Every Woman Dreams...

Annulments, Divorces, Criminal Conversation in the Regency

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Regina Jeffers

Crim. Con. Actions and Trials and Other Proceedings Relating ... www.lawbookexchange. com

Crim. Con. Actions and Trials and Other Proceedings Relating …
http://www.lawbookexchange.
com

First, permit me to say that in the Regency period, divorces were few. They were expensive. The Church of England opposed divorce as vehemently as did the Roman Catholic church. The Church of England only permitted a “legal separation,” which was termed a “divorce,” a fact that blows the mind of the modern reader. To claim a divorce (the right to marry another), the man first had to seek the “legal separation” on the ground of adultery on the part of his wife. He also had to sue the wife’s lover for “criminal conversation” (alienation of affection) in a different court. The “lover” would be found guilty of “illegal intercourse,” and the court would award the husband damages. The next step would be to petition Parliament to end his marriage. Testimony would be taken regarding the circumstances. This testimony would be published in the newspapers, which meant a quiet end to a marriage was not possible. At length, the bill/petition would be agreed upon, and the couple were free to marry others.

CRIMINAL CONVERSATION — [Trials for Adultery: or, the History of Divorces. London: S. Bladon, 1780.] | Books & Manuscripts Auction | Books & Manuscripts, printed books | Christie’s
http://www.christies.com
CRIMINAL CONVERSATION — [Trials for Adultery: or, the History of Divorces. London: S. Bladon, 1780.]

Less than a handful of women earned successful divorces during the period. Those who achieved a divorce did so my claiming the husband committed adultery with the wife’s sister. In Scotland, however, both husbands and wives could sue for a divorce. Two conditions existed for such a divorce: The couple had to reside in Scotland for a minimum of six weeks, and the adultery had to be committed in Scotland proper. Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (Lord Paget) originally married Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers (by whom he fathered 8 children), but in 1809, he eloped to Scotland with Lady Charlotte Cadogan Wellesley, the wife of Lord Henry Wellesley. Paget’s wife divorced him in late 1810. Afterwards, he married Lady Charlotte, with whom he sired 10 children. (See my post on Scandalous Marriage)

Generally annulments were hard to obtain, and, more than likely, involved either the court system or the House of Lords, if one was a peer. The exception would be a void marriage. For example, a minor who married by special license without the guardian’s permission or a marriage through an elopement to Scotland that was not consummated would not require an annulment, but rather be declared “void.” Even so, the courts could potentially become involved, especially if one required “legal proof” of the marriage’s end. [I used a variation of this situation in freeing Lydia Bennet from Mr. Wickham in my Pride and Prejudice vagary, A Dance with Mr. Darcy.]

marriage.jpg
sharonlathanauthor.com

A common plot in Regency based novels is a temporary marriage between the hero and heroine, with the assumption of an annulment based on non-consummation of the marriage after six months to a year. The issue is that not consummating the marriage was not grounds for an annulment in this historical period. Consummation could strengthen a claim of marriage in Scotland and could throw doubt in a claim of being forced into marriage, but non consummation was not grounds to annul a marriage. The church always assumed that the couple would get around to it sooner or later if able.

Now impotence and real frigidity were grounds, as was a physical incapacity due to some deformity of the parts, for an annulment. An impenetrable hymen was also grounds though that could be fixed by a surgeon. However, few men would submit to such an examination, one designed to prove they could not consummate the marriage. If a person were insane at the time of the marriage that could earn the spouse an annulment. Also, an annulment would be granted if there was proof of a living spouse or proof of a blood relationship to the spouse (father, mother, or sibling of the spouse) or a marriage connection such as was addressed in my post on voidable marriages (in laws, etc.) Collins Hemingway in “Brotherly Love,” tells us, “Therefore, the marriage of Jane’s brother Charles to Harriet Palmer after the death of his first wife was “voidable” because Harriet was Fanny’s sister. As explained in Martha Bailey’s article in The Marriage Law of Jane Austen’s World (Persuasions, Winter 2015), this sisterhood created a prohibition by ‘affinity’ (marriage) as strong as one by blood. The logic was: Because Fanny and Harriet were related by blood, and because husband and wife became one flesh upon consummation, then Charles would also be related to Harriet by blood. This thinking applied equally for a woman who married the brother of her dead husband.

“‘Voidable’ in Charles’ case did not necessarily mean ‘voided.’ Someone—most likely a relative seeking to grab an inheritance—would have to sue to have the marriage voided and any children declared illegitimate. Charles never had enough money for anyone to bother trying to disinherit his four children by Harriet.”

Also, in the Regency period an annulment based on fraud was customarily found in the question of parental permission.

Number One London. Join us as we explore Regency, Georgian and …
onelondonone.blogspot.
com ~ Fleet Prison Marriages

Permit me to stray a bit from the Regency period, but to address “annulment” and “fraud” across the board. “The history of the law involving annulments based on fraud is instructive. Even going quite far back in…history, annulment laws… have generally included “fraud” as one of the available grounds. But not every proven case of deception results in a decree of annulment. Courts have often refused to nullify marriages for fraud if the innocent party was willfully blind to the truth or too easily fooled by statements made during courtship.

“Courts also require that the fraud induce the marriage: The duped spouse had to show that he or she genuinely relied on the misrepresentation in deciding to go through with the marriage. An appellate court in Missouri denied an annulment in Blair v. Blair in 2004, even though the wife fraudulently misrepresented to her husband, before he agreed to marry her, that he was the father of her child. The court concluded that he had other reasons for marrying her and thus did not rely on the misrepresentation in making his decision.

“Even when a solid case of fraud is proven, courts might decide that it is outweighed by countervailing factors. A long marriage is harder to annul than a short one; a consummated marriage is harder to annul than an unconsummated one; and a marriage that has produced children was harder to annul than one with an empty nest.

“Perhaps the most important limitation built in to the traditional approach to fraud-based annulments is the requirement that the misrepresentation relate to an essential aspect of marriage. Courts did not, for the most part, apply traditional contract principles when defining fraud in the marriage context. (Those principles would allow rescission of a contract for fraud that is material — i.e., an intentional misstatement but for which the defrauded party would have refused to enter into the agreement.) But “fraud” in the annulment context was generally construed more strictly, to include only those misrepresentations that went to the heart of marriage – and not just the particular marriage in question, but any marriage.” (FindLaw) Lying about circumstances was not fraud.

Annulments were not granted simply for someone claiming he/she was forced into the marriage. At first force was considered only as more than a reasonable man could withstand. Over the period of time the laws acknowledged that women were weaker and less force was necessary. The court did not take into consideration such things as a threats. There was no “shotgun weddings.” Being drunk at the wedding was not a reason for an annulment, as long as one knew one what one was doing.

Insanity, an accepted reason for an annulment, had to be present previous to the wedding. Simplemindedness came under that category as well. The age at which a person could consent to a marriage was 12, but there were instances of children married at 7. However, when the girl reached age 12 she could get out of it. The boy do the same at age 14. Marriages could be annulled if the spouse was a previous in law or if one was impotent. Invalid marriages were those by minors by license without proper permission or was bigamous. Also not conducted in proper form.

“Examples in which annulments were granted by the Anglican Church included being under age, having committed fraud, using force, and lunacy.” (Nyanglish) Even so, the fraud, force, or lunacy had to have occurred during the wedding ceremony (or before, if it pertained to the permission granted to a minor), not after the couple were lawfully wed. Even wealthy peers were stuck with a spouse if problems arose after the ceremony. For example, both the 11th Duke of Norfolk and the 4th Earl of Sandwich were stuck in unfortunate marriages when their wives went insane. In the Duke of Norfolk’s case, his wife was locked up before giving him an heir, so that the dukedom eventually passed to his cousin.

English law did not require consummation. Scottish law used it as proof in clandestine marriages, but only if the other forms were not followed. The Consistory court of the Church of England handled annulments. This was located in London. The Courts within Doctors Commons were very much associated in the public mind with the making and unmaking of marriage from the 17th Centuries.

Gradually, the London Consistory Court assumed a virtual monopoly in matrimonial suits and became the most important matrimonial court for the whole of the country. It became the court of first instance for most matrimonial cases http://www.origins.net/help/aboutbo-churchcourts.aspx

Most people who had void marriage but who appeared as married for sometime or who had a public wedding went through the court system to have the marriage declared officially void.

From a basic litigant perspective, it probably does not matter if the petitioner is a peer or not, but one had to possess money to complete the process. It was expensive. It required an investigation, Canon lawyers, etc. Annulments did not come cheap if the cases were complicated.

What of marriage at sea? As of 1894, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Captains of British ships DID NOT have the right to marry people at sea. People have always been able to marry at sea on an English ship if an Anglican clergyman was aboard. After civil marriages and certificates were introduced, one of the officers of the ship, who might be a captain, could be appointed a marriage officer with the authority to conduct a civil marriage ceremony. Passengers and crew on the high seas in a ship under another flag could marry according to the rules of that country’s flag.

Nor could a marriage be annulled after one of the pair passed. [This was the variation I mentioned above as part of the plot for A Dance with Mr. Darcy.] The only grounds for annulment or declaring a marriage void, even after a person has died, is when the marriage was never valid in the first place. This usually comes up after the death of the man when heirs presumptive want to declare the supposed son illegitimate and unable to inherit. If the ground on which they planned to claim an annulment was valid, they were not ever legally married.

Many of these issues play out in the Plot of “The Heartless Earl”

The Heartless Earl: A Common Elements Romance Project Novel

STERLING BAXTER, the Earl of Merritt, has married the woman his father has chosen for him, but the marriage has been everything but comfortable. Sterling’s wife, Lady Claire, came to the marriage bed with a wanton’s experience. She dutifully provides Merritt his heir, but within a fortnight, she deserts father and son for a baron, Lord Lyall Sutherland. In the eyes of the ton, Lady Claire has cuckolded Merritt.

EBBA MAYER, longs for love and adventure. Unfortunately, she’s likely to find neither. As a squire’s daughter, Ebba holds no sway in Society; but she’s a true diamond of the first water. Yet, when she meets Merritt’s grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Merritt creates a “story” for the girl, claiming if Ebba is presented to the ton as a war widow with a small dowry, the girl will find a suitable match.

LORD LYALL SUTHERLAND remains a thorn in Merritt’s side, but when the baron makes Mrs. Mayer a pawn in his crazy game of control, Merritt offers the woman his protection. However, the earl has never faced a man who holds little strength of title, but who wields great power; and he finds himself always a step behind the enigmatic baron. When someone frames Merritt for Lady Claire’s sudden disappearance, Merritt must quickly learn the baron’s secrets or face a death sentence.

The Common Elements Romance Project includes a variety of authors and genres, as well as settings, each including the same FIVE elements hidden within their novels. Those elements (in no particular order) are…

a Lightning Storm

a Set of Lost Keys

a Haunted House (or the Rumor of Its Being Haunted)

a Stack of Thick Books

a Character Called “Max”

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Heartless-Earl-Regina-Jeffers-ebook/dp/B08NCW1GHW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+heartless+earl&qid=1605707306&sr=8-1

Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/subscribe/ku?passThroughAsin=B08NCW1GHW&_encoding=UTF8&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Heartless-Earl-Regina-Jeffers/dp/B09DMXT831/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1605707306&sr=8-1

Excerpt: (Sterling and his wife appear at the same social function.)

Sterling stood at the portal leading to the card room. He had watched closely as Mr. Reed had claimed Mrs. Mayer’s hand for the opening set, and how Brayton had obviously claimed more of her time. Sterling would have enjoyed escorting the lady through, at least, one of the evening’s sets. He could not remember the last time he had danced—likely before he had courted Claire.

Yet, he had remained in the shadows, naming himself the coward. He had purposely remained in the country these past two years, only returning to Town when Parliament required his influence or his vote on key issues. Often he had wondered on the sanity of permitting Claire free rein, but his only alternative would be a very public divorce. “Perhaps after Gram passes,” he had told himself on more than one occasion. “Then, only I would know the controversy.”

However, since accepting Mrs. Mayer into his household, Sterling had considered a different life from the one he had constructed after Claire’s desertion. “I deserve a wife and other children,” he had said to his father’s portrait in the gallery only yesterday afternoon. When in residence at Baxter Hall, he had often held “discussions” with his late father’s image. “I am not saying Mrs. Mayer would make the perfect mate.” He recognized his father’s likely disapproval of the widow. “Yet, I would enjoy a relationship with the woman I have married, and I want Jamie to know the attentions of a generous heart.”

Now, as he continued to watch, Mrs. Mayer good-naturedly laughed her way through a raucous country-dance with Mr. Reed before summoning a stately attitude to match the gentleman during the minuet. Sterling had marveled at her ability to adapt to any situation. As he watched her from his place beside a large palm, a smile crept across his face. She brought life to those about her.

“Do not sulk in the shadows,” his grandmother ordered.

“Who says I am sulking?”

“If you allow that woman to ruin this evening for Ebba and for yourself,” she charged, “I shall disinherit you.”

Sterling laughed softly. “I do not require your money, Gram. I am a rich man.”

“Even a rich man requires more in life than his fortune and his own company. I grow weary of seeing you alone, Sterling James.”

Her use of his full name Sterling James Baxter told him she meant her words. “Would you have me take a mistress, your ladyship?”

She stepped before him. “I would have you free yourself from that common tart. You are a good man, Sterling. Seize the opportunity—no matter what the cost.”

He kept his eyes on the dance floor, ashamed to meet the eyes of the woman who had raised him. “A divorce is an unprecedented move. It would drown the family name in scandal.”

“Do you think at my age a bit of scandal would ruffle my feathers?” The countess took a step closer to him. “You are what matters, Sterling. You were always what was important in my life.”

However, before he could respond, his face reddened with anger. “What does he want?” he hissed.

The countess turned to see Sutherland bowing before Ebba. “Stop him,” she ordered. “Claire is behind this.”

Posted in Act of Parliament, American History, British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged annulments, Church of England, Common Elements Project, divorce, elopement, English laws, giveaway, impotence, insanity, marriage laws, Regency Era, Regency romance, Romantic Suspense, Scottish laws, ship marriages, The Heartless Earl, voidable marriages | 18 Comments

Georgian Era Lexicon – Continuing with the Letter B – “Bo” to “Br”

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

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 list of the words in a language or the words associated with a particular subject. To distinguish lexicon from a dictionary, it is an alphabetical list of the words in a language or the words associated with a particular subject.

These examples are a mix of what one might hear upon the lips of the aristocracy, as well as examples of Cant used upon London’s streets and those terms used by farmers and like in the country.

Boatswain – a warrant officer between ordinary seamen and commissioned officers; he oversaw the sails and rigging upon a ship

Boatswain of the Royal Navy, c. 1820 ~ Wikipedia ~ Public Domain ~ Unknown Artist

boarding school – street name for a prison or house of corrections, especially when referring to Bridewell or Newgate

bob – slang for a shilling; The insulting term ‘two-bob’ means someone who is worthless, as in ‘Worth Two-Bob’

bob – a shoplifter’s assistant; one who receives and carries off stolen goods

bobeche – usually glass collar on a candle socket to catch drippings or on a candlestick or chandelier to hold suspended glass prisms.

bobbish – smart or clever

bog house – the necessary house; and outhouse; the use of the word ‘bog’ to refer to the toilet dates back to 1789, when it took the form ‘boghouse’. Bog house comes from the British slang meaning to defecate, so when you go the bog, you really are being quite literal!

https://fineartamerica.com/shop/canvas+prints/bog+house

bog lander – slang for an Irishman, for Ireland is famous for its large number of bogs

Bond Street – a fashionable shopping area in London’s West End

https://janeaustenslondon.com/tag/bond-street/

bones – dice

boosey – drunk

boot – where luggage was placed in coach

boot catcher – the servant at an inn who business it is to clean the boots of the guests

bootjack – a device used to remove boots

boots – the youngest officer in a regimental mess, whose duty it is to skink, that is, to stir the fire, snuff the candles, and ring the bell

borachio – a skin holding wine, commonly a goat’s; also a nickname for a drunkard

bordello – a bawdy house

bore – a tedious and tiresome person who bores his listeners with uninteresting tales

bothered (or both-eared) – being talked to by different persons at the same time

bottle-headed – devoid of wit

boung – a slang word for a purse; formerly purses were worn at the girdle; therefore, a boung nipper was the thief who cut the string to steal the purse

bowsprit- the nose, from its being the most projecting part of the human face, as the bowsprit is of a ship

Bow Street Runners – created by the novelist Henry Fielding and his brother John in 1750, the Runners served as detectives; they received fees and rewards for their work – “The Bow Street Runners were the first professional police force, organised in London by magistrate and author Henry Fielding in 1749. The group would end up successfully solving and preventing crimes until 1839 when the force was disbanded in favour of the Metropolitan Police, leaving behind a legacy for modern-day policing.”

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Bow-Street-Runners/

Brace – The Brace tavern; a room in the southeast corner of the King’s Bench, for the convenience of the prisoners residing thereabouts. Beer purchased sold for a halfpenny per pot in advance. It was kept by two brothers with the surname of Partridge.

https://historicinterpreter.wordpress.com/2015/12/27/beverages-in-the-georgian-era-part-2/

bracket-faced – ugly; hard-featured

bragget – mead and ale sweetened with honey

braggadocia – a vain-glorious fellow

bran-faced – freckled, as in he was christened by a baker who sprinkled bran over him

brandy-faced – red-faced, as in drinking too much brandy; just as “wine” is Greek slang for “fish,” “brandy” is Latin for “goose,” likely because most drank a dram of brandy to settle his stomach after eating goose, which easily caused someone to burp after eating it

bray – so called after the vicar of Bray for one who frequently changes his principles; a satirical 18th-century song, “The Vicar of Bray“, recounts the career of a vicar of Bray, Berkshire, towards the end of this period and his contortions of principle in order to retain his ecclesiastic office despite the changes through the course of several monarchs from Charles II to George I.

The generally known form of the song appears to have been based on an earlier version, “The Religious Turncoat; Or, the Trimming Parson”. The melody is taken from the 17th-century folk melody “Country Gardens” which in turn was used in The Quaker’s Opera, first printed in London in 1728, a three-act farce based on the story of Jack Sheppard which was performed at Bartholomew Fair. A parody of this parody song, “The American Vicar of Bray”, with the same chorus, was published in the 30 June 1779 edition of Rivington’s Royal Gazette, mocking the shifting loyalties of some American colonists during the American Revolutionary War. “The Vicar of Bray” is also referenced in the song “Parlour Songs” in the Stephen Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd, although the song has been removed from more recent performances of that musical.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vicar_of_Bray_(song)

brazen-faced – bold; shameless; impudent

bread and butter fashion – one slice upon the other, as in John and his maid were caught lying bread and butter fashion; to argue or act agains one’s own interest; to know upon which side one’s bread is buttered, as in to know what is best; not having an interest in the matter or will not intermeddle, as in its no bread and butter of mine

bread – slang for “employment,” as in “I’m out of bread.”

bread basket – the stomach, a term used by boxers

break teeth words – hard words to pronounce

Breast Fleet – refers to Roman Catholics; a n appellation derived from their custom of beating their breasts in the confession of their sins

breeches – gentlemen’s pants or slang for a woman who governs over her husband; “By the turn of the 19th century, breeches, pantaloons and trousers worn by all men were sewn with a flap in front called a fall front. This flap was universally held in place by two or three buttons at the top. No belts were worn. Instead, breeches, pantaloons and trousers were held up by tight-fitting waists, which were adjusted by gusset ties in back of the waist. Seats were baggy to allow a man to rise comfortably from a sitting position. As waists rose to the belly button after 1810, suspenders were used to hold the garment up.”

Images and explain via https://janeaustensworld.com/2013/06/21/regency-fashion-mens-breeches-pantaloons-and-trousers/

Breeches Bible – an edition of the Bible printed in 1598, wherein Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together and made themselves “breeches” to wear

“The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James Version by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne and others. It was one of the Bibles taken to America on the Mayflower. The Geneva Bible was used by many English Dissenters, and it was still respected by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers at the time of the English Civil War, in the booklet The Souldiers Pocket Bible. [Note: Does this not explain why we consider extreme modesty to be “Puritanical”?]

“This version of the Bible is significant because, for the first time, a mechanically printed, mass-produced Bible was made available directly to the general public which came with a variety of scriptural study guides and aids (collectively called an apparatus), which included verse citations that allow the reader to cross-reference one verse with numerous relevant verses in the rest of the Bible, introductions to each book of the Bible that acted to summarize all of the material that each book would cover, maps, tables, woodcut illustrations and indices.

“Because the language of the Geneva Bible was more forceful and vigorous, most readers strongly preferred this version to the Great Bible of 1539.

“The Geneva Bible received the nickname “Breeches Bible,” based on its unique translation of Genesis Chapter 3, Verse 7. The text reads: “Then the eies of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed figge tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches.” Previous English Bibles, such as the 1530 Pentateuch translation of William Tyndale, the 1535 Coverdale Bible, and the 1539 Great Bible, used the word apurns/aprons in this place. In the King James Version of 1611, “breeches” was changed to “aprons”.

“Here are both the Geneva, Tyndale and the King James versions of Genesis 3:7 with spellings as in their originals (not modernized):

Title page of a Geneva Bible printed in 1589 by Christopher Barker, official printer to Queen Elizabeth I. ~ CC BY-SA 4.0 ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Bible#/media/File:Geneva_Bible_Title_Page_1589.jpg

Bridewell – St. Bridget’s Well in London; a house of correction

Brighton – a seaside resort in East Sussex

Other Sources:

Candice Hern

Donna Hatch

18th Century Vocabulary

Georgette-Heyer: Regency Cant and Expressions

Jane Austen Organization

Posted in British history, etymology, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, language choices, Regency era, research, terminology, word choices, word origins, word play | Tagged British history, cant, etymology, Georgian Era, language choices, Lexicon, Regency Era, research, slang, words | Comments Off

Tidbits Regarding Some of Your Favorite Christmas Traditions

Posted on December 25, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

Below are some facts associated with Christmas, but are rarely mentioned in common conversation. Did you know…

Sir Henry Cole was the first to send out a Christmas card. The year was 1843. Cole bemoaned the number of letters he must write to send glad tidings to family, friends and patrons. Cole was an English civil servant and inventor who facilitated many innovations in commerce and education in 19th century Britain. He is said to have employed a local artist to create a scene and then had 1000 cards printed with a Christmas greeting.

The Victorian Christmas tree was an “import” from western Germany. In Germany, the feast of Adam and Eve was celebrated on December 24, [believed by some to have originated in the 8th century with Winfrid, an English missionary later known as St. Boniface], and the tree was the main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a “paradise tree,” a fir tree hung with apples, that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes. “They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, symbolic of Christ, were often added. In the same room was the “Christmas pyramid,” a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.

“The custom was widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century, but it was not until the following century that the Christmas tree became a deep-rooted German tradition. Introduced into England in the early 19th century, the Christmas tree was popularized in the mid-19th century by the German Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. The Victorian tree was decorated with toys and small gifts, candles, candies, and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbon and by paper chains. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the height of fashion by the 19th century. They were also popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands. In China and Japan, Christmas trees, introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs.” [“Christmas tree.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., May 19, 2015. https://www.britannica.com/plant/Christmas-tree]

Many traditions involving greenery originated in Druid, Celt, Norse, and Roman civilizations, which celebrated the winter solstice around December 21. Because the color green represented eternal life, plants that remained green throughout the year played an important role in these celebrations. The Romans celebrated the solstice with a mid-winter holiday called the Saturnalia, honoring the Roman god Saturn. They lit candles in their homes, spent time with friends and family, decorated their homes with wreaths and garlands, exchanged gifts, and feasted. As a symbol of eternal life, cultures around the world employ evergreen boughs and wreaths to decorate their homes. European pagans were known to worship trees. The practice survived even after Christianity took root. The Scandinavians used boughs of evergreens and holly to drive away the devil as part of their New Year’s celebration. As pagan cultures converted to Christianity, they continued many of their traditional winter solstice activities. Because the use of greenery had pagan origins, early church leaders often objected to its use. However, the traditions were so deeply ingrained that the customs continued – but from a Christian frame of reference.

Mistletoe thrives high above the ground, living as a parasite on oak trees. Ancients believed it represented a connection between heaven and earth. Mistletoe also played a role in various cultures. The Druids believed the plant was sacred and had healing powers. Mistletoe was an important element in the Norse legend of Balder, the sun god. The Romans considered it a symbol of hope and peace, so in the Roman era enemies reconciled under the mistletoe. Perhaps that is the basis of lovers kissing beneath the mistletoe. [Christmas Traditions Rooted in Ancient Cultures]

Wassailing is a very ancient custom that is rarely done today. The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. Originally, the wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter. Jesus College, in Oxford University, has a Wassail bowl, that is covered with silver. It can hold 10 gallons of drink! Wassailing was traditionally done on New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night, but some rich people drank Wassail on all the 12 days of Christmas! The Wassail drink mixture was sometimes called ‘Lamb’s Wool’, because of the pulp of the roasted apples looked all frothy and a bit like Lamb’s Wool! [Why Christmas]

Here is a recipe for Wassail:

1 gallon dark beer 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 2 cups brown sugar

dash of ground mace 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp. grated nutmeg

2 lemons 1 bottle sherry or red wine 1 doz. apples, cored & baked

Cook the top six ingredients over a low-medium heat in a saucepan. When the sugar has melted, add the sherry. Pour the hot liquid over the backed apples and lemon slices and serve.

1eec8ffc-f622-4f00-a93b-f98c3caa17c8_w610_r1_s

People dressed as Father Frost, the named used locally for Santa Claus, and Snow Maiden greet passers-by during a New Year parade in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Reuters Image)

Children all over the world call Santa Claus by different names: St. Nick, Nicholas of Myra, Father Christmas, Pilznickel, Sinter Klaes, Hoteisho, Weihnachtsmann, Père Noël, Sancte Claus, Lam Khoong-Khoong, Christkindle, Pelz Nichol, Kriss Kingle, St. Nicholas, and Für Nicholas. The picture of Santa Claus, as we see him, came from Thomas Nast. He was an American painter born in Bavaria. He painted pictures for Christmas poems. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany. Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood. And through the years, Nast’s painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus. [Learning English]

Bishop Nicholas of Myra was the original Santa Claus. During the persecution of Christians in the 4th Century in what is now Turkey, Bishop Nicholas was imprisoned and died at a young age. Nicholas had been a well loved to those he administered for his kindness to children. His transformation into Father Christmas began in Germany and was carried to North America by 17th Century German settlers.

5ff9eb38-92b6-405c-aa0a-96cf97f2017e_w610_r1_s

The Dutch version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, and his blackface helpers Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) arrive by steamboat in Hoorn, northwestern Netherlands, Nov. 16, 2013. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/santa-claus-saint-nick-kris-kringle-pelznickel-thomas-nast/1794841.html

While there are no written records of the origin of the Christmas Stocking, there are popular legends that attempt to tell the history of this Christmas tradition. One such legend has several variations, but the following is a good example: Very long ago, there lived a poor man and his three very beautiful daughters. He had no money to get his daughters married, and he was worried what would happen to them after his death. Saint Nicholas was passing through when he heard the villagers talking about the girls. St. Nicholas wanted to help, but knew that the old man wouldn’t accept charity. He decided to help in secret. After dark he threw three bags of gold through an open window, one landed in a stocking. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning they found the bags of gold and were, of course, overjoyed. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after. Other versions of the story say that Saint Nicholas threw the three bags of gold directly into the stockings which were hung by the fireplace to dry. [Morris, Desmond (1992). Christmas Watching. Jonathan Cape. pp. 14–15.]

Posted in Christmas, customs and tradiitons, food and drink, history, holidays | Tagged Christmas, history, holidays, traditions | 5 Comments

Products of the Stillroom: Mincemeat Filling and Christmas Pudding, a Guest Post from Diana J Oaks

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 13, 2021. Enjoy!

When we hear that Christmas trees and decorations didn’t go up before Christmas Eve in the Regency household, it might lead us to assume that Christmas celebrations involved little advance preparation. The reality belies that supposition, as stillroom work for Christmas would actually begin up to a year in advance. This early activity is because that is how long it takes for traditional mincemeat filling to properly age. This is a form of preserves, which in a household that has a stillroom, would typically fall under the purview of the stillroom. The same is true of the curing period and the periodic “feeding” of the Christmas pudding.

The consumption of mince pies and other spiced meat dishes dates to medieval times. By the Georgian period, however, those early receipts had been adapted and evolved substantially. In some cases, the meat had been removed from the ingredients list entirely, although the use of suet, a form of fat obtained from near animal’s kidneys, was still a standard ingredient meaning they weren’t exactly vegetarian either.

Christmas Pie by William Henry Hunt – Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12146197

The evolution of the receipt (recipe) from the medieval dish to the Georgian versions began with returning Crusaders who introduced Eastern spices to Great Britain. Three of these, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon – were added by cooks with the addition of a religious angle that related the dishes to Christmas. These spices were said to represent the Three Wise Men. Smaller, mincemeat “hand-pies” were also made, often with a top crust in the shape of a star. Access to and the affordability of sugar set the stage for reduction or removal of meat leading to the sweet version that was commonly made by the end of the Georgian period.

The aging process was critical to making a quality mince filling since the flavors were intensified during this curing period. The color of the mixture darkened, and as the alcohol evaporated a bit, the rich flavor became more concentrated. Interestingly, the instructions just say to keep it covered in a dry cool place without reference to the length of time.

Four to six weeks before Christmas, the Christmas Pudding is made. As with the mincemeat, this curing was an important phase during which time the flavors intensified, the pudding darkened, and the persons watching over the process would periodically–once a week or so–trickle a spoonful of brandy, rum, or a dark beer over the pudding. Christmas puddings come in many varieties, the two most commonly heard of being the figgy pudding of We Wish you a Merry Christmas fame and plum pudding.

There are religious symbols that grew out of the “Christmas Pudding” tradition. The mixture was supposed to be stirred east to west, as a nod to the Wisemen who came from the east, and every family member participating and making a wish as they stirred. Most recipes included thirteen ingredients, said to represent Jesus and his twelve disciples. Christmas day introduced additional symbols around the rich dessert. A sprig of holly was placed on top to represent the crown of thorns that was put on Jesus’ head when he was crucified. Alcohol poured over the pudding is set afire at the table in a display said to represent His love and power.

I find myself rather curious about what the fuss is about, having never tasted a Christmas pudding myself. Here’s a recipe and tutorial if you (like me) would like to make an attempt at making a Regency Christmas Pudding.

Have you ever had mince pie or Christmas Pudding? If so, do you like it? If not, is it something you would like to try to either make or taste? Do you have room in the back of your refrigerator for a bottle of mincemeat to cure for a year? I’ll confess that I’ve tried a couple of mincemeat pies and so far, I’m not a fan. I’m game to try the pudding though.

Posted in Austen Authors, Christmas, food and drink, Guest Post, history, holidays | Tagged Austen Authors, Christmas, Diana J Oaks, food, guest post, history, holidays | 2 Comments

A Salute to My Grandfather

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

This past weekend would have been my late grandfather’s birthday. He passed in 1984, one month prior to my son’s birth.

If some day someone cared to ask about those who influenced me, he would be at the top of the list. He was more than a grandparent. He was a replacement father.

My parents separated shortly after my birth. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, this was an aberration. Yet, he supported me through school with weekly allowances. He purchased my first bicycle, which ironically has the original license plate on it – the same year I was born. Whether that was purposeful or not, I cannot say. And yes, I still own the bike though there are no means to do replace parts for it, but I have toted it from one household to the next over five different states.

His support was even more important when one realizes I have no memory of my paternal grandfather for he died when I was quite young. Heck, there was some thirty+ years between when I was young and in a stroller and my father’s death. That is how long it was between my seeing my paternal grandmother and my father’s funeral.

My maternal grandmother, my grandfather’s first wife, died of cancer before I was born, so, obviously, this man was the only grandparent I had in my life.

He cosigned for my first three cars. He gave me money towards college, though I quite literally worked my way through school. No student loans in those days. A few scholarships and perseverance. A bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. He sat through each graduation ceremony and beamed with pride.

He took me on my first vacation; it was to the Jersey shores. His brother-in-law played in the Lawrence Welk band. Doesn’t sound like much to those who were not alive then, but we were able to go to the show. Big time fun when you are about 12 years old.

He taught me how to drive, and “if” (and I am not saying I do) I still have a lead foot, it was learned at his hands. He taught me how to change a spark plug and other things no one can do nowadays for the engines of cars are pretty much a motorized computer. He came to my award programs and loved me in the special way of all grandparents.

For a living, my grandfather built boxcars for American Car and Foundry, but outside of work, one never saw him in anything other than a suit, dress shirt, tie, and a hat. He even wore a dress shirt when he bowled, which was his leisure sport. He was quite good at the bowling. He wanted me to me equally as adapt, but I was purely mediocre, though we had fun together. I would go watch him when he played in the various bowling leagues.

So, this weekend I was missing him greatly. He came from good stock. Hard working people who did what was necessary and without complaint. His generation was the one that rebuilt this country after World Wars I and II and the Korean War. He was remarkably ordinary and ordinarily remarkable at the same time.

Posted in birthdays, family | Tagged Birthdays, family, grandparents | 4 Comments

“Deck the Hall” with Music and History

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Regina Jeffers

I recently attended the local Christmas Parade for our rural community. You can keep your Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, for there is nothing better than watching young children scrambling for candy thrown by the various floats. Young, shining face, full of joy and potential. Local marching bands. A variety of parade princesses and queens. A few politicians. Church groups. Bikers. And even a couple of refuse removal trucks, cleaned and not smelling of trash. LOL!

While my family and I waited for the parade to begin, I entertained my grandchildren by showing them some of the goodies at “Backstage,” a shop that carries unique vintage costumes and accessories (to purchase or rent on consignment), situated in a building built in 1875. My grandson was most impressed with the weight of “REAL” swords and guns (actually stage props, but they looked REAL). My granddaughters loved the bonnets and masks and the crowns.

During that time, Judy Craycraft, the shop owner and former principal violinist spoke of theatre and music, etc. One of things we spoke of was the Christmas carols we were likely to hear from the bands as they marched along. When we came to “Deck the Halls,” our knowledge of the song combined. We spoke over each other: my comments dwelling on the Welsh history of the Christmas classic and hers of the musicality of the piece. Later, when the high school band playing the song came by, we discovered we sang some of the phrases differently. Doing so hatched an idea for this post.

“Deck the Hall” comes to us via a Welsh melody from the 16th Century. The melody is taken from “Nos Galan,” a traditional New Year’s Eve carol, published in 1794, although it is likely much older. [Goldstein, Jack (12 Nov 2013). 10 Amazing Christmas Carols, Volume 2.] John Parry (known as Parri Ddall, Rhiwabon (or, in English, Blind Parry of Ruabon) was the first to record the Welsh air in a musical manuscript of the 1700s. Parry, who is said to have inspired Thomas Gray’s 1757 poem “The Bard,” dictated the air to his fellow-compiler, Evan Williams, his manuscript Antient British Music, published in 1741). In it was an unnamed ‘aria’ which is now called “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly.” Later, the song was published and named “Nos Galan.” It was found in Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards (1784) by Edward Jones. The melody is Welsh, but the lyrics come to us via the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, dating the piece to 1862.

Poet John Ceiriog Hughes wrote his own lyrics to the tune. A middle verse was added by various singers, the lines changing from artist to artist. Reportedly, the melody was used by Mozart in a duet for violin and piano, “Sonata No. 18.” [“Christmas carols — William Studwell’s Christmas Carols of the Year series – chicagotribune.com”. The Chicago Tribune. Tribune Newspapers. 2010.] Later, Haydn used it in the song “New Year’s Night.”

“Originally, carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse—known as canu penillion dull y De (“singing verses in the southern style”). Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as “carols”.

“The Welsh and English lyrics found in the earliest publication of the “Nos Galan” melody are as follows: