Tag Archives: ladies

Marriage Annulments in Jane Austen’s World

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Marriage was a serious business in the regency. Divorce was nearly impossible to obtain, but what about annulments? What happened if a young person ‘married in haste’ but then repented of his or her decision? Annulment, when possible, was the best option to end a marriage since it did not carry the social stigma of a divorce (which was nearly impossible to obtain). Unlike a divorce, an annulment voided a marriage, making it as if it … Continue reading →

To Love, Honor and OBEY in Jane Austen’s World

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Though nearly all of Jane Austen’s works end with a love match and a wedding, she does not represent the prevailing attitudes about love and marriage of the day. What did regency marriages look like? Marrying for Love was Unlikely While love might have been on the minds of regency era couples, they generally expected it to come AFTER marriage (if at all), rather than before.  For most, practical considerations were the backbone of most … Continue reading →

The Wedding Ceremony in Jane Austen’s World

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So you want to plan a regency era themed wedding ceremony> You might want to think about it a little more. The Wedding Ceremony Unlike weddings today,  the regency era wedding ceremony was not widely attended events. Obviously the bride and groom, along with their witnesses, usually the bridesmaid and groomsman and the clergyman were there. Close family might be there and possibly local close friends, but that was all. No huge guest lists or … Continue reading →

Camp followers in the long Georgian era

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I’d like to welcome Jude Knight today as she shares a fascinating article on the role of camp followers during the the Georgian and regency era. To our modern minds, it seems strange to think of civilians, including women and children, travelling into combat zones. Yet until the second half of the nineteenth century, civilians were an essential part of how armies worked. Collectively, anyone who followed the army that was not a soldier was called a … Continue reading →

Wedding Cakes 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 or the festivities surrounding them. What did regency wedding cakes look like? Wedding Cakes Since weddings were held in the morning (except of course, those by special license which could be held any time at all) the meal eaten afterwards was considered breakfast. “The breakfast was such as best breakfasts then were: some variety of bread, … Continue reading →