Category Archives: British history

Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

  This article first appeared on the Dark Jane Austen Book Club Website on March 11, 2013.  The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Scotland, spooky tales, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

Princess Helena Augustus Victoria of the United Kingdom

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Queen Victoria gave birth to her third daughter, and fifth child, Princess Helena Augusta Victoria on 25, May 1846, one day after the queen’s twenty-seventh birthday. Named in honor of Princess Hélène of Orléans, Helena’s godmother. (Princess Hélène of Orléans was … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, family, Great Britain, history, marriage, royalty, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“X” Does Not Always Mark the Spot

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Recently, I spent a delightful morning counting words in Pride and Prejudice. Why? You may ask: Regina, do you not have enough to do with your retirement years than to sit around counting how many times Jane Austen used the word … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, writing | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

John Skelton (1460 – 1529), Tudor Poet

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

The Poetry Foundation tells us something of John Skelton. “No one can deny the power, endurance, and memorable lines of the work of John Skelton; he is indisputably the first major Tudor poet, writing during the reigns of Edward IV, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Chaucer, history, poetry, Tudor | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on John Skelton (1460 – 1529), Tudor Poet

Queen Victoria’s Growing Family and the Need for a Better Environment for the Royal Children

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Princess Alice Maud Mary, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, arrived at Buckingham Palace 25 April 1843. Reportedly, the queen knew the severity of her labor, but the delivery itself was quite short, only … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, family, George IV, Great Britain, Industrial Revolution, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

19th Century Childbirth Before and After Princess Charlotte’s Death

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

(This post originally appeared on Geri Walton’s Unique Histories of the 18th and 19th Century blog.)  I am writing a new Regency era novel in which a forceps birth is required. To write the scene and the ramifications of the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medicine, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eliza de Feuillide, Jane Austen’s Saucy Cousin and Sister in Marriage

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

What do we know of Jane Austen’s cousin, Eliza de Feuillide, other than the fact she became Henry Austen’s wife? Austen’s sister in marriage was born in Calcutta, India, on 22 December 1761 to her British parents, Philadelphia Austen (sister … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, family, fashion, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, Regency era, Regency personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Meet Author Barbara Gaskell Denvil, Parachuting into Escapism with the Release of “Fair Weather”

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Today I welcome one of dear “internet” friends, Barbara Gaskell Denvil, who has an exciting new release. Barbara agree to a short interview so we could all learn more of her and LEARN you will. She is absolutely fascinating.  First, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Normans, book release, books, British history, castles, Guest Blog, Guest Post, historical fiction, history, interview, legacy, legends, mystery, reading habits, suspense, witchcraft acts | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Overview: Life and Literature in the Era of the Reformation

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

In Academics, the Reformation saw a revival of the study of Greek and Latin writings, as well as a love of beauty. “Humanism” became the newborn ideal, one that advocated individualism, an ideal which gave a tremendous impetus to literature … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, literature, Living in the UK, poetry, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Overview: Life and Literature in the Era of the Reformation

Guano, “Fertile Fortune” of the 19th Century

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Living in one of the Southern states in the U.S., the season when I do not “fight” the battle of bird droppings on my Buick Lacrosse does not exist. It is a fact of life that I pay for the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, commerce, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, Vagary, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Guano, “Fertile Fortune” of the 19th Century