Category Archives: Victorian era

The Governess: Qualified to Teach the Usual Branches of a Good English Education

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

A governess’s job was to teach the children of middle and upper class households in 19th Century England. By 1850, there were 21,000 governesses registered in England. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, our heroine places the following advertisement, which eventually … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Victorian Personality: William Hulton, Industrial Strategist or Hard Task Master?

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

William Hulton (23 October 1787 – 5 April 1864) was an English landowner and magistrate who lived at Hulton Park, in the historic county of Lancashire, England. Hulton was the son of William Hulton and Jane (née Brooke). He was … Continue reading →

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Victorian Celebrity: Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell, Secretary of State for War

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell PC, PC (Ire), FRS (24 July 1813 – 15 February 1886) was a prominent British politician in the Peelite and Liberal parties during the middle of the 19th century. He is best remembered for his … Continue reading →

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The Devil’s Footprints, a Devon Area Victorian Mystery

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

The Devil’s Footprints is a name given to a phenomenon that occurred in February 1855 around the Exe Estuary in East Devon and South Devon, England. After a heavy snowfall, trails of hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow covering … Continue reading →

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UK Real Estate: Brentford, Childhood Residence of Pocahontas, Pamunkey princess, and Much More

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

Brentford is a town in west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow, at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, 8 miles (13 km) west-by-southwest of Charing Cross. It was historically part of the … Continue reading →

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William Henry Fox Talbot, British Inventor and Photography Pioneer

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

William Henry Fox Talbot (11 February 1800 – 17 September 1877) was a British inventor and photography pioneer who invented the calotype process, a precursor to photographic processes of the 19th and 20th centuries. Talbot was also a noted photographer … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the UK, real life tales, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Maria Kinnaird, Mid-Victorian Socialite and Hostess

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

Maria Kinnaird (1810–1891) was born on St. Vincent, but was orphaned by a volcanic eruption and she was adopted by the politician “Conversation Sharp.” (See my March 29 post on Sharp.) Sharp was once considered possibly to be the most … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, political stance, real life tales, Victorian era | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

King of Clubs, Whig Conversation Club of the Early Regency Period

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

The King of Clubs was a famous Whig conversation club, founded in 1798. In contrast to its mainly Tory forerunner The Club (established by Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and Sir Joshua Reynolds), it was a predominantly Whig fraternity of some … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, George IV, Great Britain, language choices, Living in the Regency, political stance, real life tales, Regency personalities, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Conversation” Sharp – Victorian, Richard Sharp, Doyen of the Conversationalists

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

Richard Sharp, FRS, FSA (1759 – 30 March 1835), also known as “Conversation” Sharp, was a hat-maker, banker, merchant, poet, critic, British politician, but above all – doyen of the conversationalists. Family Background Sharp was born in Newfoundland. His father, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, language choices, political stance, real life tales, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Victorian Astronomer, Francis Baily

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Regina Jeffers

Francis Baily (28 April 1774 – 30 August 1844) was an English astronomer, most famous for his observations of ‘Baily’s beads’ during an eclipse of the Sun. Life Baily was born at Newbury in Berkshire in 1774 to Richard Baily. … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Living in the UK, real life tales, science, Victorian era | Tagged , , | 2 Comments