Category Archives: Living in the Regency

Could Longbourn Be Lost to Mortgage Debt? + the Release of “Amending the Shades of Pemberley” + a Giveaway

Only registered debts like mortgages and those on which the stamps and fees had been paid were legally enforceable. The law of the time said an heir was only liable for debts to the sum of the assets he inherited. Most mortgages could be continued, just by paying the interest. Continue reading

Posted in aristocracy, book excerpts, book release, British history, eBooks, estates, finance, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, history, Inheritance, Jane Austen, laws of the land, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Origin of “Humpty Dumpty” + the Release of “Amending the Shades of Pemberley” + a Giveaway

The most common version is Humpty Dumpty is a representation of King Richard III of England, who was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The “egg” shape refers to King Richard supposedly being a “humpback,” as is portrayed in Shakespeare’s play. “Shakespeare called Richard III a ‘hunchback’, which means that he was hunching forward while walking. Richard III’s skeleton actually shows a sideways displacement of the spine, a heavy scoliosis, which made the king walk obliquely. So there is a certain match between the two: something unusual about the body.” (British Council) The “wall” falling is the loss of his reign as king. The king’s horses and men are the army who failed to defeat their enemy Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, music, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Playing Cards in Jane Austen’s England, Pleasant Pastime, as Well as Gambling + an Excerpt from “The Jewel Thief and the Earl”

A recent question from a reader asked of card playing at balls and gaming hells: I know many books mention card playing going on in designated rooms at balls, but I haven’t heard what they were playing? Would they be … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, quotes, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Sense & Sensibility, Whigs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Playing Cards in Jane Austen’s England, Pleasant Pastime, as Well as Gambling + an Excerpt from “The Jewel Thief and the Earl”

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

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

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

Lease and Release as a Plot Point in “Where There’s a FitzWILLiam Darcy, There’s a Way”

For Lease and Release to work, two agreements were required. First, a bargain (sale) contract was executed by the seller to convey a lease on the land… (Unlike an outright sale, short leases did not require enrollment in a public registry.) The seller then separately executed a release to grant to the buyer (who was now his tenant) the seller’s remaining interest. [This transfers] title to the buyer, since he now owned both the current and future interests in the land. [“A Bit of Deed History,” Bob’s Genealogy Filing Cabinet]  Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, estates, family, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Inheritance, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Historical Aspects of the Word “Cuckold”

I recently received a question on a sensitive subject. Question: I have a question about cuckolding during the late Georgian era. I know for the most part that a woman who was brazen about her affairs could/would suffer public censure … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Living in the Regency, quotes, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Historical Aspects of the Word “Cuckold”

Happy Sixth Book Birthday to “A Dance With Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

This novel came to me when I admit to being quite depressed. I wrote it over the 2016 Christmas holidays, and we all know how those can sometimes catch us off guard. I am customarily sad over the Thanksgiving break … Continue reading

Posted in book release, George Wickham, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency romance, Vagary | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Regency Etiquette for Men and Women

I have never found an etiquette book publish during the Regency. The book named Regency Etiquette is not an etiquette book as we might think of it. The closest I once came was an etiquette book published in 1827. The … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, dancing, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, marriage customs, peerage, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency romance, research, romance, tradtions, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Admiral Croft’s Gout in Austen’s “Persuasion” and How to Cure It…

In Chapter 18 of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Mary Musgrove writes to her sister Anne Elliot of their father’s tenants, the Crofts. “I have this moment heard that the Crofts are going to Bath almost immediately: they think the Admiral gouty.” Continue reading

Posted in Austen actors, food and drink, Georgian England, herbs, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, medicine, Persuasion | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments