Category Archives: British history

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 rank. Therefore, the need to pass one’s “wealth” to future generations increased … Continue reading

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The Face of Jack the Ripper

On Friday, I included a post on The Brutality of Jack the Ripper. This is one of favorite sources on the crime. In 2006, BBC News brought us a look at “Jack the Ripper” by using modern day profiling techniques. … 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. So, needless to say, I am anticipating the premiere of “Ripper Street” on BBC America on January 19 at 9 P.M. And yes, I do realize “‘Ripper Street’ is … Continue reading

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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 moral and social standards. Responsibilities to family and name were … Continue reading

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“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 the time were often older than … Continue reading

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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 lands … Continue reading

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Oh, the Places You Will Go (Part 2)…the Settings for Jane Austen’s Novel

Sense and Sensibility Norland Park in Sussex – the Dashwood’s family estate Barton Park in Devonshire – home of Sir John Middleton Barton Cottage in Devonshire – home of the Dashwood women Delaford in Devonshire – home of Colonel Brandon … Continue reading

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Courtship During the Regency Period

Expectations placed on young people of the aristocracy and the gentry were quite high. A young man was “expected” to make a match that would bring wealth or position to his family name. First, a gentleman was often several years … Continue reading

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The Massacre at St. Peter’s Field

The events at Peterloo play a pivotal point in my February release of His. Peterloo brings my heroine and hero together in the second of the two novellas, “His Irish Eve,” which make up this new anthology. On August 16, … Continue reading

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Poison, Passion, and Politics

The German scholar, Albertus Magnus, is generally credited with the discovery of arsenic in or about 1250. All sorts of poisons have been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks had a fondness for water … Continue reading

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