Tag Archives: Victorian era

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

Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex’s Two Illegal Marriages

Posted on July 2, 2021 by reginajeffers

Prince Augustus Frederick was the sixth son and ninth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte. He was born at Buckingham House on 27 January 1773. He was initially tutored at home. However, in 1785, along with his brothers, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Grave Matters, or Death and Dying in 19th Century England

Posted on August 19, 2020 by reginajeffers

In The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy (originally released in 2013), multiple deaths occur. What were some of the “customs” associated with death and dying in the 19th Century? In the country, “ringing of the passing bell” signaled to all … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precedence in Seating at Supper During the Regency Era

Posted on May 11, 2020 by reginajeffers

I often read in another’s author’s book about the guests for supper at Lord and Lady So-and-So supper party entered the room according to precedence, meaning according to rank/title, with the host escorting in the highest ranking female and the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, food and drink, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Living in the Regency, Regency era, Regency romance, titles of aristocracy, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Heartsease, or The Brother’s Wife,” the Victorian Retelling of Austen’s “Mansfield Park”

Posted on May 8, 2020 by reginajeffers

Are you aware of the Victorian tale Heartsease, or the Brother’s Wife by Charlotte Mary Yonge? June Sturrock, editor of the Broadview Texts, gives us this summary of the story. “A very young, timid, but highly principled and religious girl from … Continue reading →

Posted in Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, the U. S., and Canada

Posted on April 17, 2020 by reginajeffers

Young girls who set out for Australia to earn a living as a domestic servant, opportunities to marry were not out of the question. In England, seduction ruled, but these young girls entered a different world, where they could consider … Continue reading →

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, Living in the UK, real life tales, servant life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs: English Servants Emigrating to Australia, Part I

Posted on March 27, 2020 by reginajeffers

In the mid to late 1840s, many girls in service decided to make the arduous journey from England to Australian ports. One must remember that the journey took three to four months to complete, depending upon the weather and the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, business, commerce, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs: Non-Existent Legal Redress

Posted on March 20, 2020 by reginajeffers

Was there legal redress for the servants of Victorian households?  Although there was genuine concern for the conditions in which many of the servants operated, most claimed it was impossible to make laws to protect domestic servants. Those that were … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Living in the UK, servant life, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Life Below Stairs – The Expense of Keeping Servants

Posted on March 13, 2020 by reginajeffers

The landed aristocrats were VERY slow to give up the expenses of an extensive household staff. We saw that “plot” being used in the final season of Downton Abbey. It is said that the sixth Duke of Portland employed some … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Napoleonic Wars, Regency era, servant life, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Life Below Stairs: Rising with the Sun in Victorian England, Part II

Posted on February 28, 2020 by reginajeffers

Recently, we had a look at breakfast chores for servants in a Victorian household. See it HERE. Today, we carry on with other duties.  About a half hour after the household staff consumed their meager meal, the family was summoned … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, servant life, Seven Years' War, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments