Tag Archives: real-life tales

September 6, 1620, The Voyage of the “Mayflower” Begins with Captain Christopher Jones at the Helm

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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The Common Law of Dower or What Does the Wife Inherit During the Regency?

Originally there were varieties of dower (not to be confused with dowry) such as dower ad ostium ecclesiae (“at the church door”) and dower ex assensu patris (by the heir with his father’s consent), in which before the couple was married, the wife was endowed of particular pieces of the property – specific lands. In Medieval times more so than modern ones, sometimes land held in knight service was exonerated from dower by the widow’s taking dower de la pluis beale (“of the most fair”) of her husband’s socage land. Continue reading

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Architectural Genius: Robert Adam vs. Sir William Chambers

Adelphi is a district in the City of Westminster. The Adelphi Buildings, a block of 24 unified neoclassical terrace houses, between The Strand and the River Thames in the parish of St Martin in the Fields, was named “Adelphi,” for it the Greek word meaning “brothers.” The Adam brothers (John, Robert, James, and William Adam) were the masterminds of this development in the late 1700s. They were built between 1768 and 1772. The ruins of Durham House on the site were demolished for the construction.

The Adelphi forms one of the most notable works of the brothers Adam. The design of the buildings was, for the most part, the work of Robert Adam, though his brothers, James and William, were also concerned with the scheme. Continue reading

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Two Attempts to Assassinate King George III in a Single Day, 15 May 1800

On 15 May 1800, George III went to Hyde Park to review the 1st Foot Guards. During the review, a shot was fired which narrowly missed the King. Mr Ongley, a clerk in the Navy Office, who was standing only a few paces away, was struck, and it was said that “had the wound been two inches higher it must have been mortal”.

Undeterred, later that same day, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, James Hadfield tried to shoot King George III while the national anthem was being played, and the king was standing to attention in the royal box, along with other members of the Royal Family. Continue reading

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Practicing Medicine in Jane Austen’s Regency England

In Regency England, the medical field consisted of apothecaries, surgeons, and physicians. Only physicians could call themselves “Doctor.” Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, herbs, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, medicine, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

How Did a By-Election Work During the Georgian Era?

First, I suppose I should explain a “by-election” for those of us in the U.S. The UK Parliament page does a wonderful job of summarizing the key tenets of the situation. Here are some of the other things I know … Continue reading

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When Might the Heir Style Himself With His New Title in Regency Romances?

First, for legal purposes, the man must present himself to the House of Lords to claim the title officially. After the will has been read and its stipulations executed, the new peer must petition the Lord Chancellor for a writ … Continue reading

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Abolitionism in the UK and the Rerelease of “Darcy’s Temptation” + a Giveaway

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a movement took root to end the practice of slavery in the United Kingdom, as well as the British empire, including putting an end to the Atlantic slave trade. Western Europe and … Continue reading

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The Cotton or Cottonian Library

A bust of Robert Cotton by Louis-François Roubiliac ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Cotton,_1st_Baronet,_of_Connington#/media/File:Robert_Bruce_Cotton_bust_BM_1924_0412_1.jpg Keeping with Wednesday’s post on Circulating Libraries, I thought I might mention a library some, especially in the U.S. have not considered. The Cotton Library was founded by … Continue reading

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Menai Suspension Bridge + the Release of “Bell, Book, and Wardrobe” + a Giveaway

On December 1, 2022, A Regency Christmas Doubled, an anthology with romantic stories all about twins will be released. My story, Bell, Book, and Wardrobe, is one of the four delightful tales to read on a cold December night. My … Continue reading

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