Category Archives: Regency era

Has Lady Violet Crawley, Countess of Grantham, Made Being a “Dowager” Popular Again?

Of late, I am once again dealing with the term “dowager” in one of my works in progress (WIP). The Earl of Remmington’s mother resides at one of his smaller estates. As she is the widow of the late earl, … Continue reading

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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, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Life Below Stairs, Part 3 ~ 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 to … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, tradtions, Victorian era | 2 Comments

Life of the Gentry in the Regency Period

During the Regency Period, wealth and social class separated the English citizenry. Beginning with the Royals, citizens found their place based on birthright and wealth. The nobility stood above the gentry, who stood above the clergy, who stood above the … Continue reading

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“I Won’t Dance, Don’t Ask Me” – Dance as a Plot Device in Jane Austen’s Novels

  “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” (Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 3) During Austen’s time, young people looked for a potential mate at dances. Austen, herself, enjoyed a good dance, and, therefore, she … Continue reading

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Life Below Stairs, Part II – 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, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | 9 Comments

Changes in Weaponry at the End of the Regency

This post appeared the last week of September 2015 on Caroline Warfield’s most-excellent blog on historical fiction/fact, but I thought I’d share it here in case some of you missed it. The first seven books of my award-winning “The Realm” … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Realm series, Regency era, Victorian era, weaponry | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Valentine Corbett in Suzanne Enoch’s “Sin and Sensibility: The Griffin Family, Book 1”

Okay, it’s Valentine’s Day this weekend. So, I’m taking a look at a couple of books who have characters named Valentine. The first is Valentine Corbett, Marquis of Deverill, from Sin and Sensibility by Suzanne Enoch. This book is part … Continue reading

Posted in books, Georgian England, historical fiction, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, Regency romance, review, romance, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Life Below Stairs, Part I: Obligations and Compensation

With the popularity of Upstairs, Downstairs and Downtown 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 British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, legends, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | 9 Comments

New Prison in the Regency Era, Setting for Part of My Cozy Mystery ~ The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin

New Prison plays a part in my 2015 release of The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery.  I thought I might share a bit of information. Unlike the more widely known prison of the day, Newgate Prison, the … Continue reading

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