Prisons in the Regency   By Ann Lethbridge

Today, Ann Lethbridge, Regency romance author, whose most recent book is Falling for the Highland Rogue, begins a two-part series on Regency prisons. In this article, Ann focuses on the famous, or perhaps, the infamous Fleet prison in London. The majority of prisoners held in the Fleet during the Regency were those who could not pay their debts. This may be difficult for many of us living in the twenty-first century to understand, since people are no longer imprisoned for debt in modern times. But it was a common practice during our favorite period, and Ann’s article will help us all better understand life in the Fleet during the Regency.

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Grosvenor House — Regency Treasure House   By Angelyn Schmid

Though it no longer stands, during the Regency, Grosvenor House held one of the finest collections of paintings in all of England. In today’s article, Regency romance author, Angelyn Schmid, shares her research into this remarkable house and the extraordinarily wealthy family that owned it, and the surrounding property. The question is, once you have read Angelyn’s article, would you want to live in this house?

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The Regency:   "So long, Long S"

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

As with many other curious things which have been chronicled here, the decade of the Regency saw the last lingering use of the Long S, at least in print. Most people continued to use it in those documents which they wrote by hand, regardless of its demise on the printed page.

The Long S, what it was, its origins, its rules of usage and how it passed into history … almost.

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Nighty Night …   By Regina Scott

What is your bedtime routine? How does the bedtime routine of a Regency lady compare with yours? Regency romance author, Regina Scott, whose latest print book is The Wife Campaign, gives us a glimpse into the preparations a Regency lady must make before she could retire for the night. Would you be willing to go throught that, every night?

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Of Lodestones & Smith’s Dust

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Stones and dust hardly seem the things of romance. And yet the behaviour of these particular stones and this special "dust" is frequently used as a metaphor for the power of romantic attraction. However, that may not be immediately obvious to those of us living in the twenty-first century, because these are the names which would have been used in the Regency for naturally occuring elements. Today’s romance authors tend to use the modern-day names for similar, but man-made, versions of these objects.

Of lodestones and smith’s dust …

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The Duke of Wellington’s Disastrous Marriage   By Cheryl Bolen

Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, married comparatively late in life, to a woman whom he had loved as a young man. Sadly, his wife was not suited to life as the spouse of a public figure, and the marriage was not a success, for either party. Today, Cheryl Bolen, award-winning Regency romance author, whose most recent book, A Lady By Chance, was released last month as part of the Scandalous Brides boxed set, gives us a picture of the unfortunate marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.

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Love and the Regency Rake    By Angelyn Schmid

Rakes are popular as heros in Regency romance novels. And who doesn’t love a bad boy who is willing to improve himself for the love of a good woman? But not all real-life rakes were as romantic as their fictional counterparts. In today’s article, Regency romance author, Angelyn Schmid, shares her research into the history of rakes, and the life of one in particular. A man who would never qualify as a romantic hero, except perhaps in a tragedy.

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The Regency Had No Wallpaper

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Which is not to say that there were not many walls in many buildings throughout the Regency which were not covered with decorative paper. But not one scrap of that paper was called "wallpaper" during the Regency for the simple reason that the word "wallpaper" did not come into use until 1827, long after the Regent had become King George IV.

What were these papers called, who made them, how were they made, how were they used and where were they sold?

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Fordyce’s Sermons and Jane Austen’s Joke   By Jane Lark

If you have read Pride and Prejudice, even if you recognized the reference to Fordyce’s Sermons, you may not get the subtle joke Jane Austen intended. It would have been understood by most readers of her era, particularly the ladies, but the majority of modern readers will miss it all together. Today, Regency romance author, Jane Lark, whose most recent book is The Passionate Love of a Rake, will explain Jane Austen’s joke with regard to Mr. Fordyce’s book of sermons so that we can all enjoy the fun.

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Regency Architecture:   Sir John Soane   By Ann Lethbridge

Regency romance author, Ann Lethbridge, whose most recent book, Falling for the Highland Rogue, won the Romantic Times Knight in Shining Silver (KISS) Award, today tells us about Sir John Soane, a prominent Regency architect. She shares important information about Soane’s working style and provides images of some of his more significant buildings.

Might Sir John Soane or his buildings figure in one of your next novels?

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Did Wellington Save the Hope? — Part Two

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Last week, I wrote about the origins of the rare blue diamond now known as the Hope, and traced its adventures through the end of the eighteenth century, at which point it dropped out of sight. The large deep blue diamond had been discovered in India, purchased by the merchant Tavernier, who in turn sold it to Louis XIV. The king had it cut and faceted, resulting in the gem commonly known as the "French Blue." Louis XV had it set in his jeweled insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, where it remained part of the French Crown jewels, until it was stolen, four months before its next owner, Louis XVI, lost his head in the square outside the very building from which it had been taken.

One theory suggests it was taken to England by one of the men who stole it, another that it was part of a group of the stolen Crown jewels which was used to bribe the Duke of Brunswick to abandon his invasion of France and the rescue of Louis XVI and his family. After that, the trail of the French Blue goes cold, until a large blue diamond surfaces in Regency England …

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Did Wellington Save the Hope? — Part One

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

He certainly did save the hope of England, even of Europe, that June day in Belgium, on the battlefield of Waterloo. But the Hope to which I refer is a precious blue diamond, which, thanks to the efforts of the Duke of Wellington, was not lost to history. And shortly after he prevented its misappropriation, it was acquired by the man whose name it bears, even to this day.

The supposed curse which is attributed to the Hope Diamond is fiction. However, the true story of its real-life adventures are so much stranger than the plot of any novel. Now, how this rare blue diamond glittered its way across Europe, through the hands of crowned heads and cut-throats …

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Lord Nelson’s Pitiable Wife by Cheryl Bolen

In today’s article, award-winning Regency romance author, Cheryl Bolen, whose newest book, Love in the Library, will be released this month, tells us about a woman nearly forgotten by history, the wife of the great naval hero, Admiral Lord Nelson. Even those who have studied the Regency and its denizens for years may have overlooked this unhappy woman who was Nelson’s legal wife. Though Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar before the Regency began, Lady Nelson survived not only her husband and his infamous mistress, but the Prince Regent as well.

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Sand:   A Regency Cleaning Agent?

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Today, most people would be much more likely to clean sand up than they would be to clean with it. But during the Regency, as it had been for centuries before, sand was a commonly-used household cleaning agent. And the man who supplied the sand used for cleaning to most households across Britain would, by the time the Regency ended, be passing into the realm of myth and folk tale, having acquired special powers, certainly in the eyes of most young children and their parents. Like so many other things discussed here, the ways in which sand was used for cleaning were beginning to change during the Regency, though they would not die out completely until the twentieth century.

The shifting, and sifting, sands of the Regency …

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TBM Forum:   Working on the Web Round-Up

This month’s Working on the Web section of the Beau Monde forum features an article which will be of great interest to those researching British history. A web site which is a rich treasure trove of resources on various aspects of the history of the British Isles is reviewed this month. Authors of historical novels set in any period of English history, including the Regency, will certainly want to book mark this site for regular research visits.

This will be the final Working on the Web round-up post at the Beau Monde blog. Beginning in January 2014, posts to the Working on the Web forum will no longer be on a monthly basis, eliminating the need of a round-up post. However, there will still be intermittent posts to that forum for the benefit of our members.

If you are not yet a Beau Monde member, and would like to join us, please visit our Membership page for details.

Regency Mixology   by Susanna Ives

Do you have plans for a New Year celebration this year? Would you like to try some new, or in truth, old recipes for liquid libation? Today, Susanna Ives, whose new book, Wicked Little Secrets, was released this month, shares her research on some of the more popular drinks of the Regency. Which one do you think you would enjoy the most?

Happy New Year!

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Hark the What? by Regina Scott

Christmas carols and the practice of caroling during the Regency bear little similarity to the traditions with which we are so familiar today. Regency author, Regina Scott, whose new book, The Wife Campaign, was released this month, shares some insights into the caroling practices which were typical during the Regency, as well some history of carols which are still popular in the twenty-first century.

Given the choice, would you prefer Regency or modern-day caroling practices?

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The Prince and His Lady   A Review By Cheryl Bolen

The Duke of Kent was one of the gaggle of royal brothers of the Prince Regent. Like most of the royal princes, he did not mary until late in life, under multiple pressures. However, he had set up a mistress of whom he was very fond when he was a young man. Before the publication of the book which Cheryl Bolen, award-winning Regency romance author, reviews for us today, very little was known about that lady, or her relationship with the royal prince. In this review, Cheryl gives us a taste of the more than quarter century shared by The Prince and His Lady.

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The Real Regency Reader:   Jane Austen   by Angelyn Schmid

In honor of Jane Austen’s two hundred and thirty-eighth birthday, today we have an article by Angelyn Schmid about the importance of reading, not only in the Regency, but specifically in the novels of Jane Austen. Though she did not have many years of formal education, Jane Austen was an avid reader, as were some of the characters in her books. Angelyn also explains what it meant to be literate during the Regency.

Happy Birthday, Jane!

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Muff’s the Word!   by Regina Scott

As we move inexorably toward the winter months, choosing just the right accessories to keep our hands warm, snug and fashionable as we prepare for our outdoor activities is an important part of our toilet. But what about our Regency ancestors? What kinds of accessories did those ladies choose as they prepared for a walk or a drive in the frosty winter air?

In today’s article, award-winning romance author and past Beau Monde President, Regina Scott tells us about a lady’s accessory which might well have multiple purposes. How will you answer the questions she poses at the end of her article?

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