Category Archives: Regency Life

Ice Cream Series References

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References Andrews, T. Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology. Oxford: ABC Clio, 2001. Ashmole, The Institution, Laws & Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. London: 1672.  Ayto, John. An A-Z of Food and Drink. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Bourne, Joanna. “What a pity it isn’t illegal . . . Regency Ice Cream.” Word Wenches. October, 2010 Accessed June 15, 2018. http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2010/10/regency-ice-cream.html    David, Elizabeth. Harvest of the Cold Months: The … Continue reading →

Laundry the old fashioned way

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With all our modern conveniences, it is easy to forget how arduous everyday tasks were for our ancestors. Wash day in particular is one for which we take our modern appliances for granted. Today, we gather the laundry and sort it, more or less, less if you’re one of my teen-aged sons. If it is a good day, we check for stains, pretreat the stains, then throw it all  in the machine. Later we wander … Continue reading →

What makes a gentleman?

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If one wanted to marry a gentleman, one must identify said elusive creature first. So how exactly could one pick out a gentleman from the rest? The nuances of social class and what makes a gentleman a gentleman remains a perennial source of confusion for Austenesque and Regency readers.  The pages of Austen’s stories are littered with gentlemen, but offer absolutely no explanation of what that title actually meant. Of course, her readers knew exactly … Continue reading →

Home Medicine in Jane Austen’s Day

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William Buchan’s book Domestic medicine or the family physician was the backbone of home medicine in Jane Austen’s day. During Jane Austen’s day, the practice of medicine as we know it today was still in its infancy. Formally trained doctors were unavailable to many either because of cost or distance. Consequently many of the curative arts were practiced at home. William Buchan’s book Domestic medicine or the family physician. Buchan’s Early Life William Buchan was … Continue reading →