Category Archives: real life tales

Eccentrics of the Regency Period Series: “The Golden Ball” or Edward Hughes Ball Hughes

Edward Hughes Ball Hughes, also known as “The Golden Ball,” was an English dandy infamous for his extravagant lifestyle. Born in May 1798, Hughes was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He spent some time in the 7th Hussars … Continue reading

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Living in Regency England – Heating the House

From the Georgian Period forward, the majority of the London townhouses were heated by coal rather than wood. Thus, members of Society and visitors to the City “enjoyed” the ever-preent film of coal dust in the air. In the late … Continue reading

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Eccentrics of the Regency Period Series: Charles Stanhope, Lord Petersham

Eccentricity was not social suicide during the Regency, as long as Society’s pundits had given their approval. Occasionally, eccentricity was considered quite fashionable. During the Regency, Lord Petersham was as popular as Beau Brummell, but we know little of him … Continue reading

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Plough Monday and Molly Dancing: British Traditions

The Oxford Dictionary of English Folk Lore describes a plough jag as, “One of the three main types of mumming play, found only in the East Midlands, and first reported in the 1820s. Performances were concentrated on Plough Monday,  but could … Continue reading

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Would You Recognize a Hunky Punk?

“Hunky Punk” is a West Country (UK) word for grotesque carvings on the side of English buildings, especially churches. The word originated in Somerset and is ascribed to the Old English word “hunkers,” which means haunches and “punchy,” which means … Continue reading

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Do You Speak Jane Austen? (Part 3)

The last third of the alphabet was a bit of a challenge. The letters “x” and “z” were less than cooperative. I searched Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Parkfor the letters, but was, generally, unsuccessful. “X” was impossible to … Continue reading

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Jane Austen and Feminism

In 1968, the Women’s Liberation Movement staged a demonstration at the annual Miss America Beauty pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. They protested the idea that the most important thing about a woman is how she looks. Women’s liberation attacked … Continue reading

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Pride 47, Prejudice 5

  Pride and Prejudice was originally entitled First Impressions, which is a much better title when one considers how Jane Austen bombards her readers with the theme of “impressions”: first, flawed, and founded. However, that is material for a future post. What … Continue reading

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Winner of Hearts Through History Blog Hop

I am happy to announce the winner of my part of the Hearts Through History Blog Hop is Diane Sallans. Diana will receive an autographed copy of my February release of His: Two Regency Novellas. 

Posted in British history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, White Soup Press | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Winner of Hearts Through History Blog Hop

Eccentrics of the Regency Period Series: Maria Fagniani

The mistresses of the Prince Regent and his brothers were as well known as the men. The Duke of Clarence, for example, sired ten children with Mrs Jordan, and the Duke of York’s relationship with Mary Anne Clarke caused a … Continue reading

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