Category Archives: England

“Bell, Book, and Candle” and Excommunication During the Georgian Era

In the Roman Catholic church, “bell, book, and candle” came to be synonymous with “major excommunication,” or “anathema.” The phrase dates back to the 9th Century and has symbolic meaning. The “bell” came to mean the public character of the … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Regency era, religion, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Smuggling as a Plot Point in My Latest Release, “Lady Chandler’s Sister, Book 3 of the Twins’s Trilogy” + a Giveaway

 One of the “cottage” industries of the late 1700s and early 1800s in England and Scotland was smuggling. This was not just a single individual stealing a keg or two and then selling it to his neighbors; these were operations … Continue reading

Posted in Black Opal Books, book excerpts, book release, British history, eBooks, England, excerpt, food and drink, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Great Britain, historical fiction, Living in the Regency, political stance, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Scotland, tea | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Roderick Maclean’s Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

The last of the attempts on Queen Victoria’s life came on March 2, 1882. Unlike the previous attempts, this one was dangerous because by that date, weapons were well beyond the single shot volley stage. Roderick Maclean’s gun held six … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, England, history, kings and queens, research, royalty, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Roderick Maclean’s Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

Albert Young’s Threat Toward and Arthur O’Connor’s Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

It was twenty-two years after Robert Pate’s ill-fated attempt to kill Queen Victoria before another attempt was made against her. According to Raymond Lamont-Brown in How Fat Was Henry VIII (The History Press, 2009, page 149) Albert Young’s threat against … Continue reading

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William Hamilton, an Irishman’s Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

  Thursday, 19 May 1849, William Hamilton, a 22-years-old, orphaned, unemployed Irish bricklayer, fired a pistol at the Queen Victoria, as she drove, yet again, down Constitution hill toward Buckingham Palace. This was shortly after the birth of her seventh child. … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, Great Britain, history, political stance, real life tales, research, royalty, Victorian era, weaponry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Tale of Richard Bertie Continues, Part III

  Briefly, Richard Bertie (ca. 1517 – 9 April 1582) was an English landowner and religious evangelical. He was the second husband of Catherine Willoughby, 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby and Duchess Dowager of Suffolk. As his wife was a baroness in her … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, estates, heraldry, Inheritance, marriage, marriage customs, peerage, primogenture, research, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Tale of Richard Bertie Continues, Part III

Wilkin & Sons, Jam Making Extraordinaire

Arthur Charles Wilkin took over his family farm, located in Tiptree, Essex, England,  in his late 20s. The family had owned the farm since the early 1700s. Arthur had a vision for the farm, which was not producing as well … Continue reading

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The Arts of Fencing and Dueling, a Guest Post from Rebecca Jamison

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on 9 March 2018.  For the last several months, I have gone to fencing classes with a group of ninth graders. The instructor told us that fencing has changed very little over the … Continue reading

Posted in American History, British history, England, George Wickham, Georgian Era, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, reading, tradtions, weaponry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Arts of Fencing and Dueling, a Guest Post from Rebecca Jamison

The Hidden Key, a Guest Post from Sophie Turner

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on December 22, 2017. Enjoy! It was difficult to write about the public entertainments of Bath and other spa and seaside resorts in my last post without delving into architecture, because so much of … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, Austen Authors, British history, buildings and structures, England, Georgian England, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Hidden Key, a Guest Post from Sophie Turner

Ladies Court Dresses 17th – 20th Centuries, a Guest Post from Gianna Thomas

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on December 25, 2017. Enjoy!!!  A few months back, I did a post on the Peacocks of the 18th and 19th Centuries showing the elaborate embroidery done on the men’s court suits. Am I still … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, England, fashion, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, royalty, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments