Tag Archives: Horses

Of Riding Houses

Though this specialty form of luxury equine architecture was falling out of fashion in England by the turn of the nineteenth century, there were still several in place across Britain. In addition, the Prince of Wales had commissioned more than … Continue reading

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The Naked Duel

This is one of those tales which falls into the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category. Though, in the end, there is some suggestion that this duel did not come off, and it happened almost five years before the Regency began, it really did … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:   The Disafforestation of Exmoor Forest

Two hundred years ago, this coming Monday, the disafforestation of the Royal Forest of Exmoor culminated in the sale of large tracts of Crown land to a private citizen. However, due to the ideosyncracies of English law, this did not … Continue reading

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Carshalton:   Rural and Picturesque

Today, Carshalton is a charming suburb of London, but during the Regency, it was a small, partially commercial village about ten miles south-west of the metropolis. Early nineteenth-century Carshalton offers many options for a Regency author in need of a … Continue reading

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Robert Coates:   From “Diamond” to “Romeo”

Robert Coates was one of the most well-known and interesting eccentrics who lived in Regency England, so much so that he acquired a number of different nicknames over the course of his life, all of them related to those things … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:   The Dedication of the Waterloo Bridge

Called the most beautiful bridge in Europe when it was built, this magnificent new bridge actually had another name when it was first planned. However, it was renamed by order of Parliament after the Allied victory over Napoleon at Waterloo … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:  The First Ride on the Laufmaschine

Two hundred years ago, this coming Monday, Karl von Drais, the man who invented the proto-type of the bicycle, took his first ride on his new invention. He rode his wooden, two-wheeled vehicle a distance of about five miles, out … Continue reading

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The Horse Armoury at the Tower of London

Not long after its construction in the Middle Ages, the Tower of London became the principal official manufactory of armour for the Kings of England, and their trusty steeds. The armourers there continued to produce armour for several centuries. When … Continue reading

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The Salts of Epsom

My grandmother swore by Epsom salts for lots of things, particularly as a remedy for what ails a person, inside or out. I still have a box on my shelf, and use them from time to time, just as Grandma … Continue reading

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Reminiscences of Henry Angelo

Any reader of the Regency novels of Georgette Heyer will be aware of one of the important sporting haunts of Regency gentlemen, Henry Angelo’s Fencing Academy, in Bond Street. If scenes were not set in the environs of the academy, … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:   Edinburgh Scoops London

This article is yet another in my ongoing series on panoramas. Several of those articles were devoted to the first panorama in London, Robert Barker’s purpose-built rotunda in Leicester Square. Barker learned early on that the public would flock to … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:   "An Ass of the Eighteenth Century"

Two hundred years ago, Jemmy, who called himself "An Ass of the Eighteenth Century" made his debut in the children’s book, The Adventures of a Donkey. Jemmy’s "autobiography" predated that of Black Beauty by more than sixty years. In fact, … Continue reading

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Of Hot-Beds and Cold Frames

About a half century before the term "hot-bed" was used to refer to a place or group which promoted the rapid development of some philosophy or phenomenon which was considered to be politically or socially subversive, a hot-bed was a … Continue reading

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The Hainault Forest and the Fairlop Oak — Part Two

Last week’s article was about the ancient Forest of Hainault. Within that forest stood an enormous oak tree which was centuries old by the Regency and had become an important local landmark. Known as the Fairlop Oak, annual events had … Continue reading

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The Hainault Forest and the Fairlop Oak — Part One

The great Fairlop Oak and the ancient Forest of Hainault which surrounded it have both been swept away by the ravages of time. But during the Regency, the massive oak stood tall in the large remnant of the primordial forest … Continue reading

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Regency Bicentennial:   Bonaparte Escapes Elba

Two hundred years ago, yesterday, Napoleon Bonaparte, reduced from Emperor of the French to the Emperor of Elba, left his tiny island kingdom. He set sail for the south coast of France with over a thousand men under his personal … Continue reading

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1814:   The Year in Review

The year 1814 was one of the most eventful of the Regency period. There was great rejoicing when it was believed the war with Napoleon was over, while Princess Charlotte won her own small battle with her father. There were … Continue reading

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