Category Archives: British history

Origin of “Rub-a-dub-dub” Nursery Rhyme

As part of my writing of “The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin,” I completed research on “Rub-A-Dub-Dub,” an English language nursery rhyme first published at the end of the eighteenth century. The nursery rhyme plays out as part of the … Continue reading

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Maria Fagniani, Marchioness of Hertford and Regency Era Eccentric

The mistresses of the Prince Regent and his brothers were as well known. The Duke of Clarence, for example, sired ten children with Mrs Jordan, and the Duke of York’s relationship with Mary Anne Clarke caused a major scandal over … Continue reading

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Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt, British Radical of the Industrial Age

Henry “Orator” Hunt (6 November 1773–15 February 1835) was a British radical speaker and agitator, who advocated parliamentary reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws. Because of his rousing speeches at mass meetings held in Spa Fields in London … Continue reading

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“Going Courting” Regency Style

“Going Courtin’” in the Regency Era Society during the Regency era expected strict propriety from its young people. Sometimes the rules were strict and unreasonable, but somehow the youth of Jane Austen’s time managed to come together. Young men of … Continue reading

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The Face of Jack the Ripper Revealed

The Face of Jack the Ripper Last Monday (September 8), I included a post on The Brutality of Jack the Ripper. This is one of my favorite sources on the crime. In 2006, BBC News brought us a look at … Continue reading

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England Thrives Under George III

England Changes Under George III’s Reign In 1762, the year George III and his wife Queen Charlotte gave the English people the first heir born to a ruling monarch since the “Old Pretender,” James II’s son (1688), Britain was on … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, George IV, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Napoleonic Wars, real life tales, War of 1812 | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Growing Up Female During the Regency and Victorian Eras

Regency and Victorian Eras: Growing Up Female in the Country Young girls had little control over their lives during the Regency and Victorian eras. Their lives were strictly regulated by nurses and governesses. The girls were expected to practice correct … Continue reading

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The Brutality of Jack the Ripper

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a BIG Matthew Macfadyen fan, and so I was very pleased with Season 3 of “Ripper Street” was picked up. The show is a gritty, in-your-face depiction of crime in the Victorian period. … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the UK, mystery, real life tales, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Governess: Qualified to Teach the Usual Branches of a Good English Education

A governess’s job was to teach the children of middle and upper class households in 19th Century England. By 1850, there were 21,000 governesses registered in England. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, our heroine places the following advertisement, which eventually … Continue reading

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Oh, Give Me Land, Lots of Land (or) the 19th Century Entail

Oh, Give Me Land Lots of Land (or) the 19th Century Entail As it had been for centuries, a man’s status in 19th Century British Society rested in the land he held. Land was a symbol of wealth and social … Continue reading

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