Our first talk of 2025 - near home in Weymouth

Wallis's Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster 1804

Jane Austen's Letter For a great family day out in Devon take a trip to the Torquay Museum a great place for World culture and local History.

Today's discovery: there's a letter by Jane Austen in Torquay Museum.

It's a one that provokes some debate, as some words are crossed out.

Brabourne guessed that them. Deirdre Le Faye interpreted differently.

The museum simply lists them as 'word deleted'.

torquaymuseum.org/collections/...

A delight that we visited in October. No sunshine on our day, though.

Stowe House, now Stowe School.

Blog | Regency History Did Jane Austen, the Prince Regent, Fanny Burney or the Duke of Wellington talk of Santa Claus bringing presents at Christmas? No, they didn’t. But their December conversations may have made menti...

Did Father Christmas visit Regency England?

We spent time looking into the sources for the old fella who personifies the season.

www.regencyhistory.net/blog/father-...

Canaletto, up close. Loving the detail.

Does she look grumpy?

Joshua Reynolds ‘The Strawberry Girl’.

In his first speech to Parliament as King in November 1760, George III emphasized he gloried 'in the Name of Briton', which was said to have so delighted the Tories of the Cocoa Tree that they 'violated their sobriety... by drinking felicity to his Majesty in pint bumpers'
#HistParl #skystorians

Didn’t see that one. They’ve got Girl on a Swing.

Driving through a blizzard the other day was extremely wintery?

We’re now immersed in early documents about Christmas.

Our London trip included a visit to the Wallace Collection.

It’s an amazing (and free) museum of art very close to Oxford Street.

Portrait sketch of a young man with bushy powdered hair, wearing a green coat with a tall collar, and a Garter Star'.

In November 1783 George Prince of Wales took his seat in the Lords for the first time, but the king was unhappy about what he intended to wear. He wrote to the queen that he had 'rummaged the old trunk' and unearthed 'an old & very rich velvet' set but there were doubts what they were for.
#HistParl

Waterloo Place, London. The site of Carlton House. Demolished in 1826.

The site of Carlton House and its gardens is now a development of grand Georgian houses.

Where is Carlton House, the Prince Regent’s palace?

A few days ago we explored the site. It’s between Pall Mall and the Mall.

Austen, Emma and the Prince Regent Dedicated to the man she hated

How did Jane Austen feel as she approached this grand palace in November 1815?

William's community, the village of Chissel (aka Chiswell or Chesil) was badly hit. More than 20 people died.

The village is right behind the massive shingle wall of Chesil Beach. It's on the Isle of Portland, Dorset.

4/4

FAREWELL MY WIFE AND CHILDREN DEAR
MY DEATH WAS SUDDEN AND SEVERE,
THE WIND AND SEA ITS FURY BROKE
THE WONDROUS WORKS OF GOD BESPOKE
MAN’S DWELLING’S LEVELL’D WITH THE GROUND
WHEN SOME WERE KILL’D AND SOME WERE DROWN’D
THEREFORE O GOD THEIR SOULS PRAY TAKE.
IN JOYS ABOVE FOR JESUS SAKE.

3/4

The headstone reads

SACRED To the Memory of
WILLIAM HANSFORD Aged 61 Years
who was killd on the 23 of November 1824
by the Sea overflowing the Village of Chissel
his Leg was broken in attempting to make
his escape afterwards the House fell on him.

2/4

This week we're remembering the Great Storm (also known as the Great Gale) of 1824.

It killed over 100 people on the south coast of England. Our local area, in Dorset, was particularly badly hit.

This local grave tells the story of a man who died when his house fell, as the sea swept in.

1/4

They make 'em tough in Wallsend

The Great Storm of 1824 - Weymouth and Portland YouTube video by Regency History

It's just a few days until the 200th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1824. It struck hard in our local area, in Dorset.

A village was destroyed, ships wrecked and over 100 people killed.

To mark the event we created a short video: youtu.be/ez71hUyb_l8

Regency History | Andrew Knowles | Substack We love researching and sharing about the late Georgian and Regency era in Britain. Managed by Andrew & Rachel Knowles. Click to read Regency History, by Andrew Knowles, a Substack publication. Launc...

We're also having a go at Substack regencyhistory.substack.com

Hello world!

This account is now active (having been dormant for a few months).

We're @andrewwriter.bsky.social and Rachel (who's already got more social accounts than she knows what to do with).

Hello indeed!

This week Rachel gave a talk in Almack House, site of the famous Almack’s Assemblies in the Regency.

Wonderful hosts and an enthusiastic audience.