Monthly Archives: October 2024

All Hallow’s Eve During the Regency

For this piece, I pulled together bits of information on All Hallow’s Eve from a variety of sources, all of which are cited within the post. I hope you enjoy learning of some of Halloween’s traditions.  All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween … Continue reading

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Condemned by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, Yet … Famous Suicides in the Regency Era

Suicide was condemned by the Church of England, as well as the Catholic church during the Regency. In the late Georgian Era, one who was named as having committed suicide was to be buried naked, at the crossroads with a … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, political stance, Regency era, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Just for Halloween: the Witchcraft Acts in Great Britain

The UK Parliament website tells us, “In 1542 Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death. It was repealed five years later, but restored by a new Act in 1562.   “A further law was … Continue reading

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A Closer Look at “Vampire Darcy’s Desire”

 In late 2009, at the height of the Twilight mania, Ulysses Press approached me regarding my writing a vampiric version of Pride and Prejudice. [Each book in the Twilight series was inspired by and loosely based on a different literary … Continue reading

Posted in gothic and paranormal, Jane Austen, paranormal, Pride and Prejudice, reading habits, romance, Scotland, vampires | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

John Francis Attempted to Kill Queen Victoria Twice

On May 29, 1842, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were returning to their home at Buckingham Palace from Sunday morning services at the royal chapel at St. James’s Palace when what Albert later described as “a little, swarthy, ill-looking radical” … Continue reading

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The “Hunchback’s” Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

Two weeks after John Francis’s second attack on Queen Victoria, the 16-year-old John William Bean made an attempt to assassinate the Queen. “In 19th century Britain, treason had its own special rules of evidence and procedure, which made it difficult to … Continue reading

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Did Edward Oxford Really Shoot Prince Albert?

On Monday of this week, I added a post to the blog regarding Edward Oxford, the man who was the first to make an attempt on Queen Victoria’s life. However, afterwards, I was wondering if Oxford was the one who … Continue reading

Posted in British history, film adaptations, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, kings and queens, marriage, Victorian era, weaponry | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Edward Oxford, the First to Attempt to Assassinate Queen Victoria

There was a total of eight attempts to assassinate Great Britain’s Queen Victoria. The first came at the hands of Edward Oxford, a man who was considered to be a half-wit. On 10 June 1840, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria … Continue reading

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Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part II

Previously, we looked at how some servants chose to emigrate to Australia rather than to remain in England. You may find that discussion HERE:  Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part I   An article entitled “Mistress and … Continue reading

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Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part I

In the mid to late 1840s, many girls in service decided to make the arduous journey from England to Australian ports. One must remember that the journey took three to four months to complete, depending upon the weather and the … Continue reading

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