Regency Era

The Gothic

(Today I have a video chat up at Diary of an Eccentric, so you should drop by!)   Horace (Horatio) Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, passed away on 2 March 1797, leaving behind a literary and architectural legacy that would help shape the nature of Regency England and even the Victorian era. Walpole was the… Read more The Gothic

The Danger of His Majesty’s Service — The Wreck of the HMS Brazen

In Jane Austen’s books, most naval men come home to their wives, sisters, mothers, and sweethearts. Service at sea in the Napoleonic Wars was cast in Austen’s novels as more opportunity than threat, with young men going forth to make their fortune and returning as captains ready to wed.   The only seaman to not… Read more The Danger of His Majesty’s Service — The Wreck of the HMS Brazen

Revolutions Everywhere

The Dutch Republic ended on 18 January 1795 with the founding of the Batavian Republic. The authoritarian regime of the stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange was overthrow by the Dutch Patriots demanding a democratic government, after which William fled to England, taking refuge in the “Dutch House” at Kew Palace. During the last quarter… Read more Revolutions Everywhere

So Much Regency Gossip, So little Time

In case you were unaware of it, I have book coming out soon that is a retelling of Mansfield Park from the anti-heroine Mary Crawford’s point of view. Inasmuch as the story is set in Regency England, the characters therein have an ABUNDANCE of scandal to communicate, considering the naughty nature of the “glittering throng”… Read more So Much Regency Gossip, So little Time