Category Archives: Georgian Era

Georgian Architecture: University of London, a Metropolitan, Nonsectarian University

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

  In 1820, the Scottish poet, Thomas Campbell, put forth the idea of a metropolitan, nonsectarian university. With others he launched a movement in 1825 to found the University of London, for students excluded from Oxford or Cambridge by religious tests … Continue reading →

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Life Below Stairs, Part 3 ~ The Male Servant

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

The English aristocrat often lived beyond his means. Maintaining country houses (often several of them) and a large Georgian town house in Mayfair took its toll on his purse strings. In addition to owning the property, Society forced him to … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, tradtions, Victorian era | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs, Part II – Rules of Engagement

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

Previously, we looked at what a servant in an upper house, or even in a second-class household, of the late Regency Period or early Victorian times, might encounter. We spoke of wages, delineation of duties, and additional compensation. Today, we … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | 9 Comments

Life Below Stairs, Part I: Obligations and Compensation

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Regina Jeffers

With the popularity of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downtown Abbey, the populace has become more aware of the British servant class. So what do we know of those who lived “below stairs”? First, rank and precedence ruled those of the servant … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, legends, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | 9 Comments

James Lind and the Prevention of Scurvy

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

James Lind was a Scottish doctor, who studied scurvy first hand. Born in Edinburgh in 1716, Lind became an apprentice at Edinburgh’s College of Surgeons at the age of 15. At 23, he accepted the post of surgeon’s mate and … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, medicine, real life tales | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

James Figg, Father of Modern Day Boxing

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Born into a poor farming family, James Figg is considered the father of Modern Day Boxing. The youngest of seven children, Figg grew up in Thames Village, Oxfordshire. He had achieved renown as a master of the short sword and … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the UK, real life tales | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Jack Sheppard, Extraordinary Escape Artist, but Mediocre Thief

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Jack Sheppard, Extraordinary Thief A favorite figure in verse, plays, and burlesque, John Sheppard was an 18th Century English thief. Born in Stepney on 4 March 1702, Sheppard spent several years (from the age of six) in the workhouse in … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the UK, real life tales | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Eccentrics of the Georgian Era: Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Eccentrics of the Georgian Period: Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore For today, we’ll take an look at another of the Prince Regent’s inner circle, a man known by one and all as “Hellgate,” Richard Barry, 7th Earl of Barrymore. Fast … Continue reading →

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The Concept of a “Marriage of Convenience” as a Plot Line in Jane Austen’s Novels

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

What hope was there for the dowerless daughters of the middle class during Jane Austen’s lifetime? Such is a topic Austen explored repeatedly in her novels. Elizabeth and Jane Bennet sought men of a like mind. The Dashwood sisters found … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, George IV, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Concept of a “Marriage of Convenience” as a Plot Line in Jane Austen’s Novels

England Thrives Under George III

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

England Changes Under George III’s Reign In 1762, the year George III and his wife Queen Charlotte gave the English people the first heir born to a ruling monarch since the “Old Pretender,” James II’s son (1688), Britain was on … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, George IV, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Napoleonic Wars, real life tales, War of 1812 | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments