Category Archives: real life tales

Princess Louise, the Marchioness of Lorne, Travels to Canada

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

In 1878, prime minister Benjamin Disraeli tagged the John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, to become the governor general of the Dominion of Canada. This would take Queen Victoria’s daughter Louise away from England, for Princess Louise was married to the … Continue reading →

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The Wilderness Road, Setting for “The Road to Understanding”

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

According to Ancestry.com, the Wilderness Road “was only a crude trail; only pack teams could cross the mountains. Pioneers coming from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas before 1796 found it necessary to unload their Conestoga Wagons at Sapling Grove … Continue reading →

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The Mappa Mundi, the World’s Largest Medieval Map

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

Housed in the Hereford Cathedreal, the Mappa Mundi is believed to the be the world’s largest medieval map. England specialized in world maps of the Middle Ages. They were drawn upon cloth or walls or animal skins.  Only those who … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Age of Chaucer, British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, medieval, real life tales | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Exogamous and Endogamous Marriages in Austen’s Works

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

Brittanica.com defines an “endogamous marriage” as the custom enjoining one to marry within one’s own group, while Wikipedia says “endogamy” is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such a basis … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, real life tales, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Peerage, Abdication, Inheritance, and Questions of Legality

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

When reading historical fiction/historical romance the issue of the title the gentleman holds often comes into play. There are many misconceptions, and I admit for those of us in the States, the concept can be a bit confusing. First thing … Continue reading →

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People with Disabilities in Jane Austen’s England, a Guest Post by Elaine Owen

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

York Vs York: Changing Attitudes in Regency England In April, Elaine Owen shared this piece on Austen Authors. I thought it worthy of a second look.  Jane Austen did not write about disabled people in any of her books, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, medicine, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Sir Walter Scott, the Historical Romance, and the Creation of a National Identity – Part I

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

  Walter Scott was the first great writer to recognize the potential of historical romance as a “dramatic narration of national history, a modern commercial equivalent of the old national epic. Scott’s Waverley novels started out as the romance of … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, historical fiction, Living in the Regency, publishing, real life tales, romantic verse, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Chief John Norton, Real-Life Model for a Character in “The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin,” a 2016 Finalist for the Chanticleer International Book Awards

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

One of the characters in my latest Austenesque novel, The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin, is modeled upon that of John Norton (Teyoninhokarawen), who was a Mohawk Indian chief of Scottish birth. Norton attended school in Scotland and was a … Continue reading →

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Do You Know the History of ®Murine Eye Drops?

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

I am forever adding allergy drops to stop my eyes from itching and later adding eye drops to prevent the dryness. It got me thinking…  Murine UK tells us this about the history of ®Murine: “The Murine® Eye Drops brand was first … Continue reading →

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Why Do We Call a Toilet a “John”?

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Regina Jeffers

 Sir John Harington was a courtier, translator, a not so successful poet of the Elizabethan era. Harington’s father married an illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII. His second wife was attendant to Princess Elizabeth, and Queen Elizabeth I stood as godmother … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Elizabethan drama, poetry, real life tales, Tudors | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments