and duties, which were indispensable to the other. Whilst marriages were idealised and satirised in many public representations, such as engravings, it is difficult to discover the ‘reality’ of any individual marriage. As Amanda Vickery acknowledges, it is most difficult to explore ordinary relationships as these are rarely recorded. Personal correspondence provides valuable insight into these relationships. Yet letters are not without their limitations; for example they may be read as a conscious construction of personal identity in line with social and personal expectations. Similarly, no letters can be deemed representative of marriage throughout the period, as even in a sample of letters from happy marriages each couple created a different image of themselves and their relationship through their correspondence. Nevertheless, personal correspondence is extremely valuable to the historian as it provides a window onto the personal lives and experiences of eighteenth-century couples. It allows us to glimpse the dynamics of romantic relationships and sheds light onto family life throughout the period.