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When Was a Presentation of a “Living” Not for Life? + Release of “The Mistress of Rosings Park” + a Giveaway

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Regina Jeffers

One of my editors for The Mistress of Rosings Park presented me a question that I thought I should address to all, not just to her. In my story, Mr. Darcy assumes control of Rosings Park after the death of his wife, the former Anne de Bourgh. I understood what I planned to happen to Mr. Collins’s “living,” the one presented to him by Lady Catherine, but still my editor pointed out that she understood that a living was for life and could not be rescinded. That is a common belief, but there were means around the situation.

First, we must acknowledge that to hold a living, meaning retain it for life, the man had to be a rector as in residing in the rectory, vicarage, or parsonage, the “free” home presented to him along with his employment and his duties. A rector had the legal right to the living and could not be forced out unless he had acted in some manner against the church or his duties to his parishioners. Do recall there were NO pension plans upon which an elderly rector could hang his hat. For a variety of reasons, it was important to keep the living as a life term. The rector had the right to lay claim all the money associated with the living.

The income allotted to the rector came from two sources: (1) glebe land, meaning a small farm, a tradition carried forward from mediaeval times when the parish priest was responsible for growing his own food. By the Regency era, the rector would customarily made an arrangement with a local farmer to manage the land in return for part of the crop produced thereon or he let it out to a farmer and used the rent money to purchase the food he required for his household. Naturally, any extra produce could be sold to others, resulting in more income. (2) Tithes, a church tax in the amount of 10% charged against certain land holdings, different properties in the parish, and the crops produced. The rector was expected to collect these tithes himself, meaning he was a “tax collector” who often had to deal with those who defaulted on their payments. These taxes were paid on specific days each year—usually two days, but sometimes quarterly payments were arranged. The person owing the tax would bring it to the rector’s home, where he was served a good meal and plenty to drink in return.

A vicar, on the other hand, could only lay claim to the income allowed him by the rector. A vicar was a “deputy” for the rector, usually meaning a rector was not willing to serve the parish himself. This usually happened if the rectorship was owned by a college or other institution or by a lay-person.

A rector and a vicar could be considered curates for that particular word referred to the ordained person who “cured” the souls of the parish, but, by the Regency era, it had come to a different definition. A curate was a salaried assistant, deputy or locum, who was paid a stipend or salary by the rector or vicar to whom he reported. One might recall in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” Captain Wentworth’s brother was a curate. A perpetual curate, a term also found during the Regency was a curate with no allegiance to a rector or vicar. He was employed through an endowment or a charity. He received a salary, but nothing from the tithes.

In Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we learn: ” Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner; but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.”

Austen’s father was a rector of Deane and of Steventon in Hampshire. Orphaned at the age of nine, George Austen (and his sister Philadelphia) were taken in my Uncle Francis Austen, a rich man. After attending Tonbridge School and St John’s College, his uncle purchased the living at Deane for him. His cousin presented him the living at Steventon, which was turned over to his son James when he retired.

The point is, Jane Austen understood the legality of a “living.”

So, how do I remove Mr. Collins if he has been presented a living, for a living is for life?

During the Georgian era, receiving a living depended upon patronage or influence. The patron or patroness, in this instance, “presented” the living to a clergyman. HOWEVER, it was still up to the diocesan bishop to accept or deny the presentation. The only exception would be a “gift” of the living from the bishop himself. Remember the right of presentation could be bought or sold. The rich and influential would use this “loophole” as a means to hold the living for younger sons. Granting patronage occurred where there was the most advantage. The livings held by Oxford and Cambridge were reserved to provide a career for fellows of the university or alumni. Landed gentry presented their holdings to family members or favorites of the family.

So, I ask you: What if Lady Catherine who likely has no right to Rosings Park (unless Sir Lewis left it to her in his will, rather than to leave it to his daughter Anne or have it pass to another person in the male line of succession) presents Mr. Collins with a living, but the diocesan bishop never approved of the presentation? Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!!!

For additional reading on the Clergy during Austen’s time, you might find this piece from Elaine Owen on the Austen Authors’ blog valuable. I certainly did.

Enjoy this short excerpt from The Mistress of Rosings Park, currently on preorder and available on 8 January 2021.

Late June 1813

“That dreadful man will arrive tomorrow,” Lady Catherine de Bourgh bemoaned. “And I have had no opportunity to remove to the dower house.”

“There. There,” Mr. Collins commiserated. “Mrs. Collins and I will assist you. Your situation, if I may be so bold to say, is a true travesty, my lady. A travesty indeed.”

From her position in a chair in the corner of the room, Elizabeth Bennet watched in mild amusement as her father’s cousin attempted to calm the latest round of hysterics displayed by the grand dame of Rosings Park. Mr. Collins, who continually genuflected before his patroness, was a comical creature without even attempting to be so. Elizabeth said a silent prayer of blessing that the man had not become her husband; yet, she again pitied her long-time friend, Charlotte Lucas, who had readily accepted the man’s proposal out of fear of becoming a burden to her family.

In truth, Elizabeth had been surprised to receive an invitation for a visit to Kent from the Collinses. She suspected Mr. Collins had agreed in order to prove to Elizabeth she had made a mistake in refusing him. The situation had been poorly played by all, and her relationship with Charlotte had suffered greatly. Their bond had been badly shaken by her friend’s acceptance of Mr. Collins’s hand, a man who had proposed to Elizabeth and been rejected fewer than two hours prior to his proposal to Charlotte.

The scene of the man’s insolent superiority played through Elizabeth’s head as she watched Mr. Collins attempt to soothe Lady Catherine’s vexations.

“I am not now to learn,” replied Mr. Collins with a formal wave of his hand, “that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favor; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time. I am, therefore, by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.”

“Upon my word, sir,” Elizabeth had cried, “your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies, if such young ladies there are, who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world to make you so. Nay, were your friend, Lady Catherine, to know me, I am perfectly persuaded she would find me in every respect ill-qualified for the situation.”

Elizabeth had been correct. At home, it was Jane and Mary who tended to their mother’s “nerves.” Elizabeth would certainly not be as solicitous to Lady Catherine’s vapors as were the Collinses. She was more likely to tell the woman to “saddle up.” Even so, she understood the Collinses’ position in this melodrama.

Earlier, Charlotte had explained that Rosings Park had passed to Lady Catherine’s daughter when the young woman reached her majority, although it appeared to Elizabeth as if her ladyship had continued to run the estate. Miss Anne de Bourgh had married and had removed to her new husband’s estate. Much to the chagrin of all concerned, reportedly, Miss de Bourgh had passed within months of her marriage, and the property now belonged to the lady’s husband. However, Lady Catherine had yet to abdicate her rule over the estate, which was none of Elizabeth’s business, but, if anyone had been foolish enough to ask, she would agree the estate could use a different hand on the helm. Despite the manor house being a true showcase, on her short walk of the grounds yesterday after services, she had noted how the parkland and the formal gardens did not reflect the same style of care as did the house.

Elizabeth instinctively glanced to the window which overlooked the undulating lawn. She would love to claim a long walk in the park, but, if Mr. Collins meant to tend to Lady Catherine’s hysterics, the possibility of doing so was slim. It was not as if she could simply pardon herself and leave for a stroll about the grounds while her cousin was thus engaged. She realized this was an important moment in Mr. Collins’s life, for, if Lady Catherine was no longer in control of Rosings Park, what became of Mr. Collins’s living? Obviously, Lady Catherine had presented Mr. Collins the Hunsford living, but had the diocesan bishop accepted the presentation? If not, Mr. Collins’s position could be called in question.

And what would become of Charlotte’s future? Elizabeth would not like to view Charlotte living in poverty. She could not help but to wonder how much was the living Lady Catherine presented to Mr. Collins worth? Elizabeth knew some vicars lived on as little as thirty pounds per year. She suspected Mr. Collins received more, but how much more? It would take somewhere around one hundred pounds per year for the illusion of a modest lifestyle, which was what Elizabeth observed at Hunsford Cottage. However, it was well understood that the right of presentation could be bought and sold. Was her father’s cousin receiving any of the tithes? She would write to her father and ask him what he knew of Mr. Collins’s position. Like her mother, Elizabeth had made some assumptions regarding Lady Catherine’s presentation of the living; none of the Bennets, perhaps with the exception of her father had thought to question Mr. Collins’s constant praise of Lady Catherine’s generosity. After viewing her ladyship’s lack of care of parts of the estate, Elizabeth thought perhaps having her ladyship as Mr. Collins’s patroness might not be such a blessing, after all. She could not image her father’s cousin had come away his days at Oxford with glowing reports. Perhaps he was acting in the place of another, more in the role of curate, and had not told anyone of the fragility of his position. Elizabeth made a silent promise to remain at Rosings to determine if she might be of service to her friend and mend the gap that had split their friendship nearly a year prior and to learn the truth of Mr. Collins’s role in Hunsford’s future.

Her thoughts were thusly engaged on what she might do to assist Charlotte beyond taking over some of her friend’s duties at Hunsford Cottage when the “play” before her shifted with the entrance of new character.

“The Earl of Matlock, my lady,” the butler announced unexpectedly.

_____________________________________

THE MISTRESS OF ROSINGS PARK: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VAGARY

ARRIVING FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021

I much prefer the sharp criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses. – Johannes Kepler

When she arrives at Hunsford Cottage for a visit with her long-time friend Charlotte Collins, Elizabeth Bennet does not expect the melodrama awaiting her at Rosings Park.

Mrs. Anne Darcy, nee de Bourgh, has passed, and Rosings Park is, by law, the property of the woman’s husband, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy; yet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh is not ready to abandon the mansion over which she has served as mistress for thirty years. Elizabeth holds sympathy for her ladyship’s situation. After all, Elizabeth’s mother will eventually be banished from Longbourn when Mr. Bennet passes without male issue. She inherently understands Lady Catherine’s “hysterics,” while not necessarily condoning them, for her ladyship will have the luxury of the right to the estate’s dower house, and, moreover, it is obvious Rosings Park requires the hand of a more knowledgeable overseer. Therefore, Elizabeth takes on the task of easing Lady Catherine’s transition to dowager baronetess, but doing so places Elizabeth often in the company of the “odious” Mr. Darcy, a man Lady Catherine claims poisoned her daughter Anne in order to claim Rosings Park as his own.

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GIVEAWAY: I HAVE 2 eBOOK COPIES OF THE MISTRESS OF ROSINGS PARK AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO COMMENT BELOW. THE GIVEAWAY WILL END AT MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021. THE WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL, AND THE PRIZES DELIVERED ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 8.

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged Church of England, curate, excerpt, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Publishing, rector, Regency Era, research, The Mistress of Rosings Park, Vagary, variation, vicar, writing | 10 Comments

Celebrating the Release of “Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play” and the Gift of a Happily Ever After for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play

Release Day: December 29, 2020

Thank you so much for having me as a guest today, Regina!

My contribution to the Tragic Characters in Classic Literature Series is a retelling of Macbeth. The real Macbeth had a fairly successful (though of course, bloody) reign in eleventh century Scotland, even making a pilgrimage to Rome.

More dramatic are Shakespeare’s hero and his lady, characters truly unfit to star in a Regency romance novel. Heavens! Not only do they not have a Happily-Ever-After, they both die!

And so, with the complete artistic license and abundance of hubris we series authors are claiming, I set about bringing Lord and Lady Macbeth back from the dead and setting them in Regency England.

Resurrected

Fated Hearts takes place twenty years after Macbeth’s and his lady’s “demise”, i.e., the failure of a disastrous lawsuit, allegations of infidelity, and a divorce that sent Macbeth off to fight in the wars with France and his wife into a hole of depression that has taken years to climb out of.

With Napoleon vanquished, Macbeth is on half-pay in London, seeking employment. His ex-wife has traveled there also, on the chance of confronting him and introducing him to the daughter he disavowed. Meanwhile, an old villain has also appeared to plague them. Older and wiser, they meet again in London in March 1815 during the worst of the Corn Riots, in a week that ends with the arrival of news that Bonaparte has escaped from Elba.

While the hero and heroine were easy to identify, lining up the rest of the characters for my retelling was harder. I decided to dispense with Duncan’s second son, as well as the entire MacDuff family, and, to lighten the tone, I added the characters of their daughter Lucie, and Macbeth’s servant.

Here are the main characters:

Major Finnley Macbeth, Baron of Calder, late of the Highland Regiment that served in the Peninsular War.

Greer Douglas, the former Greer Macbeth, Baroness of Calder. The real Lady Macbeth’s name was believed to be Gruoch.

Lucie Macbeth, their feisty daughter. The real Macbeth had a stepson named Lulach.

Duncan, in my story, is the late Earl of Menteith, who Macbeth sued unsuccessfully twenty years earlier. His son, Malcolm, now holds the title, and is being threatened by the villain.

Giles Banquo, is a cousin to both Duncan and Macbeth.

What about the witches?

Shakespeare’s Scottish play revolves around the characters’ bloody thirst for power incited by the strong paranormal element, the prophesying of the witches. A Romance Hero wouldn’t go about killing people to get his hands on a title—so I decided to give that task over to the villain.

To add in the paranormal element, the backstory includes a “witch” whose prophecy incites the villain, plus our hero has enough of the Sight to sense when the people he loves are in danger.

Those Men in Kilts and other Scottish Issues

Developing the story required some research into the deployment of the Highland regiments and uniforms, an enjoyable rabbit hole with men in kilts! Here’s a link to my blog post on this subject. In short, in Wellington’s Peninsular campaign, the rank-and-file wore kilts but the officers wore trousers.

In my first draft, I referred to the hero and heroine as “lord and lady”. But, I stumbled across some information about the Lord Lyon and Scottish titles and realized I’d better do a bit more research. My discoveries required some revising, but on the plus side, the ways in which Scottish baronial titles can be conveyed worked very well into the story. Wikimedia has a fascinating article on this subject.

Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play

Blurb:

Plagued by hellish memories and rattling visions of battle to come, a Scottish Baron returning from two decades at war meets the daughter he denied was his, and the wife he divorced, and learns that everything he’d believed to be true was a lie. What he can’t deny is that she’s the only woman he’s ever loved. They’re not the young lovers they once were, but when passion flares, it burns more hotly than ever it did in their youth.

They soon discover, it wasn’t fate that drove them apart, but a jealous enemy, who played on his youthful arrogance and her vulnerability. Now that old enemy has resurfaced, more treacherous than ever. When his lady falls into a trap, can he reach her in time to rescue this love that never died?

Excerpt:

A crush was what they called these suffocating occasions, and the term was apt.

Major Finnley Macbeth, Scottish baron and late of his majesty’s Highland Brigade, shifted his weight from the leg that still ached like the devil, and scanned the room for his quarry, an undersecretary in the Home Office who he’d met at the army’s winter quarters in Frenada.

From his spot near a damask covered wall, he measured each breath, trying to calm his rising unease. The heavy scent of perfume mixed with fine beeswax and hothouse florals unsettled more than his stomach. The shimmering silks and waving plumes threatened to stir the disquieting visions plaguing him lately.

Fire, explosions, rain, the screams of men and horse.

He squeezed his hands into fists. These were not the hellish memories of the recent past, dammit, but rattling visions of some battle yet to come.

Or not. Foretelling the future was for Travellers and crones, wasn’t it? Not battle-hardened men like himself.

He inhaled slowly, holding the breath for a count, and then eased the air out. Best keep his purpose in mind—he was here to track down Sir Thomas Abernathy, lately arrived in London, and rumored to be attending this rout.

His gaze swept the room, seeking the distinctive bald pate. In spite of his own forty-three years, his eyesight was still keen enough to make out a sniper or spot the dust of a fleeing stag. Keen enough as well to relish the deep décolletages and clinging, delicate, almost transparent skirts on display this night, a vision far more cheering than the one the Sight was showing him.

A more modestly clad woman stood alone halfway across the ballroom, her back turned to him, surveying the room as he was doing.

A memory stabbed him, laced with an old shame. He’d once known a lass with hair like this, so abundant, so near to black. The lady tonight had crowned all the loveliness with dark feathers, like a glorious cormorant. His hand itched to pull out those feathers and rake his hands through the tumble of hair, as he’d once done…

He caught a steadying breath. It couldn’t be her. He’d simply been without a woman too long.

And these visions plaguing him of he knew not what? That foolishness grew from naught but fatigue, the wages of war, and the steady company of too much death. Napoleon had been defeated. He must put the memories of battle and that more distant passion aside. The lovely lady with feathers atop her head was only a stranger wondering where her man had got to.

Yet he couldn’t turn away. As he watched, she pivoted one way, and then the other, allowing a glimpse of dangling earbobs and a firm chin.

Drawn to her, he stepped out on his bad leg just as she turned.

Pain shot through his hip. The room threatened to fall away but he held onto the pain, let it shore him up whilst he swore a silent curse.

It was her.

Buy Links:

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Meet Alina K. Field:

Award winning and USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California, where she shares a midcentury home with her husband and a spunky, blond rescued terrier. She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. Though hard at work on her next series of romantic adventures, she loves to hear from readers!

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The Books in the Tragic Characters in Classic Lit Series:

The Monster Within, the Monster Without by Lindsay Downs – November 7, 2020 (Frankenstein)

I Shot the Sheriff by Regina Jeffers – November 30, 2020 (Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham)

The Colonel’s Spinster by Audrey Harrison – December 8, 2020 (Pride and Prejudice)

Fated Hearts by Alina K. Field – December 29, 2020 (Macbeth)

The Redemption of Heathcliff by Alanna Lucas – January 1, 2021 (Wuthering Heights)

The Company She Keeps by Nancy Lawrence – January 11, 2021 (Madame Bovary)

Captain Stanwick’s Bride by Regina Jeffers – February 19, 2021 (The Courtship of Miles Standish)

Glorious Obsession by Louisa Cornell – February 26, 2021 (Orpheus and Eurydice)

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, England, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Guest Post, heroines, historical fiction, history, legends and myths, literature, military, reading habits, real life tales, Regency romance, Scotland, suspense, writing | Tagged Alina K. Field, book excerpt, book release, British history, Georgian Era, guest post, heroes, heroines, historical fiction, Macbeth, Napoleonic Wars, Romantic Suspense, Scotland, Shakespeare, Tragic Characters in Classic Lit Series | 10 Comments

December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent, Ending the Last War Between the United States and the UK

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

On December 24, 1814, British and American diplomates signed the Treaty of Ghent, bringing about an end to the War of 1812, the only war in which America and the United Kingdom took aim at each other. In the War of 1812, caused by British restrictions on U.S. trade and America’s desire to expand its territory, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain. By terms of the treaty, all conquered territory was to be returned, and commissions were planned to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada.

This event plays a role in my current Work in Progress, Captain Stanwick’s Bride, which will release February 19, 2021.

The United States declared war on the United Kingdom on June 12, 1812. The issues included the British economic blockade of France, the impressment of thousands of neutral American seamen into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier.

The Western and Southern states were more inclined for war. They believed they should take advantage of the UK being preoccupied with Napoleon on the European Continent, they could claim territory in both Canada and British-protected Florida.

My new novel begins with the Battle of Thames in October 1813. With the U.S. navy’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813, Brigadier General Henry A. Procter, the British commander at Detroit, ordered a hasty retreat across the Ontario peninsula. Major General William Henry Harrison and 3,500 U.S. troops and militia pursued the retreating British forces. They were supported by the U.S. fleet, which held command over Lake Erie. The forces met early on October 5, the British having abandoned their breakfast, near Moraviantown on the Thames River. The British were outnumbered more than 2 to 1. They had 600 regulars and 1,000 Indian allies under Tecumseh, the Shawnee leader, and the war chief Roundhead of the Wyandott tribe. The American infantry and cavalry drove off the the British and then defeated the Indians, who were demoralized by the deaths of Tecumseh and Roundhead in action. American control was re-established in the Detroit area, the tribal confederacy collapsed, and Procter was court-martialled for his poor leadership. Many British troops were captured, including the hero of my tale. The defeat destroyed the Indian alliance and broke the power the tribes had over the Ohio and Indiana territories. Many of the tribes abandoned their association with the British forces after this defeat.

Battle of the Thames and the death of Tecumseh, by the Kentucky mounted volunteers led by Colonel Richard M. Johnson, 5th Oct. 1813. Lithograph, hand coloured. ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Thames#/media/File:Battle_of_the_Thames.PNG

In the months following the American success on Lake Erie, the U.S. launched a three-point invasion of Canada, none of which were successful. Yet, for a time, they were more successful on the lakes marking the Canadian border and a series of victories along the coast, but, eventually, Britain regained control of the sea and blockaded the Eastern seaboard of the U.S.

With Napoleonic initial capture in 1814, the British were able to allocate more military resources to the American war, and they meant to be done with the “nasty little fly in the ointment.” British troops marched on the U.S. capital of Washington City on August 24, 1814. The British troops, under Major General Robert Ross, knew success at the Battle of Bladensburg and marched on the U.S. capital. They set fire to multiple government and military buildings, including the Presidential Mansion and the Capitol building. President James Madison and other government officials had already fled the city after the British defeat at Bladensburg.

On the day following the attack, a sudden, exceedingly heavy thunderstorm, some say, possibly a hurricane, arrived, putting out the fires. It also spun off a tornado that passed through the center of Washington City, supposedly setting down along what is now called Constitution Avenue and lifting two cannons into the air before dropping them several years away. After the storm, the British returned to their ships, many of which now required repairs due to the storm. The occupation of Washington lasted 26 hours.

On September 11, 1814, the British forces were driven back by the American naval forces under Thomas Macdonough at the Battle of Plattsburg in New York on Lake Champlain. Sir George Prevost and his troops were forced to abandon its part of the British invasion of the United States and retreat into Canada.

“On the morning of September 12, 1814, a British force of 9,000 men landed at North Point, Maryland, with the intention of marching inland and capturing Baltimore. Brig. Gen. John Stricker, commander of the 3d Brigade of the Maryland militia, was ordered to delay the British advance so that the defense entrenchments around the city could be completed. The 5th regiment was assigned the task of holding the American right flank. Despite two hours of artillery and rocket fire, the 5th Maryland stood their ground. After inflicting some 300 casualties, the 5th was order to fall back to a new position in front of the Baltimore trenches. The British army, exhausted by the fighting and surprised by the stubborn defense of the Maryland militia, withdrew, while the British navy failed to silence the guns of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.” (National Guard)

lithograph reproduction based on the 1814/15 painting of the battle of North Point, by militia man Thomas Ruckle ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_North_Point#/media/File:Lithograph_of_painting_byThomas_Ruckle.jpg

The fall of Fort McHenry, the battle taking place on September 13-14, 1814, was vital to the British plan, as the British Navy could not properly assist the land forces. However, Fort McHenry withstood the twenty-seven hours of bombardment, an event that would inspire Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would eventually become “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The British fleet soon withdrew, ending their invasion of the Chesapeake Bay.

“The American victory on Lake Champlain led to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, and on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the war. Although the treaty said nothing about two of the key issues that started the war–the rights of neutral U.S. vessels and the impressment of U.S. sailors–it did open up the Great Lakes region to American expansion and was hailed as a diplomatic victory in the United States.

“News of the treaty took almost two months to cross the Atlantic, and British forces were not informed of the end of hostilities in time to end their drive against the mouth of the Mississippi River. On January 8, 1815, a large British army attacked New Orleans and was decimated by an inferior American force under General Andrew Jackson in the most spectacular U.S. victory of the war. The American public heard of the Battle of New Orleans and the Treaty of Ghent at approximately the same time, fostering a greater sentiment of self-confidence and shared identity throughout the young republic.” [Treaty of Ghent]

Posted in American History, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, military, political stance, Regency era, research, War of 1812, weaponry, weather | Tagged American history, British history, Captain Stanwick's Bride, Georgian England, history, military, Politics, Regency Era, research, The Battle of Fort McHenry, The Battle of North Point, The Battle of the Thames, Treaty of Ghent, War of 1812, weather | Comments Off

The Significance of Birth Order in Jane Austen’s Novels, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, “the seventh of eight children of a clergyman in a country village in Hampshire, England. Jane was very close to her older sister, Cassandra, who remained her faithful editor and critic throughout her life. The girls had five years of formal schooling, then studied with their father. Jane read voraciously and began writing stories as early as age 12, completing a novella at age 14.” (This Day in History)

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on June 25, 2019. Let us determine whether Austen herself fits the mold. Enjoy!

Birth order has an impact on your personality and behaviour, according to many psychologists. Some of the stereotypes related to sibling birth order have primarily been confirmed by scientific studies, but at Jane Austen’s time, such observations would have remained anecdotal only.

Whether you trust said studies or not, it is worth checking out what this observant writer, so talented at describing human emotions, behaviours and interactions, made of the supposed characteristics of children born in the same family, depending on their birth order.

Firstborns, the Responsible Ones?

When it comes to firstborns, stereotypes abound. Because they enjoy the attention of both parents, firstborns are supposedly born leaders, conscientious and responsible achievers, and at the same time tend to be overly cautious, perfectionists and even controlling.

Some of Jane Austen’s characters who are firstborns neatly fit in this category, and you need not look further than collected Elinor Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility, always so organised and responsible (Mrs Dashwood definitely wasn’t a firstborn!). Charlotte Lucas of Pride and Prejudice, who opts for financial security in the shape of a marriage of convenience rather than becoming a burden for her family, is another sensible older sibling.

Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and Mr Knightley in Emma are further examples of firstborn children whose diligence and sense of responsibility for the lives of others are acute, and who respect their elders and want to be the best at everything they do. But this attitude is not always laudable, in Jane Austen’s opinion: Sense and Sensibility‘s Edward Ferrars has such a warped sense of honour that he is prepared to marry a silly woman simply because he promised to do so as a bored young man.

Not all firstborns fit the idealistic picture of duty and respectability. Elizabeth Elliot, Anne’s eldest sister in Persuasion, is selfish, hedonistic, snobby and full of her own firstborn privilege as the eldest Elliot daughter. Tommy Bertram of Mansfield Park is charming and fun, but also thoughtless, even callous, to the point that his spending habits put his brother Edmund’s inheritance and future happiness in jeopardy.

Free-spirited Last Borns

At the other end of the spectrum, we find the baby of the family. Youngest children are supposed to have benefited from their parents’ increasingly lax approach to parenting, especially if there are several siblings between them and the firstborn. They are often accused of being attention-seekers, but on the plus side, they tend to behave in uncomplicated, spontaneous ways.

Lydia Bennet, Elizabeth’s baby sister in Pride and Prejudice, is the Austen character that most closely fits the stereotype. She is fun-loving and outgoing, but also self-centred and manipulative. Lydia elopes with the man she wants without thinking of the consequences. Marrying without parental consent was a severe affront to the family, and therefore a rare occurrence, but interestingly, Mansfield Park’s Julia Bertram, who also elopes, happens to be the youngest Bertram sibling.

To find out what happens when freedom-loving youngest children acquire responsibilities, look no further than Mary Musgrove, the youngest Elliot sister in Persuasion. Mary has a knack for getting others (particularly her sister Anne) to stand in for her when it comes to dealing with the less unpleasant aspects of being a grown-up, such as having to miss out on social occasions on account of sick children.

Amongst the men, there is perhaps a no better example of a spoilt youngest child in Austen’s novels than the foolish Robert Ferrars, Edward Ferrars’ younger brother in Sense and Sensibility. The first time Elinor meets him, at a jeweller’s, he is buying a fancy and ridiculously expensive toothpick case. Need I say more?

Middle Children, the Great Question Mark

What about the children who fall in the middle in sibling birth order? It turns out that they are a bit of a mystery and can turn out either way. In some cases, their behaviour is close to what one might expect from the stereotypical older sibling. Mansfield Park’s Edmund Bertram is a man of honour who cares about those less privileged than himself and is prepared to forfeit their future happiness because of a higher sense of morality. He will not contemplate not going into the church, as is his vocation, even if this means renouncing the woman he loves.

Anne Elliot of Persuasion is another example of a middle child behaving in a far more sensible way than her elder siblings. She is also a bit of a loner, a trait that she shares with Mary Bennet, the middle child in Pride and Prejudice. Poor Mary is definitely the odd one out amongst the Bennet sisters, not just because she isn’t as pretty as the rest of them, but also because the other four are so clearly paired off from the beginning.

There are also instances of middle children who refuse to blend into the familial background and stand out to find a place within the family. In Sense and Sensibility, Marianne Dashwood is not exactly a wallflower, drawing attention to herself at every possible occasion. In Pride and Prejudice, spirited Elizabeth Bennet is her father’s favourite and the most magnetic of all five sisters.

All in all, I am sure that Austen would have agreed with Dr Kevin Leman, a psychologist who has studied birth order for decades, who said that “the one thing you can bet your paycheck on is the firstborn and second-born in any given family are going to be different.”

What do you make of Austen’s depiction of birth order and the impact it has on the personalities of her characters? Do you identify as one character in particular?

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, customs and tradiitons, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, reading, real life tales, writing | Tagged Birth Order, Eliza Shearer, Emma, family, guest post, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility | Comments Off

Christmas Carols Jane Austen Might Have Known, a Guest Post from Jann Rowland

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors in December 2016. I thought you might enjoy it, given the time of the year.

As anyone who knows me will attest, I love music, and I also love Christmas. But while do enjoy Santa Claus and Jingle Bells, I am more partial to sacred music which has, at its heart, a message of the birth of the Savior of the world.

Thus, for my post this month, I thought it might be an interesting idea to talk about Christmas carols, but with a twist. Singing Christmas carols and wassailing was not a custom of Regency times; most of the information I uncovered suggests it was more prominent in Victorian times. But our favorite Regency author still would have been familiar with Christmas carols, and would have sung them with her family, at church, and during events of the neighborhood in which she lived.

If I was creating a comprehensive list of favorite Christmas carols, I would include many that do not fit in this list. O Holy Night is a personal favorite, but it was not written until the 1850s. The Huron Carol is beloved in Canada and it is certainly old enough, dating back to the 17^th century in the original Native language. But it was not translated into English until the 20^th century, and I doubt it made its way across the ocean to the old world until fairly recently. I love I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, the hopeless “And in despair I bowed my head, ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said” to the transcendent “Till, ringing, singing, on its way, the world revolved from night to day, A Song, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men!” which is one of my favorite lines in any Christmas song. But again, it was composed much later than the Regency period. Even Silent Night, which most historians think was written in 1818, was a year after Jane Austen’s death, and was written in Germany, not to be translated until later.

Still, there are lots of good hymns to choose from. Here then, in ascending order, are my five favorite hymns that Jane Austen likely would have known and sung:

5. While Shepherd Watched Their Flocks By Night

This hymn, which tells the story of the angel’s appearance to the shepherds, has long been a stable of sacred Christmas carols. The original version dates to the 18^th century, and in researching it, I was surprised how many tunes it has been set to. The most popular and well-known version is the Winchester version, which Jane Austen would have known, but personally, I like the one sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which is known as the Yorkshire Carol version, which you can find if you search YouTube.

4. Greensleeves

Greensleeves is the first entrant which boasts a minor key, which I have always loved. Minor keys often convey a slightly mournful tone, and are often beautifully haunting melodies. Greensleeves has existed as a ballad since the late 16^th century, and the lyrics have been adapted to Christmas, New Years, and many other occasions. Any of my readers who have read My Brother’s Keeper will note that I used the song in that story. Since then, the immensely popular What Child is This? was written to the same tune, and now it is almost impossible to find a recording of any other version. No Christmas list can be complete without Greensleeves somewhere on it. I have included a link to the Mannheim Steamroller version which, though instrumental, is a beautiful rendition.

3. Adeste Fideles

Today this hymn is better known as O Come, All Ye Faithful, and though the English version of the hymn was not written until the mid-19^th century, the earliest surviving versions of the Latin version bear the signature of John Francis Wade, who was an English hymnist. Other authors have been suggested and the true origin is uncertain, but it would certainly have been known in Jane Austen’s time. A hymn with beautiful harmony, there is nothing quite like an entire congregation standing and belting out this traditional favorite. This version, by Bing Crosby, is also an especial favorite.

2. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella

I had a difficult time choosing between putting this one or the next at number one, and either would be marvelous choice. On any given day, I might change the order. With Bring a Torch we get into hymns that are a little more obscure today. It can be difficult to find a version of it on most Christmas collections as it has largely fallen from our common repertoire of hymns. But the beautiful music, exhorting the maidens to visit the babe Jesus’s stall is a true masterpiece of Christmas music, and of music in general. This hymn originated in France in the 16^th century, was translated into English in the 18^th. I like to imagine Jane Austen, sitting around the pianoforte with her brothers and sisters, and singing this beautiful hymn on Christmas Eve. This is a version by Robert Shaw Chorale, though the instrumental version by Mannheim Steamroller is also gorgeous.

1. Coventry Carol

This last hymn might be a bit of a stretch, though it is still possible that Jane Austen might have heard it. The Coventry Carol dates to the 16^th century, and was performed in the city of Coventry as part of a Christmas play entitled The Pageant of the Shearmen and the Tailors, which was a depiction of the Christmas story from the gospel of Matthew. The song itself refers to the massacre of the innocents, ordered by king Herod to try and kill the Christ child when his trickery with the wise men did not work. A haunting, minor key melody, the words evoke the despair of the mothers of Bethlehem, and it depicts Mary singing her lament to the Christ child before she and Joseph were told to flee to Egypt. The harmony in this hymn is sublime, and it is almost impossible to listen to without emotion. It is usually sung a cappella, which is another point in its favor. The words do not refer to Christ’s birth, but it is still used as a Christmas hymn, and is a beautiful melody and an essential part of any Christmas collection.

Honorable mention for this list goes to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (which I almost included in place of While Shepherd Watched Their Flocks By Night), Joy to the World, and I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In. There are many others such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing and The First Noel and so on. I hope you enjoyed this journey into Regency Christmas carols as much as I enjoyed researching them!

Now, let’s have some fun. What is your favorite Christmas song? Regency, before, or after, it doesn’t matter. Please reply with your favorite carol!

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Living in the Regency, music | Tagged carols, guest post, holidays, Jane Austen, Jann Rowland, music, Regency, traditions | Comments Off

Celebrating the Release of “The Colonel’s Spinster: A Tragic Characters in Classic Lit Series Novel” from Author, Audrey Harrison

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Regina Jeffers

Today, I welcome another of the authors involved in the Tragic Characters in Classic Lit Series. Where I took up the tale of the Sheriff of Nottingham in I Shot the Sheriff and Lindsay Downs “transformed” Frankenstein in his The Monster Within, the Monster Without, Audrey Harrison has brought happiness to one of my favorite characters: Colonel Fitzwilliam from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The Colonel’s Spinster

He needs a rich wife. A pity he’s falling for the wrong woman.

She’s looking to find out about her past. She wasn’t expecting to find her future.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is a second son, often overshadowed by his titled, older brother and his cousin, Mr Darcy. Returning from Waterloo, he knows it is time to find a wife with a healthy dowry, but he longs for a love match. Unfortunately for Fitzwilliam, love doesn’t put food on the table.

Miss Prudence Bamber has never known her mother’s family. A woman with her own mind and full life, she indulges her father’s wish to visit her long-lost relations. Mr Bamber hopes his daughter will find a husband; she wishes nothing more than to find out more about her mother’s history. It turns out to be a journey she won’t forget in a hurry.

The Colonel’s Spinster is part of the Tragic Characters in Classic Literature Series, giving Pride and Prejudice’s Colonel Fitzwilliam, the story he deserves.

Excerpt:

Prologue

Netherfield, Hertfordshire, 1813

With his ready smile on his face, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam entered the bedchamber of his cousin. Darcy frowned at him, at which Fitzwilliam’s smile broadened.

“The nerves getting to you?” he asked, as Darcy’s valet fussed around his cousin.

“Why am I so nervous? I want this wedding to take place, but my stomach is behaving like I’m some sort of callow youth on his first adventure,” Darcy said, with a nod dismissing his valet. He looked resplendent in a blue frock coat and cream breeches; his boots had been polished until they shone in the sunlight.

“It is good to be nervous,” Fitzwilliam reassured his relation. “But I’m convinced they are unnecessary doubts.”

Darcy finished fiddling with his neckcloth. He normally spent an age perfecting the gentle folds, but today he was even more inclined than usual for it to look impeccable. “I know you speak the truth. But it does not help that I’d rather not be the centre of attention for the morning.”

“I have some bad news to break to you, Darcy. No one is interested in you. They all want to see your bride in her wedding dress. All the women will be wondering if there will be lace or if she will wear flowers in her hair or a bonnet, or even a feather! You, my friend, are so low down in everyone’s interest, you are virtually not needed to attend,” Fitzwilliam said.

Darcy laughed. Those who did not know him well, would wonder at the uncommon occurrence, but to the few people who were dear to him, it was a regular, natural sound. “Good! Thank you, Fitzwilliam. I needed to be brought to the reality of the day. I too often allow myself to overthink a simple situation.”

“You? My dear cousin, I don’t know what you could possibly mean!”

Darcy shook his head at his cousin but then became serious. “Fitzwilliam, can I ask you a question in which I need your reply to be very honest?”

“Sounds ominous.”

“It is something I should have raised before now. I know I’m a blockhead for needing to ask, but the niggle will not go away. You and Elizabeth — at Rosings, you were…”

Fitzwilliam looked at his cousin with sympathy. He was a man with ten thousand pounds a year, a capable landlord of one of the largest estates in Derbyshire, and yet he could be so unsure of himself. It endeared him further with the cousin who, in many ways, was more like a brother.

“Darcy, I promise you this. I was never in love with Elizabeth, nor she, me. I admit, I think her handsome, funny, and one of the best people I will soon have the pleasure to call cousin, but there are no other feelings towards her. And never have been,” Fitzwilliam said honestly.

“I can see why she would be drawn to you,” Darcy said, still looking uncomfortable.

Moving over to put his hands on his cousin’s shoulders, Fitzwilliam shook him gently. “She turned your first proposal down because she did not truly know you at that time. Plus the fact that the blackguard, Wickham, had been whispering poison into her ear and the general locality of her town.”

It had been a hard time for Darcy, blundering in and causing what had appeared to be a permanent breach with the woman he’d asked to marry him. He had only confessed the whole situation afterwards to his cousin, after he’d actually secured Elizabeth’s affection.

“I could understand if there had been an attraction…”

“No! There was mild flirtation. You know my character and hers. Neither of us can resist being playful, but she is yours Darcy. I am certain she always was. Your good opinion mattered too much to her to be disinterested. Look how she was with the buffoon, Collins — civil but cool. She was never that with you. From the start, there was something between you. Call it a spark if you like. But you were drawn to each other and teased and tormented one another from the beginning. That evening in Rosings in which she played the pianoforte was a prime example. She was far more playful towards you than at any other time with anyone else. We had been speaking. When you arrived, she started to tease you. Trust me on this. You have always been the only man for her.”

Darcy sighed. “Thank you. Again. It’s just the emotions of today. I am doubting everything that is poor in my character and all that I have known. I feel very unsure, and it is causing me some strange thoughts. I will relax. I will.”

“Good. This uncertainty does you no credit, especially towards Elizabeth. You should be convinced of her regard. We can all see it. She is besotted with you and rightly so. It is time, for once, that you relax and enjoy yourself, Darcy. You deserve happiness,” Fitzwilliam pointed out. “And, you know me. I won’t look at any young woman with serious consideration unless she has at least five thousand a year and three properties, one in London, a hunting lodge in Leicester, and a grand mansion in the country, preferably somewhere near Derbyshire.”

“You tell a good Banbury tale, cousin. You would never be so shallow.”

“I’m the second son. I cannot afford to be anything but particular about what a wife brings to the marriage. Otherwise, we will starve.”

Smiling, Darcy picked up his stove top and placed it on his head. “Come. Let’s go and get this over with. The sooner I make Elizabeth Mrs. Darcy, the better.”

“That’s the spirit,” Fitzwilliam laughed, but inside he felt a little jealous of his cousin. Oh, he had spoken the truth when he confessed that he’d never had feelings for Elizabeth. He had enjoyed her company but hadn’t been anywhere near falling in love with her. He was envious of a couple so perfectly suited setting out on their future life together.

They would have hurdles to overcome, mainly because of the family on both sides, but they were a strong couple who would support and love each other. Fitzwilliam was sure and was glad of it. Darcy had lost his father and mother when he was young and yet had to be brother and parent to his younger sister. He had taken on the role without complaint, but it was now time for him to have his own family.

Fitzwilliam longed to have that connection with someone, but his pocket and birth dictated that he was forced to look for a wife who brought a comfortable dowry to the marriage. His income as a colonel barely covered the costs of his uniform and the horseflesh he needed. His allowance from his father made sure his officer’s mess bill was paid each quarter with a little left over, but without the occasional monetary gifts from his Aunt Catherine and Darcy, he would struggle to keep out of dun territory. That was not conducive when hoping to set-up home or start a family.

Yet those were the two things he longed for.

Purchase Link:

US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N1K9Y4H

Also available on Amazon UK, Canada, and Australia.

Meet Author Audrey Harrison

I have had the fortune to live a dream. I’ve always wanted to write, but life got in the way as it so often does until a few years ago. Then a hospital visit and redundancy enabled me to do what I loved: sit down to write. Now writing has taken over my life, holidays being based around research, so much so that no matter where we go, my long-suffering husband says, ‘And what connection to the Regency period has this building/town/garden got?’

That dream became a little more surreal when in 2018, I became an Amazon StorytellerUK Finalist with Lord Livesey’s Bluestocking. A Regency Romance in the top five of an all-genre competition! It was a truly wonderful experience, I didn’t expect to win, but I had a ball at the awards ceremony.

I can be found in the North West of England (a Lancashire Lass), married with two grown-up children, a granddaughter, a mad springer spaniel and two granddogs, who come around to get spoiled (they know exactly where the treat cupboard is at Grandma’s and that a mournful gaze will get it open!)

Oh, and I have a husband who is the most unromantic man ever to walk the earth, so much so, that he inspired me to write my own romances to fill the gap! He does supply me with lots of cups of tea though, so he isn’t that bad.

Social Media Links:

Website www.audreyharrison.co.uk – there is a sign-up for my email, which is only sent out when there is something to say! You also receive a free copy of The Unwilling Earl in mobi format for signing up.

Facebook www.facebook.com/AudreyHarrisonAuthor

Amazon Author Page UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audrey-Harrison/e/B009SO2EYO

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Books-Audrey-Harrison/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAudrey+Harrison