archbishop and bishops
The archbishops of Canterbury and York are the leaders of the Church of England, although the monarch, of course, is the head …
assemblies
Organizations that provided, for a subscription, balls, concerts, salons and suppers during the social season.
barouche, landau:
a four wheeled carriage drawn by two horses with two benches, allowing the passengers to face each other across the middle, with …
barristers, attorneys
Britain has a split legal profession that includes barristers and solicitors (and at one time serjeants at law). Barristers can plead in …
Bath chair:
The Bath chair largely supplanted the use of the sedan chair in the city of Bath. It could be either pushed from …
Bath, England:
Visit Bath is the official tourism website for the city that Jane built, and the Austen connections are numerous, although of course …
brougham:
Pronounced “broom,” this is a four-wheeled carriage for two, with a separate seat for the driver and perhaps a footman. Similar to …
buying a commission:
From the beginnings of the British army until 1871, most officers bought their commissions. Soldiers could be promoted for merit or after …
cabriolet:
A two-wheeled carriage for two, one of who is the driver, drawn by a single horse. It has a folding top to …
Chawton Cottage
Jane Austen’s House Museum maintains Chawton Cottage, the home where Jane Austen did most of her mature writing during the last eight …
Chawton House Library:
Chawton House Library is a UK charity with a collection of books focusing on women’s writing in English from 1600 to 1830. …
constitutional monarchy:
England is a constiutional monarchy, that is the king or queen is a largely ceremonial position and acts as the head of …
coroner’s inquest or jury:
You’ll see mention again and again in Holmes, Poirot and Miss Marple stories about an inquest being held after Lord Thingummy is …
Court of St. James
St. James Palace is the official home of the British monarchy, although the sovereign has many royal residences, such as Buckingham and …
dandy, Beau Brummell:
George Bryan Brummell was a trend setter in Regency England and a friend of the Prince Regent. Nowadays we might think of …
deacon, curate:
The low man on the ecclesiastical totem pole. The deacon was a full-fledged clergyman but without the benefit of a benefice (living, …
Debrett’s, look him up in:
Since 1780 (with a few lapses) Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage has been the who’s who of the English titled, and you see …
delope:
The practice of intentionally firing wide during a duel, signifying you did not wish to harm your opponent. As there were no …
éclat:
This is a word that I have to look up every single time, for I keep confusing it with élan, éclair and …
Enclosure movement:
The Enclosure Movement was a practice whereby wealthy landowners could buy and consolidate smaller tracts of land, including the village commons, and …
entailed:
To ensure that property remain in the family, many estates were entailed, meaning that only a male heir could inherit property. This …
fichu:
A scarf-like square of linen tucked into the bodice (or worn as a shawl) to conceal the bosom. Despite a lot of …
gentleman:
During the Georgian period, to be a gentleman generally meant you did not work to make a living. Instead, you lived off …
gentry, landed gentry:
The landed gentry is the class from which most Jane Austen characters were drawn. They are below the nobility but may include …
Georgian era:
We often think of Jane Austen as the Regency era, but she lived most of her life before the Regency officially began …
Grand Tour, The:
Poor Fitzwilliam Darcy never had the advantage of the Grand Tour, owing to the unpleasantness that existed between England and France from …
in trade:
Someone in trade is not part of the gentry. You might act like a gentleman and even be treated as such, but …
John Wood (the elder and younger):
This father and son team defined Palladian architecture and with Ralph Allen are responsible for Bath’s consistent Georgian appearance. The father is …
jointure:
An agreement made before marriage to settle on the wife upon the husband’s death some amount of money or property. In the …
letters patent:
These were open letters issued by a monarch conferring some office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some …