Category Archives: real life tales

Manton’s Shooting Gallery and the Man Who Changed Weaponry During the Regency

Joseph Manton, who was born in 1766 in Lincolnshire, is considered as an innovative English gunmaker of the late 18th to early 19th Century. His numerous patents and designs changed the gun industry as no one had done previously. Moreover, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, research, weaponry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Manton’s Shooting Gallery and the Man Who Changed Weaponry During the Regency

Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, the U. S., and Canada

Young girls who set out for Australia to earn a living as a domestic servant, opportunities to marry were not out of the question. In England, seduction ruled, but these young girls entered a different world, where they could consider … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Living in the UK, real life tales, servant life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Meet Francis Grose, Author of the 1811 Dictionary of theVulgar Tongue

As my novels are set in the early part of the 1800s, attempting to discover appropriate words to express “dismay” or “disgust” often sends me searching out my online copy of 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, a Dictionary of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, real life tales, research, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Lost Art of Letters, a Guest Post from Elaine Owen

The day after I wrote my post on Mailing Letters in the Regency, the lovely Elaine Owen shared this post on Austen Authors. I thought it appropriate to revisit this topic. This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on 3 … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Lost Art of Letters, a Guest Post from Elaine Owen

We Get Stacks and Stacks of Letters…The Expense of Mail During the Regency Period

On the Perry Como Show, which began back in 1955, the chorus customarily sang: “Letters, we get letters. We get stacks and stacks of letters.” However, during the Regency Period, the mail was expensive. MPs were the only ones who … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, political stance, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Was Sawney Bean Truly a 14th Century Scottish Cannibal or Was He a Legend? + a Giveaway of “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

Was Sawney Bean Real or a Legend? Alexander Sawney Bean was reportedly the head of a cannibalistic family residing along Scotland’s Ayrshire/Galloway coast during the 14th Century. According to the legend, Sawney was born in a small East Lothian village, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, giveaway, gothic and paranormal, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medieval, mystery, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, research, Scotland, spooky tales, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Life Below Stairs ~ Part Four ~ The Work Never Ends

Up before dawn, the servants of an aristocratic household found the work tedious. Likely, the lower servants worked two hours before he/she was permitted to sit to his own meager breakfast. The kitchen maid began her day with lighting the … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift

On 22 January 1879, one of the world’s most remarkable military engagements took place. It was a short, but intense, battle in what is known as the Anglo- Zulu Wars. For two days, some 150 British soldiers defended Rorke’s Drift … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, history, military, political stance, real life tales, war | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Battle of Rorke’s Drift

Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

Catholic/ Protestant Weddings During the Regency Era On 25 March 1754, the Hardwicke Act went into effect in England. It was designed to prevent Clandestine Weddings (Read More on Clandestine Weddings HERE) and to force couples marrying in England to … Continue reading

Posted in Black Opal Books, blog hop, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, excerpt, George IV, Georgian England, historical fiction, Ireland, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, research, romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

Did Jane Austen Play Her Own Version of Regency “Monopoly”? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

The post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 10, 2019. I think you will discover it as fascinating as did I. Enjoy! “The Most Agreeable & Rational Recreation Ever Invented” During a recent visit to Edinburgh’s Museum of … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Did Jane Austen Play Her Own Version of Regency “Monopoly”? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer