Category Archives: history

Have You Ever Heard of a “Bachelor Tax”?

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

In the late 1600s (1695, to be more exact), the English parliament passed The Marriage Duty Act or Registration Tax, which imposed a tax on births, marriages, burials, childless widowers, and bachelors over the age of 25. The tax’s purpose was to rase revenue for the war with France. It was also to ensure proper records were kept by an Anglican church officials. The tax was found ineffective and abolished by 1706.  Continue reading →

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When Might the Heir Style Himself With His New Title in Regency Romances?

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

First, for legal purposes, the man must present himself to the House of Lords to claim the title officially. After the will has been read and its stipulations executed, the new peer must petition the Lord Chancellor for a writ … Continue reading →

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Kilts and Tartans and the Wearing of the Plaid (as we say in the U.S.)

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

The idea of identification of one tartan to a clan is fairly recent in a historical perspective.  Those of us who write Regency era based stories have a more difficult time than others historical periods to discover an actual clan name and its supporting colors. Most of the tartans identified to a clan came about in Victorian times, so just had to be careful. They were created by tailors during that time period. Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, fashion, film, Georgian England, history, Living in the Regency, medieval, military, Regency era, research, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Post Office Annual Directory of 1814, Great Resource Find

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Earlier in March, my sweet granddaughter (the youngest, who is barely age 6) decided she wanted to mail me a picture she had colored. First, please understand, we live a little over 6 miles apart. Anyway, without the knowledge of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, British history, business, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Caroline Norton, a True Case of a Competency Hearing

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Caroline Norton, born Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan, on 22 March 1808, in London (died 15 June 1877, London), was an English poet and novelist whose matrimonial difficulties prompted successful efforts to secure legal protection for married women. Continue reading →

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A Young Lady’s “Come Out” in Regency Society

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Recently, I received this question from an author/reader: Can you tell me if a young lady could have her debut ball at age 17 or 18, instead of the age 16 we customary read in Regency romance? Would a death … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, heroines, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, Pride and Prejudice, reading, Regency era, Regency romance, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Young Lady’s “Come Out” in Regency Society

Entails and Common Recovery

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

As always happens, I received a number of questions on Wednesday’s post on A Debt-Ridden Inheritance about the legality of all this. Back in feudal times, land was given from lord to tenant in exchange for services. This “service” could … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, estates, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Inheritance, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medieval, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Entails and Common Recovery

Controlling a Carriage During the Regency

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

“In Jane Austin’s Northanger Abbey, Mr. Thorpe enthuses over his new carriage, boasting, “Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case, splashing-board, lamps, silver moulding, all you see complete; the iron work as good as new or better” — and all for … Continue reading →

Posted in Always Austen, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Northanger Abbey, Regency era, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Color My World With . . .

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

I received another question recently from a follower of this blog regarding the use of color in the Regency era. The question dealt with the idea of young women in the Regency making their society debuts in white gowns and … Continue reading →

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Cavalry Trumpet/Bugle Calls in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Recently, I had an author friend seeking information on cavalry trumpets calls, for she was writing a battle scene. The hero of her tale is in the mounted infantry, and he is on the American front during the War of … Continue reading →

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