On January the 4th, 1811 The London Chronicle printed the following news item:   This newspaper clipping raises more questions than it answers: If she is in the boxes, isn’t she a lady of some status, not just a ‘female’? In 1811, a thirty pound bank note is worth a substantial amount of money  (over $100); where did she get it? How well did the lady know the 'dashing buck' and what was he doing at the lady’s lodgings the preceding evening? Where were her 'lodgings' and did she live alone? With whom was she in attendance at the theatre; what did her companions do when she raised the ..read more

Christmas has always been a time of revelry and merriment. The degree of gaiety and carousing seems to have varied by social class and, of course, economic circumstance. Entertainments for the upper classes seemed to include grand dinners, great balls, and charitable giving. Little illustration is extant from these activities. Among the lower classes, uninhibited romps have been illustrated of the activities of servants and retainers, generally around the fireplace, in a comfortable hall or kitchen. Mistletoe is rarely mentioned in the activities of the upper classes, but it features prominent ..read more

 As always at this time of year, I am starting to think about gardening. And so, here I am blogging about garden issues, again. I recently discovered that, as with most other industries and occupations in Regency Britain, friendly societies and mutual aid societies abounded for the horticultural community. I came first upon the Order of Free Gardeners, begun in Scotland in the mid 1700s. It was set up to resemble the guilds which protected urban professions. The Order relied heavily on the structure and forms of Freemasonry. Their 'arms' above therefore include the usual square and compa ..read more

 In 1804, a fad, a trend, or a craze--call it what you will--was noted in British theatre. Children were acting adult parts, on stage with adult actors, in adult plays. It must have made for some awkward performances, and uncomfortable scenes The most notable, creating a stir wherever he went, was William Henry West Betty, or Master Betty, also known as the young Roscius. The original Roscius (d. 62 AD) was a Roman actor of great fame and actors of excellence were (and still may be?) given this 'title'. illustration from  "Shakspere to Sheridan; a book about the theatre of yesterday ..read more

  ..read more

Now Available -- just released....  The Tower's Peculiar Visitor In 1825, the Red Tower receives its most unusual visitor, from two hundred years in the future–who throws Kenning Old Manor into disarray.  This is the third Red Tower story/book, following The Governess's Peculiar Journey and The Earl's Peculiar Burden.  Please visit my Amazon author page for further details. The ebook is also available at Kobo, B&N Nook, Apple Books and others. I hope you enjoy my newest Regency romance ..read more

I must admit, November is not my favourite month of the year. The autumn has passed for the most part. The glorious golden trees, the occasional bonfire, the excitement of harvest, the great migrating flocks of geese and crows and the subtle disappearances of song birds, all are over, at least where I live in western Canada. We await the snow. In England, November follows much the same path, though there are some flowers still, and green grass. No snow, however, it is a rarity there. An old saying warns “A warm November is the sign of a Bad Winter.” But a warm November would accommodate the m ..read more

 In 1825 a new venture was undertaken in newspaper/journal publishing. I have not been able to find much information about this paper, but it must have had some popularity as it remained in print until 1843. I do have one or two columns presumably from this 1825 issue, and they are well worth reading. I am including large portions of the columns below for your enjoyment. I hope you have enjoyed this foray into 1825! I know I have. If I may insert some shameless self-promotion...my November release, The Tower's Peculiar Visitor, is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barne ..read more

 It is so long since I have posted here, I cannot quite believe it. We have had illness in our family (on the way to resolution) and I am on a surgeon's list for knee replacement, so things have not been static.  Also, during the seven months since my last blog, I have been writing another book. "The Tower's Peculiar Visitor", the third book in my Red Tower series, will be released in November of this year. Watch this space for further details soon. And just a notice that my website is undergoing an overhaul soon, and will probably be unavailable for a month or two. The address will ..read more

 In 1826, there was a book written "by an experienced teacher" titled "The Complete Governess; a Course of Mental Instruction for Ladies, with a notice of the Principal Female Accomplishments". from The Governess, or The Little Female Academy 1820   In its Introduction, "The Complete Governess" castigates the books published to educate children. "The existing books may be divided into two classes; the pedantic and the silly; the former being handed down, with only slight changes in the form, from the days of the schoolmen [a teacher in a university in medieval Europe or a sc ..read more