Category: customs and traditions
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Messiah – A Regency Tradition?
I was busy thinking about what to write about this month. I have a book coming out early in 2026, starring our beloved Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I considered that. I’m also finally finishing Miss Mary and Alexander Lyons’ next mystery, set in the world of Persuasion, and that was an option too. Then, on one…
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Blessed Be this All Hallow’s Eve
Given that this is one of the few posts a year that can step beyond the boundaries of the Regency time, I took full advantage of it. The lore of witches, those with mystical learned skills or powers, are mentioned in tales of old, centuries before any sect of the Christian religion was formed. “In…
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Flames, Follies, and Fitzwilliam Darcy
Next week will be Guy Fawkes Day, a holiday celebrated mainly in Great Britain, especially in England. It’s surprising we don’t celebrate it in the United States, since fireworks, food, and rebellion are a point of national pride. But then again, we usually cheer for successful rebellions. 🙂 For those of you who may not…
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Pride, Prejudice, and the Royal Ascot
I just watched the final Downton Abbey movie this weekend. I won’t give a movie review here (unless someone asks!!), but I was struck by one scene in particular: the whole family attending the Royal Ascot races together. I was already vaguely familiar with the famous races, but wow! The crowds, the clothes, the elegance!…
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The Horses
Darcy stood silently, admiring the fearless way in which she approached the large, spirited animal. Many women were afraid of him, and indeed he seemed to tower over Miss Bennet. “Miss Bennet, I am glad we met this morning,” he began. Last May, I introduced you to two couples of deerhounds, one pair at Pemberley,…
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Vertigo in the Regency
In January of this year, after having 4 barometric migraines in 5 days, I found myself on the floor in my library, vomiting into the trash bin. For the next two weeks, I was told I had positional vertigo, but they didn’t want to treat it beyond medications to control the dizziness and nausea until…
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Giving Birth on a Sailing Ship in the 1800s, or Things to Avoid at All Costs
The Journal I began skimming the newly digitized journal of Augusta Hendee, the wife of ship captain Thomas Hendee, and I fell in love. I have now spent two days reading the whole thing in depth. At moments hilarious and at others tragic, it is at all times relatable. The first half of the digitized…
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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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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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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…