Monthly Archives: December 2018

“First Footing” It Into the New Year

Posted on December 31, 2018 by

I come very proud Scots, and, in my family, New Year’s (or Hogmanay as it was once called) played a popular part of my childhood. Although I admit to overspending at Christmas, something psychological as being raised poor, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, Christmas, Church of England, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, medieval, real life tales, religion, research, Scotland, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Consecration of Westminster Abbey, 28 December 1065

Posted on December 28, 2018 by

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster is a large Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, situated to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It was a Benedictine monastic church until the monastery was … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, architecture, British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, history, legends and myths, Living in the UK, medieval, real life tales, religion, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A “Christmas Eve” Tale from 1820

Posted on December 24, 2018 by

Today, I share with you a “Christmas Eve” piece from the Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The piece comes to us from Washington Irving. The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, Christmas, customs and tradiitons, tradtions | Tagged , , , ,

Tidbits Regarding Some of Your Favorite Christmas Traditions

Posted on December 21, 2018 by

Below are some facts associated with Christmas, but are rarely mentioned in common conversation. Did you know… Sir Henry Cole was the first to send out a Christmas card. The year was 1843. Cole bemoaned the number of letters he … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, customs and tradiitons, food and drink, history, holidays | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Yorkshire Christmas Traditions Playing Out in “Letters from Home” and “Lady Joy and the Earl” + a Giveaway

Posted on December 19, 2018 by

Christmas traditions in Yorkshire date back to the time of the Roman invasion. For example, documentation shows that a celebration dedicated to Saturn, the god of harvest and agriculture, took place somewhere between December 17 and December 25 in York … Continue reading →

Posted in book release, books, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, holidays, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, publishing, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Tradition of “Christmas Carols”

Posted on December 17, 2018 by

Parts of this post were originally featured on Austen Authors, brought to us from Rebecca Jamison. I have added to what she shared and offer more of the history of the Christmas Carols than she did in her original post, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Christmas, music, tradtions | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Exquisite Excerpt from “Christmas at Pemberley”

Posted on December 14, 2018 by

Preview of Christmas at Pemberley My “Christmas at Pemberley” has won several awards as an inspirational romance. It is an Austen-inspired piece. The sequel is a cozy mystery, entitled The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy. The third book in the series is … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, British history, excerpt, holidays, Jane Austen, Ulysses Press | Tagged , , , , ,

A Closer Look at “One Minute Past Christmas” by George T. Arnold and Regina Jeffers

Posted on December 12, 2018 by

I came to this story late in the aspect that the nucleus of it was written by my former journalism professor. When I read it, I liked it, but I had the feeling that something was missing. Even so, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Appalachia, Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, books, Christmas, family, holidays, legends, reading habits, tradtions, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Have You Ever Heard of a “Bachelor Tax”?

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

In British history, in 1695, the English parliament passed The Marriage Duty Act or Registration Tax, which imposed a tax on births, marriages, burials, childless widowers, and bachelors over the age of 25. It was primarily used as a revenue … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, business, history, Living in the UK, marriage, real life tales, war, world history | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Roderick Maclean’s Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

Posted on December 7, 2018 by

The last of the attempts on Queen Victoria’s life came on March 2, 1882. Unlike the previous attempts, this one was dangerous because by that date, weapons were well beyond the single shot volley stage. Roderick Maclean’s gun held six … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, England, history, kings and queens, research, royalty, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , ,