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Georgian Era Commerce
Before the later part of the Georgian Period in England few buildings/structures specifically designed for trade and commerce existed. One need only to look at the timber wharfs of the Port of London...
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Jane Austen’s Publishing Options, or Being a Female Writer in the Regency Era
Publishing Options for Women During Jane Austen’s Lifetime I thought it time to revisit this post for several people of late have asked me of Austen and self-publishing. Novels during the early...
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Drambuie: Scotland’s First Commercially Produced Liqueur
To fully appreciate how Scotland claimed drambuie as its own, one must possess a general James II and VII, was the last Catholic monarch in the British Isles. Portrait by Nicolas de Largillière, c...
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Changes in 19th Century English Schools
Education in England has roots deep in the Anglo-Saxon period. Latin was the main subject at these early schools and the instruction was directed toward the sons of “aristocracy” of the age. The church...
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A Simple Overview of the English Courts During the Regency Period
One of the surprising things upon which many readers of the courtroom scene in The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin commented was the lack of a “defense attorney” for the accused. A prosecutor served...
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Life Below Stairs: Compensation Beyond Salary for Work Done
Despite the sometimes less than desirable conditions under which many of those below stairs endured in service, there were other compensations. Servants learned their deference. They were “invisible,”...
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Militia Officers in Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice”
What was the difference between the militia officers found in Regency-based novels such as Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice and the Regulars, such as Colonel Fitzwilliam, in the same book? At the...
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Press Gangs in the Regency Era
HMS Acasta: August 2013 http://www.hmsacasta.com A Gentleman’s guide to staying out of His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Press gangs operated in England from medieval times, but during the war years the...
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Life Below Stairs: Servants as a Status Symbol
Book of Snobs A trend we incur during the Victorian era was the obsession to have more servants than one’s neighbors or comparable members of one’s social circles. It was “Keeping up with the Joneses”...
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Admiral Croft’s Gout in Austen’s “Persuasion” and How to Cure It…
In Chapter 18 of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Mary Musgrove writes to her sister Anne Elliot of their father’s tenants, the Crofts. “I have this moment heard that the Crofts are going to Bath almost...
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James Smith, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Congressional...
James Smith was born in northern Ireland, in the Province of Ulster as the second son of a well-to-do farmer, John Smith in or around 1716 – 1719. He emigrated to Cheshire County Pennsylvania with his...
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Mensa et Thoro? How it Differs from Divorce…
If you are a regular follower of this blog, you should be aware that in the Regency Period, divorce was a VERY messy affair – VERY public – VERY expensive – and almost impossible to achieve. It,...
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Life Below Stairs, Part 10 – The ‘Pugs’ Procession of Precedence
A sense of status above stairs was to be expected among the aristocracy, but it was no less observed below stairs. For example, the lower servants often spoke poorly of the “Pug’s” Procession, which...
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19th Century Childbirth Before and After Princess Charlotte’s Death
(This post originally appeared on Geri Walton’s Unique Histories of the 18th and 19th Century blog.) Clockwise from top: Woman’s stool (birthing chair); fetus in uterus, head down, marked “This is the...
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Life Below Stairs, Part 9 – The Valet
The Servant Hierarchy | countryhousereader.wordpress. com Footmen as we learned the last time often thought to join the upper servants in the role of valet or butler. (We saw the character of Thomas...
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History of Shifts, Chemises, and Corsets Through the Regency Era
Shifts or chemises were a woman’s undergarment. It was a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils. They were made of cotton, but women who could afford the cost...
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Medical Advancements Leading to Real Progress in the 18th Century
Early on, the civilize world saw the study of nature as essential to the welfare of all mankind. The 16th Century saw great strides. Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer...
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Life Below Stairs – Part 7 – The Expense of Keeping Servants
The landed aristocrats were VERY slow to give up the expenses of an extensive household staff. We saw that “plot” being used in the final season of Downton Abbey. It is said that the sixth Duke of...
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Jane Austen’s Love of the British Navy
Battle of Trafalgar – British Royal Navy: Nelson: Napoleonic Wars http://www.napolun.com In referring to the cult-like following of those who extolled all things involving Admiral Horatio Nelson, Jane...
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Who Were The “Ton” and the “Beau Monde”?
Le bon ton is a French phrase meaning “the good style” or “good form.” One could be said to have good ton–meaning good style. So one could be part of the Ton, if one had the style for it–which is why...
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