If you read Regency romances chances are you will sooner or later be drawn into a duel, or at least an account of one. Though it was illegal, dueling was a popular way for Regency males to display their athletic prowess, respond to an insult or settle a debt of honor. In the 18th century, duels…
Don’t miss this month’s tea, “Capturing Regency England On The Page” presented by Jayne Davis and Gail Eastwood on Thursday, February 15, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST, via Zoom. The details that can make or break your Regency-set fiction fall into two major categories: 1) the historical period and 2) the location. Even…
It’s winter, and cold weather is a great inducement to focus on indoor activities. For me, that means it’s time to find my yarn basket. I just can’t relax for long without a colorful strand of yarn threaded through my fingers and a project to knit or crochet. Hand knitting and crocheting, used to make…
Emma and Lord Nelson – first impressions Emma Hamilton first met Lord Nelson in 1793 in Naples, where her husband, Sir William Hamilton, was stationed as an ambassador to the court of Ferdinand and Maria Carolina. However, Emma and Nelson’s love affair didn’t heat up until after they met again in 1798. It’s hard to…
This month marks the 209th anniversary of the death of Emma Hamilton. She was best known during the Regency as Emma Hamilton, wife of Sir William Hamilton and the mistress of naval hero Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson. Theirs was a passionate affair, and this is the story of two intertwined lives, one of which ended in…
Please join us for our monthly members-only tea on January 18th at 12 PM MST (1 PM CST/2 PM EST). Members, be sure to reserve your spot via the Register Now! link below. Not a member? Come along and join us in time for this presentation! Presented by Brenda Cox, this month’s topic is “Her…
In my last post I talked about the riddles that appeared in Jane Austen’s Emma. Another form of entertainment that was popular in Georgian England and also features in Emma is a rout-party, or rout. Routs were informal social gatherings hosted by the well-to-do in their homes. There were many types of routs –
Jane Austen must have had fun writing her fourth published novel, Emma. In addition to sparkling dialogue, funny situations, and comic misunderstandings, she included a couple of riddles.  If you have the book handy, these riddles (also referred to as charades) appear in Chapter IX of Volume I. Here’s how the riddles appear: Emma is attempting…
I’m always impressed by how one book can make a tremendous impact on the world, extending far beyond the writer’s lifetime. This certainly applies to Charles Dickens, born just a year after George, Prince of Wales was appointed Prince Regent. Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol (originally titled A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story…
The Treaty of Ghent, also known as the Peace of Christmas Eve, was the pact signed in the city of Ghent, Belgium (chosen because Belgium was a neutral country) that officially ended hostilities between the fledgling United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Peace talks started in Ghent in August…