Category Archives: Regency Life

Chocolate cups and trembleuse saucers

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What makes chocolate cups different from teacups or coffee cups? It’s been a rough month around here. My father’s had a major health crisis that resulted in three hospitalizations in as many weeks. He had surgery, then had complications and his complications had complications, literally.  How does one cope with such things? Chocolate. In frequent, therapeutic doses. It can’t possibly surprise you that somehow chocolate lead me on a trip down the research rabbit hole … Continue reading →

Wedding Dresses in Jane Austen’s World

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Though nearly all of Jane Austen’s works end with a wedding, she does not spend much time detailing the weddings themselves, much less the wedding dresses. Modern brides often spend a great deal of effort and money on the wedding dress and expect to wear it only once. Honestly, it is hard to imagine another event where wearing one’s wedding dress might be appropriate. Not exactly the sort of thing you’d wear to dinner, right? … Continue reading →

The Shocking Lyrics of Lavender’s Blue

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Sometimes you run into some really interesting bits when you fall down the research rabbit hole. Not infrequently, the delicious little tidbits don’t fit the story you’re trying to write, but they deserve to be shared nonetheless. Here’s the latest offering. So, picture the scene: I was just minding my own business, looking for a song my character might sing during a particularly emotional scene. (Sorry guys, no more spoilers than that, but you’ll know … Continue reading →

Taxed, smuggled and adulterated: Tea in Britain

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“Polly put the kettle on, we’ll all have tea.”~Charles Dickens (1812-1870) Barnaby Rudge   Since its popular introduction by Catherine of Braganza, in 1662, tea in Britain was an expensive commodity It was so expensive it was usually kept under lock and key, protected from pilfering by the servants. Both the cupboards and the tea caddies were locked and the key kept by the mistress of the household. Two primary types of tea were available, green and … Continue reading →

Hardwicke Marriage Act in Jane Austen’s World

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The Hardwicke Marriage Act laid out the path to the altar for regency couples Engagements in the regency era were generally brief, often only a few weeks long. Why the hurry? Since premarital sex was common and the birth of illegitimate children problematic for inheritance, parents preferred to see couples married sooner rather than later. Reading the banns or acquiring a license and having the marriage performed required a minimum of fifteen days to accomplish. If there was property or fortune involved, … Continue reading →