Category Archives: Scotland

Regency Celebrity: John Loudon McAdam, Bringing Progress Through Road Improvements: Macadamisation

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

John Loudon McAdam (21 September 1756 – 26 November 1836) was a Scottish engineer and road-builder. He invented a new process, “macadamisation,” for building roads with a smooth hard surface that would be more durable and less muddy than soil-based … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Border Wars Between England and Scotland

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The political struggle that has dominated much of England/Scotland’s history was often a result of the border wars. In Elizabethan times the Anglo-Scottish border counties, especially Northumberland, were the home of lawless clans who spent their lives raiding and marauding. … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, castles, Great Britain, legends and myths, political stance, real life tales, religion, royalty, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Victorian Celebrities: Thomas Henderson, First Person to Measure the Distance to Alpha Centauri

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

A Scottish astronomer and mathematician, Thomas James Alan Henderson (28 December 1798 – 23 November 1844) was the first person to measure the distance to Alpha Centauri, the major component of the nearest stellar system to Earth, and for being … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, real life tales, Scotland, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

November 30 – Saint Andrew’s Day

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Who was Saint Andrew ? Despite what many may think, St. Andrew, who is the patron saint of Scotland, did not live and work in that country. In fact, his legendary connections to Scotland appeared centuries after his death. Andrew, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, religion, Scotland | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Regency Happenings: Henry Bell and the PS Comet, the First Commercially Successful Steamboat Service in Europe

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The paddle steamer PS Comet was built for Henry Bell, hotel and baths owner in Helensburgh. With the steamer, Bell began a passenger service on 15 August 1812 on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock; it was the first … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Regency Celebrities: Henry Bell, Pioneer in the Development of the Steamship

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Henry Bell (7 April, 1767 – 14 March, 1830) was a Scottish engineer who is famed for introducing the first successful passenger steamboat service in Europe. Early Career Bell was born at Torphichen, near Bathgate, West Lothian in 1767 and … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Regency Celebrity: William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier, Royal Navy Officer

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier (Chinese: 律勞卑; 1786 – 11 October 1834) was a Royal Navy officer, politician and diplomat. Early Life He was the son of Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier (1758–1823) and the father of Francis Napier, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, George IV, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Napoleonic Wars, political stance, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland, Victorian era | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Regency Celebrity: William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier, Royal Navy Officer

Regency Celebrity: Edmund Cartwright, English Clergyman and Inventor of the Power Loom

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Edward (Edmund) Cartwright (24 April 1743 – 30 October 1823) was an English clergyman and inventor of the power loom. Life and Work He was the brother of Major John Cartwright, a political reformer and radical, and George Cartwright, explorer … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Regency Celebrity: Edmund Cartwright, English Clergyman and Inventor of the Power Loom

Regency Celebrity: John Cartwright, Parliamentary Reformer

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

John Cartwright (17 September 1740 – 23 September 1824) was an English naval officer, Nottinghamshire militia major and prominent campaigner for parliamentary reform. He subsequently became known as the Father of Reform. His younger brother Edmund Cartwright became famous as … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Regency Celebrity: John Cartwright, Parliamentary Reformer

Regency Happenings: The 1820 Scottish Insurrection

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which had become prominent in the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Regency Happenings: The 1820 Scottish Insurrection