Category Archives: British history

Living in Regency England – Heating the House

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

From the Georgian Period forward, the majority of the London townhouses were heated by coal rather than wood. Thus, members of Society and visitors to the City “enjoyed” the ever-preent film of coal dust in the air. In the late … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Eccentrics of the Regency Period Series: Charles Stanhope, Lord Petersham

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Eccentricity was not social suicide during the Regency, as long as Society’s pundits had given their approval. Occasionally, eccentricity was considered quite fashionable. During the Regency, Lord Petersham was as popular as Beau Brummell, but we know little of him … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

To Horse! Regency Side Saddles

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

I recently wrote a scene for Book 5 of my “Realm” series, A Touch of Mercy, in which the heroine must ride side saddle and be unseated from the ride. Therefore, I spent a good deal of time checking other … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Industry News/Publishing, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Plough Monday and Molly Dancing: British Traditions

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The Oxford Dictionary of English Folk Lore describes a plough jag as, “One of the three main types of mumming play, found only in the East Midlands, and first reported in the 1820s. Performances were concentrated on Plough Monday,  but could … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Would You Recognize a Hunky Punk?

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

“Hunky Punk” is a West Country (UK) word for grotesque carvings on the side of English buildings, especially churches. The word originated in Somerset and is ascribed to the Old English word “hunkers,” which means haunches and “punchy,” which means … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, real life tales | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Do You Speak Jane Austen? (Part 3)

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The last third of the alphabet was a bit of a challenge. The letters “x” and “z” were less than cooperative. I searched Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Parkfor the letters, but was, generally, unsuccessful. “X” was impossible to … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Jane Austen and Feminism

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

In 1968, the Women’s Liberation Movement staged a demonstration at the annual Miss America Beauty pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They protested the idea that the most important thing about a woman is how she looks. Women’s liberation attacked … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Do You Speak Jane Austen? (Part 2)

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

  Do You Speak Jane Austen? Part 2 A laugh, a fist pounding on a desk top, a raised eyebrow – these are all signals to punctuation of the spoken word, but what of the written word? We start with … Continue reading →

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Do Your Speak Jane Austen? (Part 1)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Part I: Do You Speak Jane Austen? When my son was about three years of age, he shocked several onlookers at the mall by saying, “I have a splendid idea, if you would acquiesce.” You see, his mother is an … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era, writing | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Jane Austen and the Concept of Accepting a Marriage of Convenience

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Settling for the Compromise Marriage What hope was there for the dowerless daughters of the middle class during Jane Austen’s lifetime? Such is a topic Austen explored repeatedly in her novels. Elizabeth and Jane Bennet sought men of a like … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments