Category Archives: gothic and paranormal

The Magnificent Cheshire Cathedral

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly St Werburgh’s abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is dedicated to Christ and the … Continue reading →

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Eccentrics of the Regency Series: Scrope Berdmore Davies

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

In 1976, the New York Daily News reported a story of an unusual find in the Barclay Bank’s vaults. Scrope Davies’s leather trunk was identified, and as Davies being a close associate of both Byron and Shelley, the news was … Continue reading →

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Writing “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

This interview originally was posted to The Dark Jane Austen Book Club website on March 18, 2013. My novel “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy” is their book read for March. When did you begin with your Pride and Prejudice books? … Continue reading →

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Characteristic of the Gothic in My Austen-Inspired Novels

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

First, those who read Gothic novels know that Horace Walpole started the phenomenon with his The Castle of Otranto way back in 1764. We define a Gothic novel based on the characteristics we find in Walpole’s work. With the March release of … Continue reading →

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Plough Monday and Molly Dancing: British Traditions

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The Oxford Dictionary of English Folk Lore describes a plough jag as, “One of the three main types of mumming play, found only in the East Midlands, and first reported in the 1820s. Performances were concentrated on Plough Monday,  but could … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Would You Recognize a Hunky Punk?

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

“Hunky Punk” is a West Country (UK) word for grotesque carvings on the side of English buildings, especially churches. The word originated in Somerset and is ascribed to the Old English word “hunkers,” which means haunches and “punchy,” which means … Continue reading →

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Pride 47, Prejudice 5

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

  Pride and Prejudice was originally entitled First Impressions, which is a much better title when one considers how Jane Austen bombards her readers with the theme of “impressions”: first, flawed, and founded. However, that is material for a future post. What … Continue reading →

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The Face of Jack the Ripper

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

On Friday, I included a post on The Brutality of Jack the Ripper. This is one of favorite sources on the crime. In 2006, BBC News brought us a look at “Jack the Ripper” by using modern day profiling techniques. … Continue reading →

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The Brutality of Jack the Ripper

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a BIG Matthew Macfadyen fan. So, needless to say, I am anticipating the premiere of “Ripper Street” on BBC America on January 19 at 9 P.M. And yes, I do realize “‘Ripper Street’ is … Continue reading →

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Poison, Passion, and Politics

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The German scholar, Albertus Magnus, is generally credited with the discovery of arsenic in or about 1250. All sorts of poisons have been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks had a fondness for water … Continue reading →

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