The Gentlemanly Professions
What options did the younger sons of the gentry have when choosing a profession.
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A Country Parson’s Life
I’d like to welcome Brenda Cox today as she shares a fascinating article on a country parson’s life during the regency era. Country clergymen appear in each of Jane Austen’s novels. Some are satirized, like Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Elton of Emma. Others are men of integrity, like Edmund Bertram of Mansfield Park and Edward Ferrars of Sense and Sensibility. Austen’s father, two of her brothers, and many of her friends were clergymen, … Continue reading →
A Little Colorful Language: Church and Clergy
I confess, I am a word nerd. I love language captivates me, especially in the way it relates to a culture. Slang, the speech of the common man, paints such a picture of the speaker’s world. I love it! Since every place and time has its own unique slang, I thought it would be interesting to share some Regency era slang from time to time. Today’s offering a little colorful language related to the church. … Continue reading →
Taking Orders
In Jane Austen’s writing we encounter a number of characters like Edward Ferrars and Edmund Bertram who are planning on taking orders. Her readers understood what that meant, but the concept is a little foreign to us, so here’s a quick rundown on what ‘taking orders’ meant. The English laws or primogenitor, intended to preserve the integrity of large landed estates, made it a challenge for younger sons of the landed gentry to establish themselves … Continue reading →
