penny dreadfuls:
Also called penny horribles and penny awfuls, these were cheap and usually lurid stories that were popular in the 19th century, the …
Lower Assembly Rooms:
The older of the assembly rooms (see assemblies) in Bath. It no longer exists, having burned down in the 1820s.
pastiche:
A novel written in the style of an author and usually borrowing an author’s characters, like Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. It …
letters patent:
These were open letters issued by a monarch conferring some office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some …
hackney, hansom, growler:
A two-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse and used as a taxi cab and refers to either originally a brougham and …
gasogene:
A device that made carbonated water for alcoholic drinks. A chemical reaction in the upper chamber forced carbon dioxide in the lower …
irregulars:
The Baker Street Irregulars is both the name of the principal Sherlock Holmes society and the street urchins Holmes employed. I would …
Barron, Stephanie:
Author of the “Being a Jane Austen Mystery” series, author Stephanie Barron has been writing of Jane Austen as detective for so …
delope:
The practice of intentionally firing wide during a duel, signifying you did not wish to harm your opponent. As there were no …
living, a:
Many wealthy landowners had it within their rights to grant a living to the local vicar or parish priest. This person would …