Tag Archives: real-life tales

Turning Urine into Gold and Hennig Brand’s “Folly”

Posted on May 23, 2022 by reginajeffers

Hennig Brand, (flourished 1670, Hamburg [Germany]), was a German chemist (alchemist, really) who, through his discovery of phosphorus, became the first known discoverer of an element. The Famous Scientists website (see link below) provides us a bit about Brand’s personal life. “In his … Continue reading →

Posted in history, real life tales, research, science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Babington Plot to Kill Queen Elizabeth I

Posted on May 11, 2022 by reginajeffers

Anthony Babington, the third child and eldest son of Henry Babington, was born into a wealthy Catholic family in Dethick, Derbyshire, in October 1561. The bells of the church announced his birth to the world; yet, his plotting would destroy his family. … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Elizabeth I, England, history, kings and queens, real life tales, religion, research, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Babington Plot to Kill Queen Elizabeth I

Reporting Scandals in the Regency Era

Posted on September 27, 2021 by reginajeffers

Of late, I have read several Regency era romances that speak of the most recent scandal being published in the newsprints of the day. One even made reference to an entire newspaper that was devoted to the latest on dit. … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Industrial Revolution, Living in the Regency, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lead Mining In Derbyshire, a Guest Post from Amanda Kai

Posted on September 24, 2021 by reginajeffers

This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on 23 July 2021. Enjoy! We often hear about Mr. Darcy’s fortune of “ten-thousand a year.”  But where did all that money come from?  In doing research for my current work … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, history, Industrial Revolution, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The First Autobiography Ever Written in the English Language

Posted on September 13, 2021 by reginajeffers

Likely, many of you reading this piece will have never heard of Margery Kempe, but her autobiography was the first recorded in the English language. First, we must realize Mrs. Kempe was born in 1373 in Lynn (later Bishop’s Lynn … Continue reading →

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The Provisions of Oxford

Posted on August 30, 2021 by reginajeffers

Most people know something of Oxford, England, through Oxford University, the home of England’s first university. However, Oxford is also known for the “Provisions of Oxford,” which in 1258 placed the king under a Council of Fifteen. All this began … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, England, Great Britain, history, kings and queens, medieval, political stance, real life tales, world history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Christopher Jones and the Voyage of the “Mayflower “

Posted on August 25, 2021 by reginajeffers

Some of you have heard me say previously that my 10th great-grandparents were John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of Pilgrim and the Mayflower fame. So, when I came across a piece about Christopher Jones, I, naturally, stopped to read more … Continue reading →

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Edward Jenner, Father of “Vaccination”

Posted on August 23, 2021 by reginajeffers

With all the debate still going on about whether to vaccinate or not for COVID-19 and all the variants in the news, I thought we might have look at the first vaccines. Born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, in May 1749, the … Continue reading →

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Jodrell Bank Observatory, England’s First “Proper” Space Observatory

Posted on August 18, 2021 by reginajeffers

With all the recent news stories on UFOs and aliens, I thought it might be interesting to explore one of the early observatories. — that of Jodrell Bank. The observatory was originally called the Jodrell Bank Experimental Station. It is … Continue reading →

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Rodean School, a Victorian School for Young Girls

Posted on July 26, 2021 by reginajeffers

Last week when I was writing the piece on the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railroad, I came across a short piece on another Rottingdean (East Sussex) landmark that caught my interest. It is Roedean School, a famous private school … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, British Navy, buildings and structures, history, Living in the UK, real life tales, research, war | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments