Bridgerton Begins!

It's always nice to see a new Regency-era romp - 'Bridgerton' begins on Christmas Day on Netflix. Looks like some smashing frocks are in store for us - I will reserve judgment on the story till I've seen it!  

Thomas Harrison

Harrison's Propylea Gate, Chester.

Please gallop over to All Things Georgian, the fabulous blog belonging to my fellow Pen & Sword authors Sarah Murden and Joanne Major. Today they've kindly hosted my guest post on Thomas Harrison, who changed the face of Chester during Regency times.

Birmingham Treasures

Charity

Mrs Elton (Emma) famously said that she thought 'there is

Justice

something direful in the sound' of Birmingham, but if you explore Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, you'll discover some wonderful treasures from the world of Jane Austen's England. 
Much of the stained glass in Britain's churches is of Victorian date, some of which is splendid, but some is of rather dubious taste. Apparently many Georgian-era stained glass windows were removed by Gothic revivalists, but the museum holds some extremely rare survivals.
These two windows, 'Charity' and 'Justice', date about 1816, were painted by William Eginton, and I think they are really beautiful.

Birmingham toys.

 

 

Wine glass.

Birmingham was famous for its 'toys' or trinkets, and Matthew Boulton began his early career as a 'toy'-maker.This little 'taperstick' would have held a candle; the fish was a spicebox or vinaigrette. 
This wine glass (right) is hand-blown, and typical of the period. 
And what Georgian home would be complete without some beautiful china?
This is a Meissen coffee-cup and tea-cup from the 1750s (too early, I know for Jane Austen, but they are really pretty. Maybe Mr Woodhouse had an old set for when his friends and neighbours came for tea). 

Meissen ware.

This vase (right) is a copy of the famous Portland vase, and is one of the masterpieces which made Josiah Wedgwood famous.

 Last, but not least, we have some Birmingham-made pearl and metal buttons, dated 1780-1820s, and another product which the city was famous for.

A Regency Kissing Game!

If you attended a private party in Jane Austen's England, the fun was not necessarily confined to dancing, wining and dining. You might take your chances at whist, or enjoy a 'nice comfortable noisy game of lottery tickets' (as at Mrs Philips' home in Pride & Prejudice), or play some parlour games. If you lost when playing a game, you would be asked to pay a forfeit.
A lady might be asked to 'kiss a candlestick' held up high by a gentleman; when she tried to kiss it, the gentleman could steal the kiss for himself. 'Le Baiser a la Capucine' (kiss of the monkey) was more complicated. The gentleman and lady knelt on the floor, back to back, and had to try and kiss each other. Somehow one can't imagine the stately Mr Darcy performing Le Baiser.
If a lady was asked to 'kiss the person you love best without any one else knowing it', she would be kissed by several gentlemen in the room - a real penance if one of them was Mr Collins!

Le Baiser a la Capucine, engraving by Schenker, Le Bon Genre, c.1814. Author's collection.

A Unique Church

St Chad's

During our exploration of Shrewsbury, we came across a most unusual church. St Chad's, built in 1792, is the only Grade I listed circular Georgian church in England.

The church, which is very beautiful inside, has circular pews and a splendid plaster ceiling.

St Chad's ceiling

John Simpson memorial.

Charles Darwin was baptised here on 15 November 1809.
There are several interesting monuments including a memorial to John Simpson, a master mason who worked on the Caledonian Canal, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and St Chad's.

Pews in St Chad's.

The circular design was actually a mistake because of a misunderstanding between the architect, George Steuart, and the church trustees.

The remains of the original church, Old St Chad's, can be seen near College Hill. This 13th century building suffered a catastrophic collapse in 1788, and it was decided a change of site was best. All photos © Sue Wilkes.

Old St Chad's

A Famous Coaching Inn

Assembly Room chandeliers.

Lion Hotel.

You never know what historic gems you may find when out exploring, and I was thrilled to discover a splendid Assembly Room in a famous coaching inn at Shrewsbury.

The Lion Hotel, formerly the Red Lion, dates back to at least the fifteenth century. The beautiful lion above the entrance, and the Assembly Room, were probably built in 1777.

According to John Newman, the wonderful plasterwork in the Assembly Room, in the style of the Adam brothers, is by local architect Joseph Bromfield.

Plaque on the Lion Hotel.

Detail of musicians' gallery.

Lion above front door.

In the early 19th century, Shrewsbury was an important halt on the London to Holyhead road, built by Thomas Telford. The Hotel has had many famous guests including William IV, Thomas de Quincey, and even (allegedly) a ghost!

It was very exciting to climb the elegant hotel staircase, open the huge doors into the ballroom, and imagine the dancers twirling in 'an irresistible waltz' like Emma Woodhouse enjoyed with Frank Churchill in Jane Austen's Emma.

Assembly Room.

All photos © Sue Wilkes.

Coming Soon!

My forthcoming book A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England is now available for pre-order from Amazon UK (release date 30 October) and Amazon US.
Update 14 August: you can now also pre-order the book direct from Pen and Sword Books.

Darcy spurns Elizabeth at the ball, Pride and Prejudice.

Immerse yourself in the vanished world inhabited by Austen’s contemporaries. Packed with anecdotes, the book is an intimate exploration of how the middle and upper classes lived from 1775, the year of Austen’s birth, to the coronation of George IV in 1820.  My book conjures up all aspects of daily life within the period, drawing on contemporary diaries, illustrations, letters, novels, travel literature and archives. 

·       Were all unmarried affluent men really 'in want of a wife'?

·       Where would a young lady seek adventures?

·       Would ‘taking the waters’ at Bath and other spas kill or cure you?

·       Was Lizzy Bennet bitten by bed-bugs while travelling?

·       What would you wear to a country ball, or a dance at Almack’s?

·       Would Mr Darcy have worn a corset?

·       What hidden horrors lurked in elegant Regency houses?

 

Put on your dancing gloves and embrace a lost era of corsets and courtship!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Images: Hugh Thomson illustrations for a story set in Regency times for the Christmas issue of The Graphic, 1889.

 









Regency Cheshire Talk Photos

 My Regency Cheshire talk at Chester Library last Saturday was a sell-out! Many thanks to everyone who braved the Chester traffic, as the city was very busy with Christmas shoppers.
It was wonderful to see the library staff dressed up in such beautiful Regency costumes, and those members of the audience who took the trouble to come dressed Austen-era style, too.

I'd like to thank Lena Shiell, Debbie, Linda Clarke and all the library staff for making me so welcome.  The meeting room was adorned with a wonderful exhibition of Georgian prints courtesy of Chester Library, too. 
There are more photos from the event on my Sue Wilkes blog and on the Chester Library facebook page.

Images:
Chester town crier David Mitchell (top, bottom right) resplendent in his Georgian costume.  
Lena Shiell, the author (centre) and Linda Clarke.
Lena (Chester Library) and Linda Clarke (Cheshire Archives).

All photos on this blog post are © Nigel Wilkes.

A Jane Austen Extravaganza!

Just a reminder that I'll be giving a talk at Chester Library on 30 November from 2-3pm as part of the library's 'Jane Austen's Regency Christmas' fun day.   I'll be reading extracts from my book Regency Cheshire, and I will have some books to sell which you can buy on the day.

However, if you've already bought one of my books (or prefer to buy a copy online first), if you bring it with you, I'll be very happy to sign it after the talk.

The library staff will be dressed in Regency costumes, and there will be dancing, music, a choir, 'Regency refreshments' and children's activities.  The ladies can have a 'Regency style makeover' and find out what make-up was like during the Georgian period,  Do join us on the day if you can! 
There are details on how to buy a ticket for the event here.

Robert Owen

Social pioneer Robert Owen (1771-1858), born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, was a self-made man.  He served an apprenticeship to a linen draper at Stamford.  When he was eighteen Robert went to Manchester.  He joined a cotton firm using the revolutionary new cotton-spinning machinery. 
Owen was appalled by the workers' working and living conditions and wanted to help. His opportunity came when he became manager of New Lanark mills in Scotland, near the Falls of the Clyde.   

Many of the workers at the mill were child parish apprentices; some were from the Edinburgh poor house and charities in the city.  Owen vowed to end the use of parish apprentices when he began running New Lanark.You can find out more about Owen's amazing experiment at New Lanark,  his controversial social and religious theories, and his influence on the co-operative movement in my latest feature for Jane Austen's Regency World. My book The Children History Forgot also discusses Owen's care for the workers at New Lanark, the school he founded there, and his influence on the factory reform and 'Ten Hours' movement. 

Images from author's collection

Orphan School, Edinburgh, Views of Edinburgh and Its Vicinity, 1819. Children from the workhouse and charities like this one were employed in the mills at New Lanark.  

The Falls of the Clyde.  Water from the river Clyde powered the New Lanark Mills. Ladies’ Cabinet of Fashion, Music and Romance, 1837. 

Changing Fashions

 

This ‘Cabinet of Fashion’ fashion plate for the Lady's Monthly Museum, June 1805 shows a ‘Morning dress of cambric muslin with spencer cloak of blue silk. Full dress of straw-coloured sarsenet (sic) with a tunic of rich embroidered white crape. Hair dressed with ‘Diamonds set on Velvet, with a profusion of White Ostrich Feathers.’ 

Walking dresses had acquired a more free-flowing, gentle style by the time of this undated fashion print from the Lady’s Magazine, dated circa 1813-1814 (right).  The lady's hat is sporting a huge ostrich feather.  

By 1827 waistlines had become more distinct, and the lady in this later Lady’s Magazine print (below) is wearing an enormous poke bonnet. 

You can see some fabulous images of Regency-era fashions here on Jane Odiwe's blog, and there's more info here on the Pemberley website.