Category Archives: real life tales

All Hallow’s Eve During the Regency

For this piece, I pulled together bits of information on All Hallow’s Eve from a variety of sources, all of which are cited within the post. I hope you enjoy learning of some of Halloween’s traditions.  All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween … Continue reading

Posted in British history, history, holidays, Ireland, Jane Austen, legends, legends and myths, medieval, Northanger Abbey, real life tales, religion, Scotland, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on All Hallow’s Eve During the Regency

John Francis Attempted to Kill Queen Victoria Twice

On May 29, 1842, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were returning to their home at Buckingham Palace from Sunday morning services at the royal chapel at St. James’s Palace when what Albert later described as “a little, swarthy, ill-looking radical” … Continue reading

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The “Hunchback’s” Attempt to Kill Queen Victoria

Two weeks after John Francis’s second attack on Queen Victoria, the 16-year-old John William Bean made an attempt to assassinate the Queen. “In 19th century Britain, treason had its own special rules of evidence and procedure, which made it difficult to … Continue reading

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Life Below Stairs ~ Housing the Servants

It was not uncommon for an English aristocrat or a wealthy man of the gentry to own several properties: country estates and a London house in a fashionable area of London. In doing so, the owner employed a variety of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Georgian, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era, William IV | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs – Snobbery and Rules of Engagement

Previously, we looked at what a servant in an upper house, or even in a second-class household, of the late Regency Period or early Victorian times, might encounter. We spoke of wages, delineation of duties, and additional compensation. Today, we … Continue reading

Posted in British history, food and drink, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Life Below Stairs ~ The Role of the Male Servant

  The English aristocrat often lived beyond his means. Maintaining country houses (often several of them) and a large Georgian town house in Mayfair took its toll on his purse strings. In addition to owning the property, Society forced him … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Birthdays and Jane Austen

This week I mark another birthday. That makes me a Virgo.  Virgos expect perfection from themselves, and they may project those high standards on the other people in their lives. A Virgo hates when someone lets him or her down, even if … Continue reading

Posted in film adaptations, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, reading, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Fashion, Flirting, and Fundamental Views with the 18th-Century Fan, a Guest Post from Linné Elizabeth + the Release of “Crime and Culpability: A Jane Austen Mystery Anthology”

How do you communicate without saying a word? Today, most people agree that text messages or messenger apps check that box. Lacking this tech in the 18th and 19th centuries, men and women resorted to more creative options. Parasols, postage … Continue reading

Posted in blog hop, book release, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, mystery, publishing, reading, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fashion, Flirting, and Fundamental Views with the 18th-Century Fan, a Guest Post from Linné Elizabeth + the Release of “Crime and Culpability: A Jane Austen Mystery Anthology”

Georgian Era Lexicon – We’re Coming to the End – X, Y, and Z

In the singular form the lexicon of a particular subject is all the terms associated with it. The lexicon of a person or group is all the words they commonly use. As a plural noun, a lexicon is an alphabetical … Continue reading

Posted in British history, etymology, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Jane Austen, language choices, lexicon, real life tales, Regency era, research, terminology, Uncategorized, word choices, word origins, word play | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Georgian Era Lexicon – We’re Coming to the End – X, Y, and Z

Life Below Stairs – Part I – Compensations and Obligations

With the popularity of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey, the populace has become more aware of the British servant class. So what do we know of those who lived “below stairs”? First, rank and precedence ruled those of the servant … Continue reading

Posted in customs and tradiitons, film, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Jane Austen, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, research, servants, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments