Thorn is a village in the Netherlands that was before 1797 centered around an abbey and had a special legal status. In Thorn lived a lot of noble young women who didn't enter the abbey as nun but yet had many duties within the abbey and the church. But it happened often enough that a young noble man who was looking for a wife went to Thorn. And because the ladies were not bound by the vows of the monastery they were free to leave Thorn with their new husband.