This led some owners into financial shortfalls as they tried to balance maintenance of their estates with the income they provided. Some relied on funds from other sources such as banking and trade while others, like the severely impoverished Duke of Marlborough, sought American heiresses to save their country houses and lifestyles. One famous bride, American beauty Consuelo Vanderbilt, was contracted to bring a 2.2 million Euro (60 million Euro today) dowry when she reluctantly married the Ninth Duke of Marlborough in 1895.