Category Archives: Living in the UK

Catholic Peers in Georgian England

 Over the centuries, the English people saw first Catholicism in favor, which was replaced by Protestantism, to be replaced by Catholicism again, and finally a return to Protestantism. The reigns of Henry VIII and his children brought a time of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, family, George IV, Georgian England, history, Living in the UK, real life tales, royalty, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Catholic Peers in Georgian England

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Esq. (Esquire). . . Correct or Not?

According to etymonline.com, the work “Esquire” is a noun. It came to use “in the late 14C., from Middle French esquier “squire,” literally “shield-bearer” (for a knight), from Old French escuier “shield-bearer (attendant young man in training to be a knight), groom” (Modern French écuyer), … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, titles of aristocracy, word play | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jacob Rey (aka John King), a Jewish Money Lender in George III’s England

In A Touch of Love, book 6 in my highly popular Realm series, I  ventured into territory many Regency era writers avoid: the question of religious practices during the Regency. Georgette Heyer’s portrayal of Jews during the reign of George III … Continue reading

Posted in British history, business, Georgian England, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Educating England: The Importance of Sunday Schools, a Guest Post from Elaine Owen

This post first appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on July 30, 2020. Enjoy! In England during the 18th and 19th centuries there was no such thing as universal education for children. The government had no formal program for making sure the … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Industrial Revolution, Living in the UK, real life tales, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Real Life Influences Upon Jane Austen’s Novels

As authors of historical fiction, we take great pleasure in a research “tidbit,” which introduces our fictional characters to historical figures. I, for example, have introduced John Loudon McAdam, the father of the modern road, to the readers of A Touch of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Real Life Influences Upon Jane Austen’s Novels

Body Snatchers, Part II – the Release of “The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy”

On Friday, we looked at Resurrectionists. Today, we will make a slight distinction with Body Snatchers.  Like what resurrectionists did, body snatching is the secret removal of a corpse from its burial site. As was explained in Friday’s piece the … Continue reading

Posted in book release, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medicine, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Body Snatchers, Part II – the Release of “The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy”

Mudeford, an English Spa Favored by King George III + an Excerpt from “The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy”

With the onset of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the idea of a European Grand Tour for English aristocratic class lost its appeal. Instead, English men and women turned their sights on popular British destinations, such as Brighton, … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, books, British history, buildings and structures, Dorset, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, kings and queens, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medicine, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, romance, royalty, spooky tales, suspense | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Smugglers in Kent, UK, a Plot Device for “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

In my latest Austen-inspired story, Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary, smugglers in Kent were mentioned several times. Yet, what do we know of these smugglers? Daniel Defoe wrote a poem about smugglers in Deal, Kent, who turned the … Continue reading

Posted in book release, British history, British Navy, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, real life tales, Regency era, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Smugglers in Kent, UK, a Plot Device for “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

Exercise Tiger, a Tragic Rehearsal for D-Day

Most of us know something of D-Day. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the … Continue reading

Posted in American History, British history, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, military, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Deadman’s Island, Setting as Character in “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

Deadman’s Island, located at the mouth of The Swale, opposite the town of Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, off the north Kent coast, plays a major role in my new JAFF story, entitled Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, book release, British history, eBooks, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, suspense, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments