Category Archives: marriage customs

Celebrating the Release of “A Regency Christmas Together” Anthology + a Giveaway

Posted on November 2, 2020 by

I have again joined forces with several authors for another Christmas-themed anthology. This one is entitled A Regency Christmas Together. The idea behind it is the hero and heroine are “trapped” together at Christmas. The “trapping” could be anything from … Continue reading →

Posted in anthology, book excerpts, book release, Christmas, Dreamstone Publishing, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, heroines, historical fiction, holidays, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, peerage, publishing, reading, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Female Inheritance Laws + an Excerpt from MR. DARCY’S BRIDEs

Posted on October 26, 2020 by

Under English law, women were subordinate to their husbands. It was expected that she was under the “protection and influence of her husband, her baron, or lord.” The law stated the old adage of “two shall become one.” She was … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, book release, estates, excerpt, giveaway, Inheritance, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, primogenture, publishing, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

A Crisis of Conflict Reflected in Austen’s Novels

Posted on October 19, 2020 by

In the book, The Origins of the English Novel, 1600-1740, Michael McKeon purports the idea that the “new” novel form emerging in the mid 1700s displays a Progressive Ideology and the Transvaluation of Honor (150-151). He states, “Evidence on many … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen actors, book excerpts, British history, excerpt, film, film adaptations, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, Northanger Abbey, reading habits, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Fleet Prison Marriages of the 1700s

Posted on September 23, 2020 by

Marriage ceremonies associated with the Fleet Prison is London were many in the mid to late 1700s. It is estimated that in the 1740s over half of London’s marriage ceremonies took place in “marriage shops” surrounding the Fleet Prison. By … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, real life tales, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The “Comedy” Found in Jane Austen’s Novels

Posted on May 13, 2020 by

According to Literary Devices, “Comedy is a literary genre and a type of dramatic work that is amusing and satirical in its tone, mostly having a cheerful ending. The motif   of this dramatic work is triumph over unpleasant circumstance by creating comic … Continue reading →

Posted in books, British history, Georgian England, historical fiction, Inheritance, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, Persuasion, political stance, primogenture, publishing, reading habits, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

The “Churching” of Women After Childbirth

Posted on May 6, 2020 by

 Although it has largely fallen out of favor with Western religion, the concept of “churching” in the Church of England can be traced well into the 20th Century. (Margaret Houlbrooke. Rite out of Time: a Study of the Ancient Rite of … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, England, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, marriage, marriage customs, medicine, religion, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , ,

Proxy Marriages: Valid or Invalid?

Posted on April 22, 2020 by

Upon occasion I have come across a plot line in a Regency historical novel where the couple is married by proxy. Unfortunately, such a marriage was not valid. Today’s interpretation of a marriage by proxy tells us that it is … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the UK, marriage, marriage customs | Tagged , , , , , , ,

What Did It Mean to Be a “Gentleman” in Jane Austen’s England?

Posted on March 16, 2020 by

The word “genteel” is an adjective, meaning polite, refined, or respectable, often in an affected or ostentatious way. Its roots can be found in the late 16th century (in the sense ‘fashionable, stylish’): from French gentil ‘well-born’. From the 17th century … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, customs and tradiitons, film adaptations, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , ,

Sadie Hawkins’ Day, not a Leap Year Event + a Giveaway

Posted on February 24, 2020 by

(Image from Sadie Hawkins’ cards at http://www.postcards.org) When I was a teen girl, I enjoyed the school sponsored Sadie Hawkins’ dances. We didn’t exactly go for the girl asking the boy to the dance (like a date). But we did follow … Continue reading →

Posted in America, American History, Appalachia, Austen Authors, customs and tradiitons, dancing, film, giveaway, history, holidays, legends and myths, marriage, marriage customs, Pop Culture, romance, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Was an Annulment Possible in the Regency? + Release of “A Dance with Mr. Darcy” + Giveaway

Posted on February 3, 2020 by

 One of the “what ifs” in my latest Pride and Prejudice vagary, A Dance with Mr. Darcy, revolves around Lydia’s marriage to Mr. Wickham. What if the marriage could be voided? What would it entail to break her bond to … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments