Category Archives: Act of Parliament

The Duke Is Dead, Long Live the Duke . . . Now What?

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

During the Georgian era, a will could be declared void it the person was insane or drunk at the time of its creation or be voided if it was proven to have been written for a convicted felon, a prisoner, or an outlaw/thief. So it was also for those who committed suicide or had been excommunicated from the church or if the person was a slave. A married woman required the consent of her husband to have a will drawn up. Worst so, the husband had the right to withdraw his permission up until the will was probated. Because the legal age to marry during the time was 14 for boys and 12 for girls, such was the same ages for wills. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, aristocracy, British history, estates, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Inheritance, laws of the land, legacy, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two Attempts to Assassinate King George III in a Single Day, 15 May 1800

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

On 15 May 1800, George III went to Hyde Park to review the 1st Foot Guards. During the review, a shot was fired which narrowly missed the King. Mr Ongley, a clerk in the Navy Office, who was standing only a few paces away, was struck, and it was said that “had the wound been two inches higher it must have been mortal”.

Undeterred, later that same day, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, James Hadfield tried to shoot King George III while the national anthem was being played, and the king was standing to attention in the royal box, along with other members of the Royal Family. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, political stance, Realm series, royalty | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two Attempts to Assassinate King George III in a Single Day, 15 May 1800

How Was Gossip Spread So Easily in the Regency Era?

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

How feasible was it to discover a “gossip rag” or tabloid devoted to all the “on dits” of society during the late Georgian era? Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, books, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Was Gossip Spread So Easily in the Regency Era?

How Did a By-Election Work During the Georgian Era?

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

First, I suppose I should explain a “by-election” for those of us in the U.S. The UK Parliament page does a wonderful job of summarizing the key tenets of the situation. Here are some of the other things I know … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, laws of the land, Living in the UK, political stance, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Did a By-Election Work During the Georgian Era?

Marriage by Proxy, Possible or Myth? + The Release of “Amending the Shades of Pemberley” + a Giveaway

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

When the Hardwick Act for the Prevention of Clandestine Marriages went into effect in March of 1754, the rules for marrying in England changed dramatically. Prior to that time, all the couple had to do was to pronounce their vows before a clergyman of the Church of England. Heck, it did not even have to be one’s local clergyman or even one’s local church. In fact, the Fleet Street prison saw quite a few marriages in those days Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, laws of the land, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

“Nothing is Certain but Death and Taxes” . . . Death Fits the Bill, Yet What of Taxes?

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

There were hundreds of taxes and so a variety of dates on which they would be due. Some were pay as you go, so to speak. For others, the tax man came along and counted the number of windows in the person’s residence and looked at the number of footmen employed and counted the crested carriages owned and other four-wheeled vehicles, etc., and made his demand. A person then had “x” number of days to pay the tax. Some taxes were due in quarter days and some on cross quarter days. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, buildings and structures, business, estates, finance, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Nothing is Certain but Death and Taxes” . . . Death Fits the Bill, Yet What of Taxes?

When Might the Heir Style Himself With His New Title in Regency Romances?

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

First, for legal purposes, the man must present himself to the House of Lords to claim the title officially. After the will has been read and its stipulations executed, the new peer must petition the Lord Chancellor for a writ … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, peerage, titles of aristocracy, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on When Might the Heir Style Himself With His New Title in Regency Romances?

Kilts and Tartans and the Wearing of the Plaid (as we say in the U.S.)

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

The idea of identification of one tartan to a clan is fairly recent in a historical perspective.  Those of us who write Regency era based stories have a more difficult time than others historical periods to discover an actual clan name and its supporting colors. Most of the tartans identified to a clan came about in Victorian times, so just had to be careful. They were created by tailors during that time period. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, fashion, film, Georgian England, history, Living in the Regency, medieval, military, Regency era, research, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Caroline Norton, a True Case of a Competency Hearing

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Caroline Norton, born Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan, on 22 March 1808, in London (died 15 June 1877, London), was an English poet and novelist whose matrimonial difficulties prompted successful efforts to secure legal protection for married women. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the UK, marriage, political stance, real life tales, research, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Caroline Norton, a True Case of a Competency Hearing

Peerages: Those Which Can Be Inherited and Those Which Cannot

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

A hereditary peerage, generally passages from father to son, or to another. Those peerages which cannot be inherited are called “for life.” “By the 1950s, there was a feeling the membership of the House of Lords ought to be tackled. … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Inheritance, Living in the UK, peerage, primogenture, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Peerages: Those Which Can Be Inherited and Those Which Cannot