Were there fireworks in the Regency Era? This is what Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra, dated 2 June 1799

There is to be a grand gala on Tuesday evening in Sydney Gardens, a concert, with illuminations and fireworks. To the latter Elizabeth and I look forward with pleasure, and even the concert will have more than its usual charm for me, as the gardens are large enough for me to get pretty well beyond the reach of its sound.

Austen and her contemporaries looked forward to firework displays. Therefore, I thought it appropriate for Lord Benjamin Thompson to offer up a small display the night before his wedding to Miss Victoria Whitchurch. His small house party would attend, as well as his servants, and several from the nearby village, who walked up the lane to his estate to enjoy a rare treat.

We all likely realize that fireworks originated in China during the Song Dynasty. They were a blend of charcoal, sulphur, and saltpeter. Marco Polo supposedly brought Chinese gunpowder to Europe in the 13th Century, but that tale is up for questionable authenticity.

Though likely used prior to that time, the wedding celebration for Henry VII in 1486 is supposedly the first recorded use of fireworks in England. Queen Elizabeth I had her own “Fire Master of England, who was in charge of firework displays for royal events.

By the Regency era, there were customarily three evening galas involving fireworks, set off during the summer, and Vauxhall Gardens were known for their displays. So, it is not impossible that members of the aristocracy hired men to set off fireworks as summer house parties, etc.

Possible Sources for More Information:

https://vanessariley.com/blog/2022/04/22/lighting-up-the-night-by-regina-scott/

https://www.regencyhistory.net/2018/02/the-green-park-in-regency-london.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Gardens

https://thebathmagazine.co.uk/the-history-of-sydney-gardens/