Category Archives: architecture

The Cotton or Cottonian Library

A bust of Robert Cotton by Louis-François Roubiliac ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Cotton,_1st_Baronet,_of_Connington#/media/File:Robert_Bruce_Cotton_bust_BM_1924_0412_1.jpg Keeping with Wednesday’s post on Circulating Libraries, I thought I might mention a library some, especially in the U.S. have not considered. The Cotton Library was founded by … Continue reading

Posted in Age of Chaucer, architecture, books, British history, Chaucer, Church of England, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, literature, medieval, publishing, real life tales, Regency era, religion, research, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Cotton or Cottonian Library

Craigievar Castle, the Inspiration for Walt Disney’s Trademark Castle and a Ghostly Experience

  Are you still looking for the ghosts and goblins of Halloween? Permit me to introduce you to Craigievar Castle in Scotland, where you might hear ‘Red’ Sir John tell of ancient feuds between the clans and the murder of … Continue reading

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Almack’s, the Place to See and Be Seen During the Regency

Almack’s history is divided into two parts: one is from the inception to around 1815 and the other from 1815 on. First opening on 12 February 1765 on King Street, St. James’s, Almack’s Assembly Rooms were situated immediately to the east … Continue reading

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Thomas Jefferson, the Signer Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was born on April 13, 1743, at the Shadwell plantation located just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson was born into one of the most prominent families … Continue reading

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Consecration of Westminster Abbey, 28 December 1065

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

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A Precious Piece of English Architecture: Lincoln Cathedral

The Lincoln Cathedral is the third largest English cathedral and one the prime examples of Gothic architecture. It is a sight that can easily steal away one’s breath. Its long nave crowns the hilltop 200 feet above the River Witham, … Continue reading

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Very “Real” Estate: Vicars’ Close, Wells, Somerset, England

The oldest purely residential street in England is known as Vicars’ Close, which is located in Wells, Somerset, England, and dates from the mid 14th Century.  Planned by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, at one time it was 42 separate houses, … Continue reading

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Windows in Jane Austen’s Stories, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

We, Janeites, know that windows are a thing in Jane Austen’s novels. One of Mr Collins’ most memorable scenes in Pride and Prejudice takes place when he and his wife are on the way to visit the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh alongside their visitor, Miss Elizabeth … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, Austen Authors, British history, buildings and structures, Emma, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, reading habits, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Windows in Jane Austen’s Stories, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

That’s Right, It’s a Post about Privies, a Guest Post from Sophia Turner

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on 6 July 2018. It’s much more fun to view the Regency era through rose-colored historical glasses, focusing on the flattering empire-waisted dresses, pretty bonnets, beautiful countryside, well-stocked elegant country house libraries, and … Continue reading

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The Village of Ewelme and Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk

In the wooded village of Ewelme in Oxfordshire, we discover an elaborate church monument incorporating a cadaver tomb at St Mary’s Church. An alabaster tomb, remaining essentially undamaged by time, is the resting place of Alice Chaucer, granddaughter of Geoffrey … Continue reading

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