Category Archives: customs and tradiitons

Courtship and the Prospect of Marriage in Jane Austen’s Time + the Release of “Mr. Darcy’s Inadvertent Bride” + a Giveaway

When a man of the Regency era proposed to the woman he wished to marry, there was still the need for parental approval. After all, the father could still without any “fortune” allocated to his daughter. Even if the couple … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, George Wickham, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency romance, romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The Polite Way to Pay Social Calls, According to Jane Austen, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Paying and receiving social calls was one of the keystones of social etiquette during the Regency, and as such is a constant in Jane Austen’s novels.  The socially acceptable time for ‘morning calls’ was between breakfast and dinner, so they … Continue reading

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The Strict Social Structure of Jane Austen’s Novels

Overall, the early 19th Century novels were those that expressed society in realistic terms. Austen’s novels, as well as others of her time, immerse the reader in the various levels of society, the social strata, so to speak. Austen does … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, British currency, British history, customs and tradiitons, estates, Georgian England, Inheritance, Jane Austen, literature, Living in the Regency, marriage, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Succession That Led to the Victorian Era

The Encyclopedia Britannica defines the Salic Law of Succession as “the rule by which, in certain sovereign dynasties, persons descended from a previous sovereign only through a woman were excluded from succession to the throne. Gradually formulated in France, the … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, George IV, Georgian, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, political stance, Regency era, Regency personalities, titles of aristocracy, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Death of Princess Charlotte, Signaling the End of the Hanoverian Line of Succession Was on the Horizon

[Image: Engraving of Princess Caroline from La Belle Assemblée (1806)] Much to the surprise and relief of George III’s England, his son George, Prince of Wales, fulfilled his duty by marrying Princess Caroline of Brunswick on 8 April 1795. Although they were … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Elizabethan drama, George IV, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, marriage customs, real life tales, Regency personalities, royalty, tradtions, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Death of Princess Charlotte, Signaling the End of the Hanoverian Line of Succession Was on the Horizon

To Describe the Aristocracy During the Regency, Would One Use the “Ton,” the “Bon Ton” or Something Else?

Le bon ton is a French phrase meaning “the good style” or “good form.” So one could be part of the ton, if one had the style for it, which is why Beau Brummell could be a leader of fashion … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, political stance, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency personalities, titles of aristocracy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on To Describe the Aristocracy During the Regency, Would One Use the “Ton,” the “Bon Ton” or Something Else?

Being a “Gentleman” in Regency England

 In 1583 Sir Thomas Smith wrote: “One who can live idly and without manual labour and will bear the port (deportment) and countenance of a gentleman, he shall be taken for a gentleman.” But what does “being a gentleman” entail? … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, George Wickham, Georgian England, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, Regency era | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Consecration of Westminster Abbey, 28 December 1065

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster is a large Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, situated to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It was a Benedictine monastic church until the monastery was … Continue reading

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, architecture, British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, history, legends and myths, Living in the UK, medieval, real life tales, religion, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Consecration of Westminster Abbey, 28 December 1065

Christmas Romance Month with “Lady Joy and the Earl”

Today, I celebrate one of my favorite Christmas tales,”Lady Joy and the Earl.” It does not have the typical hero and heroine found in historical romances, for James Highcliffe, Earl of Hough, and Lady Jocelyn (Powell) Lathrop are middle aged. … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, holidays, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, publishing, reading, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Primogeniture and Inheritance and the Need for a Widow’s Pension in Jane Austen’s Novels

By Jane Austen’s time, primogeniture was no longer the law of the land, but it remained a strongly entrenched custom of inheritance proceedings. Breaking apart large landholdings were frowned upon. An impoverished aristocracy, whose wealth rested in the agricultural realm, … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, customs and tradiitons, estates, family, Georgian England, Inheritance, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Primogeniture and Inheritance and the Need for a Widow’s Pension in Jane Austen’s Novels