Today’s blog is a continuation from yesterday’s post about the history of Federal Hill, the plantation estate of the Rowan family that is now known worldwide as “My Old Kentucky Home.” Please read that article first as it sets the foundation for the Kentucky State song of the same name, written by famous American songwriter… CONTINUE READING…
“You know nothing, Jon Snow!” As it turns out, there is one John Snow who did know quite a great deal! Forgive me if the Game of Thrones reference is unfamiliar… or worse yet, a reminder of a fabulous TV show that ended up having the worse final seasons of all time. Indeed, for me… CONTINUE READING…
Named after the small village of Gwennap located just outside Redruth in Cornwall, the Gwennap Pit came into existence as a natural depression formed by a collapse into an abandoned underground mine shaft. The massive pit was a chaotic cavity of stone and earth in a disorderly array. How long it existed as such is… CONTINUE READING…
There is a common joke that Auld Lang Syne is one of the most popular songs of which no one knows the full lyrics! Other than the chorus, this is largely the truth. Back in my long ago days of celebrating New Year’s Eve at a party, I can’t recall ever hearing more than the… CONTINUE READING…
An entire period is titled for him, so who was he exactly? The Prince of Wales ruled as Regent in his father’s stead for a mere nine years, and was King for only ten years. Why has so much history revolved around his short reign? GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK was born at St. James’s Palace in… CONTINUE READING…
Anna Seward (1747-1809) ANNA SEWARD was born in Derbyshire, in 1747. She was the daughter of a clergyman and the only one of four children to reach adulthood. She did not attend school but was tutored by her father and introduced to classical works such as Milton at a very early age. Her love… CONTINUE READING…
A few weeks ago I shared a YouTube video on Corset History created by Weird History. As I said then, the channel is amazing. So many great bits from history on hundreds of topics. As y’all know, medical history is especially fascinating to me, so today I am sharing another Weird History video, this on… CONTINUE READING…
Elizabeth Gurney was born in Norwich, England in 1780 to an influential and extremely wealthy Quaker family. Her father, John Gurney, was a partner in Gurney’s Bank, and her mother Catherine was from the Barclay family, founders of Barclays Bank. In 1798, when only 18, Elizabeth heard the preaching of American Quaker William Savery, who… CONTINUE READING…
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night” ~Luke 2:8 Unlike most Christmas carols, the origins of Silent Night are rooted in well-established facts AND steeped in dramatized legend. The Facts: Father Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), a young priest in the parish church at Oberndorf (a village on the… CONTINUE READING…
In 1741 George Frideric Handel wrote Messiah, his greatest musical creation, at the age of 56 in a single wild writing jag lasting 24 days. According to Newman Flower’s George Frideric Handel: His Personality and His Times: “He (Handel) completed the first part in seven days, the second part in nine days, the third part… CONTINUE READING…
This Regency individual intrigued me early on and those of you so fortunate as to have read my novels know that I included this notorious woman a couple of times. Before I get into a dissertation about her, let me just say that one aspect of the fun in writing a literary piece set in… CONTINUE READING…
Today I bring you the sixth installment of my series on Georgian and Regency Era servants. As noted last week, this entry will conclude the staff members who worked within the walls of the country manor or London townhouse. Next week I shall move outside, as it were, and begin a shorter series of essays… CONTINUE READING…
Continuing on with the series on Regency Era servants and staff — blogs can be found listed in the Pemberley Library or by a site search — it is time to move into the kitchen areas of a Regency house and meet the servants dwelling within. To fully understand the duties of the servants within… CONTINUE READING…
In July of 2011, I shared a link to an article in the Sheffield Telegraph titled: Christine’s Glimpse into Running a Stately Home. My Scottish pal May had sent me the link to the online article, and I did share it here on my blog way back then. This week’s focus on an English manor’s… CONTINUE READING…
Here is the 4th installment in my Regency Servants series. So many servants… so many essays to write! I suspect another three posts on the folks who kept a country estate operating, with an additional two or three on related topics. I sure am having fun with this subject, and hope y’all are too! Male… CONTINUE READING…
