Category Archives: British history

Plot Point: Agrarian Societies in Ireland, and the Release of “Lady Chandler’s Sister: Book 3 of the Twins’ Trilogy”

Who was Captain Rock? First, let’s begin with a quick overview, simply to set some parameters. “Captain Rock was a mythical Irish folk hero, and the name used for the agrarian rebel group he represented in the south-west of Ireland from 1821 … Continue reading

Posted in book release, British history, eBooks, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, Ireland, Living in the UK, political stance, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Plot Point: Agrarian Societies in Ireland, and the Release of “Lady Chandler’s Sister: Book 3 of the Twins’ Trilogy”

1794: Ratcliffe on Fire and an Act of “Charity”

In 1794, a fire in East London’s Ratcliffe district of London proved to be the largest to occur between the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of 1940. The Ratcliffe Highway Murders served as a model for my highly acclaimed … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Letters and Diaries of Henrietta Liston, a Regency Lady with an Extraordinary Life, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on November 3, 2018. Enjoy!) I recently had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Jane Austen Society of the United Kingdom – Scottish Branch, featuring a fascinating talk by … Continue reading

Posted in American History, Austen Authors, British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, marriage, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Letters and Diaries of Henrietta Liston, a Regency Lady with an Extraordinary Life, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Victoria, Princess Royal, Becomes a Mother

Previously, we spoke of the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick of Prussia, later Frederick III, German Emperor and King of Prussia. View that article HERE. The princess was only 17 when she married “Fritz,” and she was … Continue reading

Posted in acting, British history, Great Britain, Living in the UK, marriage, medieval, royalty, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Gretna Green: Secret Engagements, Elopements and the World’s Most Famous Anvil, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 1, 2017. Enjoy!)                   After many years in my “to visit” list, I finally had the chance to make it to … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Gretna Green, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, legends, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Gretna Green: Secret Engagements, Elopements and the World’s Most Famous Anvil, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Pre-Elizabethan Drama: Morality Plays

Previously, I did a piece on Liturgical Drama. Today I would like to look at Moralities. As compared to the Miracle or Liturgical dramas, the morality play was one where the playwright had to come up with an original story … Continue reading

Posted in acting, Age of Chaucer, Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Saxons, British history, drama, medieval, playwrights, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Pre-Elizabethan Drama: Morality Plays

Testing the Money: The Trial of Pyx

The Trial of Pyx is a near-800 year old ceremony to test Britain’s coinage. The Trial of the Pyx dates as far back as 1249. The Queen’s Remembrancer oversees the ceremony. Until the 19th century this duty was undertaken at the … Continue reading

Posted in British history, commerce, customs and tradiitons, Living in the UK | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Oh, What Tangled Webs We Weave: The Complicated Banbury Peerage Case

In writing historicals set in England in the early 1800s, it is necessary for me to possess more than a working knowledge of primogeniture, which is both the custom and the law of inheritance in practice at that time. In … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Church of England, historical fiction, history, Inheritance, Jane Austen, marriage, primogenture, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Tradition of “Christmas Carols”

Parts of this post were originally featured on Austen Authors, brought to us from Rebecca Jamison. I have added to what she shared and offer more of the history of the Christmas Carols than she did in her original post, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Christmas, music, tradtions | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Exquisite Excerpt from “Christmas at Pemberley”

Preview of Christmas at Pemberley My “Christmas at Pemberley” has won several awards as an inspirational romance. It is an Austen-inspired piece. The sequel is a cozy mystery, entitled The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy. The third book in the series is … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, British history, excerpt, holidays, Jane Austen, Ulysses Press | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Exquisite Excerpt from “Christmas at Pemberley”