Category: British history
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Murder, Theft, and Guillotines: The Colorful Lives of Jane’s Family & How They Influenced Her Novels
Murder! Theft! Guillotines! Dive into the colorful lives of Jane Austen’s family members and how they influenced her novels.
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Passing Fake Bank Notes in the Regency Era + the Upcoming Release of “Lyon’s Obsession” from Dragonblade Publishing
Yesterday’s piece on the 1797 Restriction Act spoke to some of the action going on in my new book for Dragonblade Publishing, Lyon’s Obsession. It will available in 8 days, arriving 17 September 2025. We spoke of the ease with which people could forge bank notes. Today, let us look at other problems with the…
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The Upcoming Release of “Lyon’s Obsession” from Dragonblade Publishing and How the 1797 Restriction Act Plays into the Plot
Lyon’s Obsession will release on 17 September 2025. It is the second of a five-books romantic suspense/mystery series that I am writing for Dragonblade Publishing. Books 2 and 3 are connected because the hero of book 2 is the brother of the heroine of book 3 is his sister. I have set the series between…
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Blackbirds in Austen’s World
The war widow: sentimental depiction of a grieving woman whose husband has gone to fight in the South African War. Photograph of The Boer War, a painting by John Byam Shaw. &&&& These reflections upon military widowhood in Austen’s time found root in the first and seventh volumes of the Bennet Wardrobe Series, where Lydia…
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Another Stroll Through Bath’s Pleasure Gardens
In the middle of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, many places in England—and especially Bath—have been awash in celebrations. I was unable to attend, but the busyness of the town, as related by residents and tourists, caused me to revisit and re-enjoy my own travels there a few years back.…
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Young Children’s Clothing in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Before the 20th Century, clothing for boys and girls lacked “gender” distinctions. Up until the 16th Century, both males and females worn some sort of gown or tunic. However, eventually, male and female clothing became more distinct. Boys and girls in the past both wore “gowns.” Many pictures, especially as photography developed after 1840, show…
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Using Cradles Through the Ages
We all likely know something of “Rock-a-bye Baby“ as a nursery rhyme and lullaby. The melody is a variant of the song comes from an English satirical ballad called ‘Lillibullero,‘ a march that became popular in England at the time of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 2768. “One theory suggests the rhyme narrates a…
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The Weight Your Calling Card Holds
One tradition that has been kept, and for the better, is the calling card, though it is now the business card. As I was designing one, I wondered more about the calling cards of the Regency. One fun fact is that the lady’s card was actually a little larger than a man’s. There were so…
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Thaddeus Ever Valiant
There’s always the hope that there might remain a brilliant female writer from the 1700s or early 1800s who has been lost to obscurity. That’s why, over the years, I go back once in a while to read someone new to me. One of these is Jane Porter, who along with her sister Maria became…
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What if everything we know about the practice of dowry is wrong?
The dowry system, historically viewed as a transaction treating women as property, served deeper economic and social purposes across cultures. It provided women financial security through marriage settlements, reflecting societal norms and gender inequality. While its significance diminished in the 19th century with legal reforms, its legacy continues to influence contemporary discussions on women’s independence…