Category Archives: history

Gavelkind, Inheritance in Opposition to Primogeniture

In the past on Every Woman Dreams, I discussed the 19th Century Entail and the legalities of primogeniture during the Regency period.  Today, I am adding the exceptions to the practice of the eldest son inheriting everything. Customs throughout the world vary. … Continue reading

Posted in Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Saxons, Black Opal Books, book excerpts, book release, estates, excerpt, Georgian England, historical fiction, history, Inheritance, Living in the Regency, primogenture, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Simple Overview of the English Courts During the Regency Period

One of the surprising things upon which many readers of the courtroom scene in The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin commented was the lack of a “defense attorney” for the accused. A prosecutor served the British courts, but the accused … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey ~ Tudor Poet

Born in Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, in 1517, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was the eldest of Thomas Howard and Lady Elizabeth Stafford’s children. Surrey was of royal descent on both the paternal and the maternal sides of his family. He received an … Continue reading

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Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

  This article first appeared on the Dark Jane Austen Book Club Website on March 11, 2013.  The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Scotland, spooky tales, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

Princess Helena Augustus Victoria of the United Kingdom

Queen Victoria gave birth to her third daughter, and fifth child, Princess Helena Augusta Victoria on 25, May 1846, one day after the queen’s twenty-seventh birthday. Named in honor of Princess Hélène of Orléans, Helena’s godmother. (Princess Hélène of Orléans was … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, Great Britain, history, marriage, royalty, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sir Thomas Wyatt (c. 1503 – 1542), 16th C English Ambassador and Lyrical Poet

Born to Henry and Anne Wyatt at Allington Castle, near Maidstone, Kent, in 1503, Thomas Wyatt made his first appearance at the royal court in 1516 as Sewer Extraordinary to Henry VIII.  In 1516 he also entered St. John’s College, … Continue reading

Posted in Great Britain, history, marriage, poetry, real life tales, romantic verse, Tudor | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do You Know The Origin of These Words and Phrases?

Three Sheets to the Wind – Urban Dictionary defines this phrase to mean “to be explicitly drunk; inebriated.” The origin is likely found in practicality: Sheets actually refer to the ropes that are used to secure a ship’s sail. If the … Continue reading

Posted in Age of Chaucer, Canterbury tales, etymology, history, Jane Austen, real life tales, tall tales, word origins, word play, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

John Skelton (1460 – 1529), Tudor Poet

The Poetry Foundation tells us something of John Skelton. “No one can deny the power, endurance, and memorable lines of the work of John Skelton; he is indisputably the first major Tudor poet, writing during the reigns of Edward IV, … Continue reading

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19th Century Childbirth Before and After Princess Charlotte’s Death

(This post originally appeared on Geri Walton’s Unique Histories of the 18th and 19th Century blog.)  I am writing a new Regency era novel in which a forceps birth is required. To write the scene and the ramifications of the … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medicine, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments