Friday January 9th, 1818

When doing research I like primary sources, and I often glance at newspapers of the time of my books. If you wonder how, my local library has a subscription to the Times Archive online, which includes other papers, including a database of 19th century British ones. Check out your own library's online resources. They're wonderful and accessible from at home.

Though most of the content of these papers is of little interest they do give a flavour of the time and occasional items are enlightening. I've been particularly intrigued lately as the calendar for 1817, the year of my work in hand, The Viscount Needs a Wife, was the same as 2015. So recently I was reading and writing about events in December 1817 whilst living through the same days in 2015.

My book is still in December and we're now into 2016, but the days are marching in sync, so I thought I'd look at today, Friday January 8th, 1818 in the Morning Post. The Morning Post was published in London from 1772 onwards. It changed over time, but it was fairly lightweight. Most of the content was advertisements, some British news, and social gossip. Sometimes the list of fashionable parties was long, but on this date there are only a few, some connected to Twelfth Night on the 6th. (As always, click to enlarge.)

It was common for gentlemen to host men-only dinners, largely for business/political purposes, and we can assume the first was of that sort, and probably the last. Some of the ladies' parties might have been women-only.

The papers also recorded who came and went. Again this is a small entry. Probably most people were settled at their destination for the time being, it being winter.

You've probably read about Tatt's -- Tattersall's, where horses and carriages were auctioned. Here's a notice of a large sale and some single horses, including race horses. This was the time of the post-war depression and a lot of people were selling off luxuries. Generally sold prices were low, as you'd expect.

It was also the time of the lingering mourning for Princess Charlotte, who'd died in childbirth in November. Her father the Regent was powerfully affected, and her birthday, 7th of January, affected him deeply as we read below. 

The death didn't only cause sorrow but additional hardship. Everyone of all station took to some kind of mourning wear and that continued. Most people already had mourning, for death was not uncommon, so they bought no new clothes. It was seen as unfeeling to even purchase brighter fabric or trimming for future use and tradespeople were suffering. Entertainment did go on, as we've seen, but clothing remained sober. I have an account of a Black Ball during Christmas, with everything black, yet a good time was had by all.

Smaller tragedies happened all the time, as with this case of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can still happen today. A carbon monoxide detector is a small but worthwhile investment.

The following item interested me because it showed how someone changed their name upon inheritance to fit with the name of the previous owners. There seem some rules attached. Never know when a similar situation might turn up in a book!

And lastly a nod to last year's book, A Shocking Delight, which involved smugglers. Clearly the worthies of Deal in Kent weren't about to side with the law against the smugglers, whether from fear or approval. Quite likely it was approval.

A few slices of life back then, for your enjoyment.

Cheers,

Jo

Comments

[Rose]

Jo,

Thanks for the tip on the Times Archive online. Even when not relevant to my own writing, I love this stuff. I always learn a little somethin' somethin' when I drop by and from your newsletters. Thanks! :0)

[Elinor Aspen]

Jane Austen's brother Edward was "adopted" as a teenager by wealthy relatives (although he maintained his ties with his birth family) and took their surname in order to inherit their property.

Lord Byron's father, Jack Byron, took his wife's surname, Gordon, in order to secure her inheritance.

Those are two historical examples I can think of off the top of my head of well-born men changing their surname for reasons of property.

[Mary Jo Putney]

What fun, Jo! Now I'm thinking about a Black Ball, though I don't know when I'd use it. *G*

[Jobev]

You're welcome, Rose. I love the old papers, too. It's like peeping through a window into the past.

[Jobev]

That's right, Elinor. I thought the formality of the item in the paper was interesting, though.

[Jobev]

As my MIP is right in this period, it might turn up in my book. Don't have any balls planned yet, but as you say, tempting. :)

[Susan]

Questions come to my mind. Did those that held the dinner party send a notice to the paper(s), or what? Were folks hanging around to catch a glimpse of the rich and famous at various events or near by? Was there any money to be made by providing info to the papers? The clip about Regent suggests an insider provided details to the paper. How did that work?

Thanks for the tip on the access to the papers. I love them, but so hard to read sometimes due to poor quality.

[Glenda]

These bits from the paper are great! I love the little snapshots in time. Thanks, Jo!

[nancy]

There is a book that lists the name changes by Phillimore. An Index to Changes of Name. He says that a name change required by a will cost £50. If you do it on a whim it costs £10. The Villiers added Child to family name and those who received the Wentworth money added Noel. The form in the paper was the usual form for such a name change , even when a change was only adding a surname and not substituting. This did not change the titles.
I tried subscribing to a newspaper service on line but found that the transcription was horrible. I have .PDF copies of Morning Post and Morning Chronicle. These are sometimes not clear. I would love to have examples of the Morning Herald. I used to have access to the Times of the Regency from an English library but that subscription ended. Sometimes the Gale early English newspaper subscription service has a free period around Library week. I find the Annual Registers has more interesting articles.

[Jobev]

I've decided they have to have used the equivalent of a press release. In the case of royalty I think it was considered the public's right to know where they were and what they were doing, especially at a time of national crisis.

[Jobev]

Thanks, Glenda

[Jobev]

I like the Annual Registers too, Nancy. I bought have all the Regency ones long ago and they've proved useful and interesting.