Category Archives: marriage customs

Scottish Marriages and Elopements in the Regency Era

Posted on February 18, 2019 by

Those of us who read and write Regency novels have all heard of elopements to Gretna Green. Harking back to 1754 and the introduction of a new controversial Marriage Act in England, Gretna Green flourished as a haven for runaway … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, eBooks, excerpt, Gretna Green, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gretna Green: Secret Engagements, Elopements and the World’s Most Famous Anvil, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Posted on February 6, 2019 by

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 1, 2017. Enjoy!)                   After many years in my “to visit” list, I finally had the chance to make it to … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Gretna Green, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, legends, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marrying During the Regency

Posted on January 2, 2019 by

For most of Western history, marriage was a private contract between two families. Until the 16th-century, Christian churches accepted the validity of a marriage on the basis of a couple’s declarations. If two people claimed that they had exchanged marital … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Unusual Christmas Customs and the Release of “Lady Joy and the Earl” + a Giveaway

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

Today, I celebrate the release of one of my two Regency Christmas novellas for this holiday season. “Lady Joy and the Earl” does not have the typical hero and heroine found in historical romances, for James Highcliffe, Earl of Hough, … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, holidays, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, publishing, reading, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Tale of Richard Bertie Continues, Part III

Posted on September 26, 2018 by

  Briefly, Richard Bertie (ca. 1517 – 9 April 1582) was an English landowner and religious evangelical. He was the second husband of Catherine Willoughby, 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby and Duchess Dowager of Suffolk. As his wife was a baroness in her … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, England, estates, heraldry, Inheritance, marriage, marriage customs, peerage, primogenture, research, titles of aristocracy | Tagged , , , , , , ,

A Marriage of Convenience as a Plot Point in Jane Austen’s Novels

Posted on August 13, 2018 by

What hope was there for the dowerless daughters of the middle class during Jane Austen’s lifetime? Such is a topic Austen explored repeatedly in her novels. Elizabeth and Jane Bennet sought men of a like mind. The Dashwood sisters found … Continue reading →

Posted in customs and tradiitons, dancing, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, marriage customs, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Closer Look at MR. DARCY’S BRIDEs: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Posted on August 3, 2018 by

In my book, MR. DARCY’s BRIDEs, by mistake Elizabeth disrupts Mr. Darcy’s marriage to his cousin, Anne De Bourgh. Our daring heroine is in disguise (NOTE: I drape her with a heavy veil attached to her bonnet, which would not … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, Church of England, eBooks, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, Scotland, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments