History, particularly English history, has fascinated me since I first saw The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre, many years ago. So long ago, in fact, that Alistair Cooke was the host and the theme music was still Mouret’s Rondeau, performed by Collegium Musicum de Paris.
Shortly after my exposure to Tudor times on Masterpiece Theater, I ran across my first Georgette Heyer novel, Beauvallet, set in the Elizabethan era. I soon sought out more of her novels, and discovered the English Regency. Without doubt, a much more civilized age, even if fewer buckles were swashed! It was through reading Heyer that I ultimately encountered Jane Austen, and was thoroughly enchanted.
My undergraduate and post-graduate studies focused on English social and cultural history with a concentration on the period of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. I did also study Tudor and Stuart English history, only to be convinced those were times in which I most definitely did not want to live. The Regency will do very nicely for me, thank you very much!
After completing my graduate studies, I spent time as a both a museum and historic house curator. I thoroughly enjoyed my work, but it was extremely demanding and time consuming, leaving little time for a social, or any other kind of life. I also soon discovered the field did not pay well and there were few opportunities for advancement. Fortunately, I was able to shift gears and I now manage testing of educational software for an international publishing company.
However, I have not abandoned my historical studies, now they are simply self-directed, and at my own pace. I focus primarily on the social and cultural history of life in Regency England, particularly those esoteric topics which are ignored by historians of the "big issues" of history. You will find the results of my research in the articles posted here. Reading of novels with a Regency setting is intermingled with my historical study. Since I am periodically irritated by the blatant historical inaccuracies in those novels, this is also my venue to attempt to set the record straight. I like to think that Georgette Heyer, a most meticulous researcher, would appreciate my efforts. I hope you will, as well.
The Regency Redingote 
Hi Kathryn,
I see you have placed a link to my ‘Prinny’s Taylor’ blog on your site.
Many thanks!
I will be pleased to link back to your site from mine in return.
Yr Humble & Obdt Servt,
Charles
Thank you for your link, but more importantly, thank you for all your hard work in researching and writing about the life your ancestor, Louis Bazalgette, who was also tailor to the Prince of Wales.
I was happy to add a link to your blog in my blogroll, since the whole point of The Regency Redingote is to share information on life in Regency England. Your blog is a great resource for those want to know more about both fashion and the business of tailoring at that time.
I am sure all of us who are interested in the social history of the Regency are eagerly awaiting the publication of your book. I will be watching for the publication date to be posted at your blog. Good Luck!
Just asking, Kathryn, but if you would like to read a draft, if only to check it for historical accuracy, please let me know. It not fully finished but I’d really like some feedback. I’m just asking but don’t feel any obligation!
Dear Ms. Kane,
I have taken the liberty of adding a link to Regency Redingote at my website, which you may find at http://www.myparticularfriend.com/links/austen/blogs.html.
If you would like the link removed, I shall promptly do so.
And may I add what a useful site this is. I found it while looking into the matter of Regency soap. And then I was lost for a very long time before I got back to writing.
Jennifer Petkus
I am honored that you have added a link to the Redingote at your site. I am also pleased to know you have found it useful, as that is my intent for the articles which I post here.
I hope, in turn, that you have no objection to my having added My Particular Friend to my blog roll. I am thoroughly intrigued by the idea of the “collision” of the worlds of Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes, as I am a devotee of both.
I wish you much success with your writing!
Regards,
Kat
Dear Athabasca Station:
Charles, is that you? If so, and you are asking if I will read a draft of your book about Prinny’s Taylor, yes, I would be honored to do so. But I must warn you, I was a proof-reader in college, and I will not be able to resist calling out the typos, too, if there might be any. 😉
You can get my email address from my very first post, in the last paragraph. I do not post a fully distinguished email address, as I wish to defeat spam harvesters, but I am sure you can figure it out.
=^..^=
Dear Kathryn
I am a graphic designer and illustrator. I am working on an exciting new project for a range of ‘posh’ chocolate! My client is an importer of fine foods in Hull.
I have read your pages about the drinking and making of chocolate in the Regency Period and found them extremely inspiring!
I am researching the history of the origins of chocolate in the North of England, and particularly the import of Cocoa into Hull, as a commodity in the 18th and early 19th centuries. I am pretty sure that cocoa beans (cacao nuts as they were referred to, I believe) were imported into Hull from South America.
I need to find out more about specific MERCHANTS who were particularly IMPORTING COCOA to HULL. And where they lived, whether any illustrations or portraits of them exist, and their properties and influences, lifestyles etc.
Can you help at all?
Many thanks in anticipation!
Unfortunately, I live on the other side of the pond, so I can only offer you ideas, but no research results. There is no doubt that “cacao nuts” were imported into England by the 18th century, probably into most port towns. Hull seems a likely place for both the importation of cacao nuts and their conversion into chocolate, as it was a central location for the region. However, you must keep in mind that very few merchants or businessmen of the eighteenth century, or even the early nineteenth century, handled only chocolate. There simply was not enough demand for them to carry on the business year-round. Most of these merchants would deal in chocolate, as well as tea, coffee and even tobacco, as well as other commodities, in order to make a living. And there were many aspects to the chocolate business, so there would have been the hard, unglamorous work of unloading and storing the cacao nuts once the ships arrived in port, then the back-breaking and grimy work of roasting and grinding the beans and the making of the chocolate “tablets.” You might be more interested in either the wealthy ship owners whose ships carried the cacao or in the up-scale provisions merchants who sold the expensive and stylish commodity of chocolate to their aristocratic customers. That would probably most appeal to your current client, and it might give you more latitude in finding appealing period images.
The kind of business information you are seeking would be most likely found in local records, such as local newspaper archives and court records. Advertisements by merchants, or their various legal issues related to their business would be recorded. Your best bet is to contact any local historical societies or museums in the Hull area. It is possible they may have old business records which were donated to them, and their records might include merchants who dealt with chocolate in that collection. You might also get lucky and connect with someone who is doing research on local merchants and they may be able to provide you with names and other details on those merchants, in addition to period images. I have found most local historians are always willing to share their knowledge.
Another useful, though limited, source would be old city directories. It was common for merchants to pay for inclusion in those directories to enable their customers to find them. They typically included their name, address and whatever profession or trade they were following. The practice of publishing such directories originated in the eighteenth century, so you might well find some chocolate makers listed in the pages of the old Hull directories, if they still exist. However, you will have to be familiar with the various descriptions of such activities at that time. I would recommend the book, Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage by Louis E. Grivetti and Howard-Yana Shapiro, as the most readily available source for such details. You will also get an idea of the chocolate trade overall, which might help you frame your campaign for your client. Many city libraries keep copies of their old directories, either hard copy or microform. They might also have deposits of old business records. Definitely visit the main branch of the Hull library and chat up the reference librarians. Again, they will probably be happy to help you.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the chocolate trade, by the late eighteenth century, was heavily populated with Quakers. There is a chance that you might find details about any Hull Quakers who engaged in the trade if Hull has a Society of Friends library or historical society. Though it is a long shot, you might find Hull connections if you contact some of the larger chocolate companies in England, such as Cadbury, whose roots go back to the eighteenth century. Many of those companies have an archivist or librarian on staff who manages their old records, often doing research and aiding fellow scholars in the study of the business. It may be worth contacting some of those companies for more information. I worked in advertising many years ago, and you just never know where the information which sparks that great idea might be found.
I wish you luck with your project!
Regards,
Kat
The Jane Austen Forum would like to invite you Ms Kane to be a valued member on our forum as well as any other members of this lovely blog.
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/forum/
I am honored by your invitation and have added a link to the Jane Austen Forum home page to the forum links here at the Redingote.
I find the timing of your invitation most appropriate, as I am planning to celebrate the bicentennial of the publication of Sense & Sensibility this month with a series of articles on various aspects of books, culminating in an article on the story of the publication of S&S. I look forward to celebrating this momentous anniversary at the Jane Austen Forum as well.
Thank you for your kind invitation.
Regards,
Kat
I would like to thank you for the detailed and interesting historical information you have on this blog. It was of great assistance to me in my own research. Of particular interest to me were your lighting and art sections, which contained valuable details that I had found no where else for the timeline I required. At least, not in as concise a form that greatly helped reduce excessive hours of painstaking reading. I am truly obliged to you and I congratulate you. I love your blog and it is certain that I will return to it. 🙂
Many thanks and kind regards,
SIMONE ZAMMIT ENDRICH
MALTA, EUROPE.
Thank you very much! I am so glad that you found the information here useful, that was my reason for starting the Redingote in the first place. “Knowledge is nothing unless it is shared,” is a concept which I learned many years ago and I try to share what I know, as so many have shared so much with me.
And, there is some element of selfishness in this. Not only do I love studying the kind of history I was seldom allowed to study in college, my hope is that some of the information which I provide here will be used by Regency authors to add even more historic detail to their stories. As an avid reader of Regencies, I will benefit from that myself.
I hope you will continue to find enlightening and entertaining articles on your return visits. Thank you again for your kind words.
Regards,
Kat
Like you, I got into the Regency era majorly through Georgette Heyer. I first got a book on her Regency world, not realizing it wasn’t a general reference. The story descriptions intrigued me, and so I bought False Colours. After that, I was hooked! Glad to see another Heyer fan.
False Colours is a good one, but if you have not yet read them, I highly recommend The Nonesuch, Faro’s Daughter and The Corinthian. Of course, I have never read one of her books that I did not like.
I am so glad that her books are being reprinted in better quality, more modern editions. My collection of mass market paperback copies went missing during a move sometime ago, and I have keenly felt the loss for years. I am delighted to be able to rebuild my Heyer library. The next time I move, I will be riding shotgun on those boxes! 😉
Regards,
Kat
I just found your posts a few days ago and have spent the past few nights reading post after post after post. I really am fascinated by the information you’ve shared, much of which I had never even considered, like snow in the Regency, mutant Regency squirrels, toasting, and so much more.
I do have a bone to pick with you though. I picked up one of my favorite Regency novels this afternoon, and before the first four chapters were out I had counted three errors that your posts had exposed for me.
Ignorance is bliss, they say, but they don’t say how annoying being enlightened can be. 😀
I am going to have to try very hard to ignore buttons on mens shirts, mentions of parchment instead of paper, inappropriate teas, sparkly diamonds, and so many other little things that hadn’t bothered me in the least until I read all of your posts and learned how wrong they are.
Oh well- I’ll just categorize them in the “fun to read but don’t take seriously” pile, and suggest additional research when I write to the authors. 😀
I am really looking forward to reading more of your posts and learning more about the era, even if it does induce a little teeth grinding when I read future novels and notice errors. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you, very much, for your kind words! I am glad you have found the information posted here useful, if occasionally reducing your blissful ignorance! 😉
I do hope you will give those Regency authors who have made some historical errors the benefit of the doubt. None of us can know everything, and though I may be accused of heresy for pointing it out, even Georgette Heyer made the occasional historical error. But she always tells such a good tale that I overlook those little hiccups when I come across them. If the authors you are reading tell a good story, I hope you will overlook their random mistakes, too.
I am a member of the Beau Monde, a specialty chapter of the Romance Writers of America, and I can tell you that all those authors work very hard to get their historical facts straight. But short of time travel, it is nearly impossible to be completely accurate. Even so, they do strive for that goal, and my articles here are just another way to add to the knowledge of the period.
I hope you will find future posts as interesting as those you have already read.
Regards,
Kat
Oh, no worries, I’ll give them a break. I enjoy reading too much to get fussy. And I skipped a couple years ahead in the author I was reading and noticed she’d picked up on some of the errors she’d made, and was more apparently more carefully researched later on.
So, live and learn. 🙂
Thanks again for the great info!
My pleasure!
=^..^=
Dear Kathryn, your site is consistently fascinating, even for someone who had no great prior interest in the period. I wonder if I could email you privately about an idea?
Kind regards
Will
Certainly. My email address is near the bottom of the right navigation panel. It is an image, so the spam harvesters cannot get it, but it should be no problem for a human.
Regards,
Kat
I just came across some fascinating information on the East End of London in the eighteenth century which I think would also interest you! http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/2014/01/east-london-stereotypes-challenged.html
Thank you so much for sharing the link. The article about the early years of the East End was most enlightening and clearly shows how a neighborhood can change over time.
Regards,
Kat
I’m glad you enjoyed it! That British Library site has a good variety of posts.
Good afternoon Kathryn
I am not sure whether this is appropriate or not, with WordPress etiquette, but here goes! (Please feel free to delete me if this is not the place to ask this.)
I have self-published a novel set in the Regency era, and it is a little different in that it is not a romance but rather a crime novel. It is called “Fatal Forgery” and is being well reviewed on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1489587403/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1489587403&linkCode=as2&tag=thinaboucriml-21), Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18195411-fatal-forgery?from_search=true) and the “Law Society Gazette” (http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/analysis/reviews/book-review-fatal-forgery/5039322.article). So I was wondering if it would be possible to mention it on your blog…
As a self-published author, I am finding that by far the hardest part of the process is not the research and writing, but the marketing! So please forgive me for approaching you.
(And I am working on the second book in the series, set a year later in 1825 – I made the mistake of falling in love with my hero and now I just can’t leave him alone.)
Best wishes from Susan
From what I understand from other self-published authors, like you, marketing is their greatest challenge. It is very difficult to bring self-published books to the attention of the reading public.
I have approved your comment, making the links you provided available, but I am not sure how much it will help you. The Redingote is focused on Regency romance, which is the interest of most of those who visit here. However, some visitors may enjoy mysteries, even those set after the Regency, and will be glad to find your book(s).
I wish you luck.
Regards,
Kat
Thank you so much for this, Kat – I am quite sure that every little bit of publicity helps. It is very kind of you to help, and thank you also for your encouragement.
Best wishes from Susan
I read with interest the article you wrote and the Napoleon phobia of cats…I have cats and I like bees. Would you, if you can, direct me where I can find the names of linguists of the court of Napoleon? I am researching my genealogy and have found a quote by an aunt. The quote said that her grandfather was a linguist in the court. Indeed, her mother was born in Paris in about 1832 (that event was stated on a USA census). I tried to contact a linguist society where I was put in my place when one of the linguists responded that theirs was a membership only and they do not answer inquiries from the common folk. Somehow, after reading your posts I feel you might take a bit of pity on such interloper! If possible for you to give me direction as to where I might be able to find the missing linguist, I will be appropriately delighted! I love, love, love finding a resolution to my genealogical puzzles. When the research bug bites it does not easily let go.
Susan
I am glad you enjoyed the articles. I do not know how much help I can be to you, since my focus is England during the Regency and I do not spend much time researching French history. However, I have some friends who are more knowledgeable about nineteenth-century France. I will ask them and see what I can find out for you.
Regards,
Kat
Your site has been very helpful in researching the Regency for the purposes of world building in a story I’ve been writing. Clicking through your tabs, I haven’t seen anything much in terms of medicine. I’m specifically interested in how serious injuries might be handled and where someone might go for that sort of thing?
I am glad you have found some of the articles useful. And, I am sorry I have to disappoint you on the topic of medicine at The Redingote. Anything to do with the field of medicine creeps me out in the extreme, so it is not an area in which I will ever be doing any research or writing.
However, there are a few sources I can recommend which might be useful to you. Over the past few years, articles on various aspects of medicine during the Regency have been posted at the Beau Monde blog. You will find them in the Science & Pseudoscience category.
For more detailed information, there are a few books I can suggest, though I have not read them. You will see that all of them are written or edited by Roy Porter. He is a noted English historian who has written on a wide range of subjects, including the history of medicine. I have read a number of his social and cultural history books, which have all been well-written and informative, so I have confidence in suggesting his books to you. He has always provided a substantial bibliography in all of his books which I have read, so I think Porter’s work is a good place to start any research into medicine of the Regency.
The book titles are links to their respective Google Books pages, where you might find excerpts and the full bibliographic citations for each:
Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine by Roy Porter
The Cambridge History of Medicine edited by Roy Porter (There are several editions of this book, but I understand the more recent ones have more illustrations, which you may or may not find helpful.)
Health for Sale: Quackery in England, 1660-1850 by Roy Porter
Madness: A Brief History by Roy Porter
Drugs and Narcotics in History by Roy Porter
I hope this brief list of titles will be enough to get you started in researching whichever aspect of medicine is of interest to you.
Regards,
Kat
Thank you so much! These resources were very informative, both for the purposes of writing and my own curiosity.
I am glad they were helpful. The best of luck with your career.
Regards,
Kat
Kate … it’s a late reply, but if you tell me what effect you want the injury to have on the plot, I can come up with the injury and treatment, or a suitable illness. It’s easier to work backwards from “need injury that will keep X from doing ___ for ___ days/weeks/months” or “need illness with prolonged convalescence so Y can be out of circulation, or so Z is sent home from boarding school” to a real condition than to try to force-fit something into the plot.
How long do you want the victim to be sidelined, and how much suffering do you want them to endure? Do they need to be comatose for a while? Unlikely to survive? Left with a permanent disability … if so, how bad?
I have a pile of old medical books of that era, and unlike Kathryn, medicine doesn’t squick me out. I find it fascinating.
Thank you for visiting and making such a kind offer! I have to say, better you than me!
Regards,
Kat
A question … were dance cards in use during the Regency?
The scene where the Duke of Seldane takes the meek heroine’s dance card and signs himself up for way too many dances … realistic or cliche? I read “Almacks”, the novel from the 1820s, and the main characters mentioned them, but derisively.
From what I can tell, dance cards became popular during the Victorian period, though there do seem to have been some used during the Regency. But I cannot find that their use was universal that early in the century.
Regards,
Kat
If your plot involves London housing … renting, buying, building, and financing is covered pretty well here, in the history of how the Grosvenors made a pile of money and lost quite a bit too, converting the land they owned into more town.
It covers the whole history of how they ended up with that much land, and how they developed it.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp47-66
Thank you for the link.
Regards,
Kat
Dear Kathryn. You have a great site, very informative. I’ve been researching some Regency customs for my new novella, and your site came up several times in connection to various queries of mine. But one thing I couldn’t find. Maybe I don’t ask the right questions. Could I ask you directly here? In Regency England, how much would art collectors pay for a large painting of a famous artist. Not super famous like Leonardo but maybe someone from the second tier, famous but not very much.
Thanks a lot.
Olga
I am glad you found the articles at the Redingote useful. I will do my best to answer your question, but it is a bit complicated. From your question, I am assuming you mean a large painting by a famous artist rather than one of him. First, it is important to understand that tastes and fashions in art have changed over time. In fact, they continue to change. For example, Leonardo was not considered a particularly important artist during the Regency. Most art collectors preferred the works of Rafael and Michaelangelo to the work of Leonardo, so during the Regency, Leonardo would have been considered a second or even third tier artist. He did not become famous until after the Mona Lisa was stolen in the early 20th century.
Large paintings by well-known artists could run anywhere from 100 pounds to 100,000 pounds. It depended upon the reputation of the artist, the subject of the painting and the taste and wealth of the buyer. For example, the Prince of Wales spent a fortune on a small collection of paintings by Dutch artists, because he liked their style and subject matter. But quite a lot of people thought those paintings were dull as ditch water and a complete waste of money. Some collectors liked landscapes, others liked portraits and many others liked history paintings (scenes of historical events). Some collectors were only interested in paintings by Italian artists, while others wanted only works by French artists, or German, Dutch or Spanish artists. And some collectors focused on the period of a painting, so some might like Baroque paintings, while others might prefer works from the Renaissance or the Romantic period.
So, you can set the price for the painting in your story at whatever amount works for the story. The key factors will be the tastes, preferences and wealth of the collector. If s/he likes landscapes by Baroque French artists, they would pay much more for a landscape by Claude Lorrain than they would for a Renaissance portrait by Rafael. Some collectors loved the works of Ruebens, while others thought he was overblown and liked Rembrandt better. There were lots of painters in 18th-century Italy who painted for the tourists who came to look at the ruins on the Grand Tour. Paintings like that could be had fairly cheap by the Regency.
A couple of other factors which might affect the price of a painting are whether it is sold by a reputable dealer who is trusted by the buyer, thus making it more likely the painting is genuine. A shady seller might offer a painting at a lower price, but it cold be a fake. Another factor is whether the painting is acquired in a private sale, or if it is sold at auction. If two avid collectors are bidding on a painting they both want, a bidding war could easily force the price up.
The art market during the Regency was just about as volatile as it is today. Each painting would be priced based on the artist, the period, the subject, the size and the provenance (who owned it before). Some collectors might be willing to pay a higher price for a third-rate painting which had once been owned by a famous, or infamous person. Or, an ignorant dealer might offer a masterpiece for sale at a low price because he cannot correctly identify the artist. Based on the specific circumstances, you can write your story so that your character gets an important painting at a very low or very high price, based on how you want it to play out.
Please let me know if you have more questions.
Regards,
Kat
Thanks a lot, Kat. You’re a fount of knowledge, and your answer is invaluable.
Pingback: Discovering All Things Regency | Eleanor Webster
Dear Kathryn,
I love your research and have read it for awhile now. I enjoy reading all sorts of history as a distraction, especially the small details of daily life. Recently, I came across a post on another site from a women who talked about how three generations of women in her family had passed down knowledge of poisons as being preferred to divorce. Here is a portion of the original post:
One last thing: my great grandmother had divorced in Indiana and at that time it was such a disgrace that they moved to Arkansas. Her oldest daughter later divorced too. My grandmother, in defense of her mother and sister, said, well at least they didn’t poison them, which lead to an interesting discussion of poison; according to my grandmother, women preferred over divorce. She said the most common was castor oil beans cooked in the same pot with brown beans and also oleander and mandrake root. My grandmother knew a lot about herbs from her mother and taught me a lot (we used to make shampoo from soapwort, and it was the best to whiten old linen; I wonder if textile museums know that?) and this had been passed down in the family along with the knowledge of poisons. So, you were looking for a new topic, it would be interesting how many women have heard about this. I remember years ago about a woman writing in her diary about the Civil War and including the fact she had poisoned someone. It may have been more common when women had no rights to property. I haven’t known anyone who admitted to using it but I have known other woman who had heard about the recipes.
The link to the whole post is http://www.mum.org/pastgerm.htm and the woman’s letter is all the way at the bottom of the page. I was wondering if in all of your research, have you ever come across any references to this sort of thing?
Nicole Smith
I am glad you have enjoyed the articles a the Redingote. In terms of poisoning, I have not run across much information about it, but my interests do not run to such things.
It is possible that some women employed poison to free themselves from an unwanted husband, but I doubt it was a very wide-spread practice, at least not in England during the Regency. Poisons were not sold over the counter at that time, and considerable knowledge of plants would have been required to be able to make an effective poison. There is also the fact that most people were fairly moral, even religious. They would have balked at the idea of taking the life of someone, even someone they truly hated.
Thank you for sharing your source on the lady poisoners. It may well provide an interesting plot bunny or two for other Redingote readers.
Regards,
Kat
Hi, Kathryn! I am new to your blog, but I love it already. I swear I must’ve have lived in Regency England in a past life. I love reading about it and gazing through Austen’s little window into it. Thank you for the delightful information you’ve provided.
Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying the articles.
Regards,
Kat
Kathryn, I recently read with great interest your article (from way back in 2010) about the Royal Hanoverian Cream horses. Although not a horse owner (sadly lacking in funds!) I am greatly interested in the subject of horse colours/genetics and one of my recent research projects has been the Kinsky horse of Bohemia.(I wrote an article about them here). Kinsky horses are a warmblood breed famous for their Palomino colour and are known to have had English Thoroughbred blood introduced during the late 18th century. It has been generally presumed that the cream gene in the Kinsky breed originated from there. However, it’s also known that a chestnut horse crossed with a cream horse will always, without exception, produce a palomino, so your article has me wondering if the source of the cream gene in the Kinsky horses comes not from English thoroughbreds, in which the cream gene is relatively rare, but instead from the Hanoverian Creams. Do you know of any evidence, or even just rumours, that some of the Hanoverian Creams may have been used for this purpose?
As a final note, it may well be that breeders claiming to have “Hanoverian Creams” in modern times may in fact have a horse of Kinsky origins, since a cross between two palominos will, 25% of the time, produce a cream foal. I have a suspicion that, before the studbooks were closed, the two breeds may have intermingled to some degree.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and the link to your article. I was fascinated to learn that a chestnut/cream cross will always result in palomino offspring.
Unfortunately, I know very little about the ancestry or breeding of Hanoverian Creams beyond what you find in my article. I understand they were originally bred at the stud in Hanover and later, under George IV, at the Royal stud at Windsor. Though records were kept of breeding efforts, I have no idea if any unrecorded encounters with other horses might have taken place over the years. It is possible, as I suspect neither George IV or his brother, the Duke of York, both of whom had studs, were particularly rigorous in their record-keeping or breeding practices.
If you are not yet aware of it, I can refer you to the New Dilutions site, which is focused on the color changes in horses. You can find it here: http://www.new-dilutions.com/ Perhaps you might find more useful information there.
Regards,
Kat
Dear Kathryn, I am writing a post about Lady Hertford and THAT Chinese drawing room, I am focusing on how headlines last year and the accompanying text were essentially disingenuous with the facts… your 2009 post presents a very credible version of events which tallies with my book reading on the subject, do you mind me asking what your sources are for this post? I have a blog called a decorative affair and will credit you/link to you in my post and I am currently doing a Masters in the Decorative Arts with a thesis focusing on 18th C Chinoiserie interpretations in the 20th century.
All the Best Juliet
Dear Juliet,
I did have the great good fortune to visit the Temple Newsam manor house many years ago and met with the curator at the time. He was kind enough to take me around the house and told me the story of the Chinese Drawing Room and its paper-hangings, so I knew the basics of the story before I began the research for my blog article. It will take me some time to search out my sources for that article, since it was written several years ago. I will do my best to seek them out and will then post them here, as well as sending you a copy to the email address you posted.
BTW – I did a Masters in Decorative Arts several years ago myself, and was particularly fascinated by C18 Chinoiserie. I do hope you enjoy researching and writing your thesis.
Regards,
Kat
Dear Kathryn, I knew you knew! It all dovetailed with books I had at home and I loved your insights into Prinny’s motivation and careful play of the mother to influence the son in law. If the sources are available that’s wonderful and either way I will link to you… thank you so much and for your messages of good luck, I am a little nervous of the thesis ahead.
All the best Juliet
Dear Juliet,
I have gone through my records and have compiled a list of the sources which I consulted during my research on my article about Lady Hertford’s Chinese Drawing Room.
There are actually two lists, the first is the sources I was able to locate during my research. The second list is that of the sources for which I found reference online, but was not able to get a copy of the book in time. You might have better luck, so I am including that second list for your convenience.
Also, I must tell you that none of these sources will confirm my theory that the Prince of Wales presented Lady Hertford’s mother with the Chinese paper-hangings and tapestries in 1806 as part of his campaign to gain Lord Hertford’s support in allowing Mrs. Fitzherbert to retain guardianship of little Mary Seymour. However, based on the information which I found in the sources, I do believe that was his intent.
Sources Consulted:
Ackerman, Phyllis, Wallpaper: It’s History, Design and Use. New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1923. 2nd edition, 1938. (General information on the technology of wallpaper production.)
Campbell, Gordon, The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. (A good overview of chinoiserie and the production of wallpaper over time.)
Entwisle, E. A., A Literary History of Wallpaper. London: B. T. Batsford, Ltd., 1960. (No specific references to Lady Hertford, but this is a book about which you should know, as it is a compendium of original documents relating to wallpaper.)
Greysmith, Brenda, Wallpaper. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1976. (Includes some background on the gift of the Chinese wallpaper to Lady Hertford’s mother.)
McClelland, Nancy, Historic Wall-Papers: From Their Inception to the Introduction of Machinery. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1924. (Detailed information on Chinese papers and their origins.)
Sugden, Alan Victor, and Edmondson, John Ludlam, A History of English Wallpaper, 1509 – 1914. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, c. 1925. (Substantial information about Chinese wallpapers.)
Wells-Cole, Anthony, Historic Paper Hangings from Temple Newsam and Other English Houses. Leeds: Leeds City Art Galleries, 1983. (The most complete source.)
Wilkins, W. H., Mrs. Fitzherbert and George IV. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1905. (Detailed account of their relationship.)
Other Possible Sources:
Beevers,David, Chinese Whispers: Chinoiserie in Britain, 1650-1930. Royal Pavilion & Museums, 2008.
Eerdmans,Emily and Kelly Wearstler, Regency Redux: High Style Interiors: Napoleonic, Classical Moderne, and Hollywood Regency. Rizzoli, 2008.
Larsen, Ruth M., editor, Maids & Mistresses: Celebrating 300 Years of Women and the Yorkshire Country House. Yorkshire Country House Partnership, 2004.
Linstrum, Derek, and Leeds Civic Trust, Historic Architecture of Leeds. Oriel P., 1969.
Parissien, Steven, Regency Style. Phaidon, 1992.
I should also point out that it has been several years since I wrote that article, so it may be worth your while to conduct some online searches on keywords like "chinese drawing room temple newsam" or "lady hertford’s chinese drawing room" and other combinations, which might turn up additional sources that have since been published.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything more I can do to help you. Also, please remember while you are working on your thesis, you will become the expert on that topic. Be confident in your knowledge, it will be hard-won, and you have every right to appreciate your efforts.
Regards,
Kat
Dear Karen, my profound apologies I missed you email, and I am so grateful for it… thank you. I am going to note your references and you again In my credits. What a great list of wallpaper books!
All the best and thank you again Juliet 🌸
Juliet O’Carroll 🔡 iphone
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Hi,
Just following up as I didn’t hear back from you, sorry to email you again. I noticed your page regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/a-timely-tool-for-regency-authors/ links to http://www.timeanddate.com. Unfortunately, that site isn’t very accessible for the sight impaired. Would you consider adding a link to a more accessible version like http://www.thetimenow.com which is WCAG 2.0 compatible?
Also, if you ever want to see how accessible a page is, I recommend wave.webaim.org. It is really helpful.
Thanks,
Shane Buck
Since I have never received an email from you, that would explain why you have never gotten any response from me.
I selected the https://www.timeanddate.com/ site because it provides the greatest and most detailed information with regard to that topic. I see no reason to deny that information to the majority of my readers because a few many have visual impairments or other accessibility issues. The last statistics I have seen indicate that the percentage of blind and visually impaired folks in the United States is a little over seven percent of the population. That is not a large number.
Part of my day job is testing sites for accessibility, so I am very familiar with WCAG 2.0, WebAim, etc. In addition, I have several friends and acquaintances with disabilities. I can assure you that none of them would ever want to be denied information because it may be on a site which is not be accessible. With JAWS, NVDA and other accessibility applications, they are usually able to navigate just about any web site to get the information they want.
Sincerely,
Kathryn
Ms. Kane, I have been reading your blog for a number of years. I am an antiques dealer and I write about topics that interest me–mostly regarding the Georgian and Regency periods. Just wrote about penwork (it will be published in the New England Antiques Journal in the March issue), and searched your site to see if you have ever covered this art. In the past I wrote about paper filigree, another ladies’ pastime (and actually mentioned in one of Jane Austen’s works–forget which one right now). I am continually delighted by your attention to detail and your historical accuracy, and will continue to use your writings as a resource for my own work. Thank you for everything you do!
Thank you very much for your kind words. It is always nice to know that someone finds my work of value.
If by penwork, you mean the designs created using calligraphic pen strokes, I have not written about it, though, as an occasional calligrapher, I am aware of the work. I have even attempted my own designs from time to time. None of which are worthy of seeing the light of day, BTW. 😉
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to made such a complimentary comment.
Regards,
Kat
I mean the penwork that was used to decorate boxes and furniture. Thanks for your nice response.
Hi Kathryn!
I just wanted to give you a huge Thank You for keeping this blog going with so much enthusiasm and knowledge. As a ghostwriter of german regency novels I rely heavily on information gained from blogs like yours. And besides being entertaining and incredibly helpful I always get lots of inspiration from your posts. Just now I was reading about the circulating libraries and it triggered quite a few plot ideas. So, thank you very much and keep up this incredible work!
Anja
Danke! You are most kind. It means a lot to me to know that my articles are useful and are helping to inspire more stories set during the Regency, since I also enjoy reading Regencies. I hope that you will continue to find inspiration in my future articles.
Regards,
Kat
Ms. Kane, I purchased an interesting antique silverware wooden caddy (with lids and lined with I believe old velvet) at an estate auction of an old Virginian family. I have been trying to research it and came across your most informative site about antique knife boxes and their history. I learned a lot. But mine is the shape of the more utilitarian boxes but has 2 lids that flip up and the handle is engraved with a cut out H (the family’s estate name began with H). I did not see any that were similar to mine. I wanted to attach a picture but was not able to on this format. Have you seen other caddies or trays such as this? Thank you for any help you can give me. Anne
Even if I could see pictures of the caddy which you purchased, I am not sure that I could help you. Thousands of knife and tableware caddies were made over the years, both in Britain and the States. All of them would have been made by hand, so there is no real standard against which to compare them.
Your best bet would be to contact any museums, historic houses or historical societies in your area. They might have similar items in their collections, or have staff who have done research on similar objects. Another option would be to contact antique dealers in your area. At the very least, they should be able to give you an approximate date when it was made, as well as the type of wood from which it was made.
Congratulations on your acquisition! I wish you much luck in your research.
Regards,
Kat
I have only just discovered your site and found .many items of interest. So sorry to hear you are retiring from it but delighted to learn that all your past blogs will remain on line for me to continue my journey through them. Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to comment, and for letting me know that my articles of have been of interest to you.That means a lot to me.
Regards,
Kat