Grace Elliot - blog.

The Great Seducers - The COQUETTE.

2012-03-07T11:36:00.002-08:00

Next on the list of this catalogue of seducers is the coquette.

"There are indeed men who are attached more by resistance than by yielding."

Imbert de Saint-Amand.

It is a reflection of human nature that for some an easy conquest holds lower value than a difficult one. The power of the coquette is in enticing her victim whilst herself turning away, thus making her prey come to her. She is mistress of arousing insecurity by using her inconsistency, and knows that should her quarry become angry, this is a sign he is under her spell.

"She who would long retain her power must use her lover ill."

Ovid.

Josephine.

Some may say the coquette is a tease, who cares more for herself than others, but it is this selfishness which draws people to her. Men are challenged by the coquette's independence, desiring to be the one to enslave her…whilst it's far more likely he will become the victim. She is not emotionally needy and this self-sufficiency is surprisingly attractive, especially to powerful men who are more used to women throwing themselves in their path than having to work to get attention.

Coquettes are never jealous, but arouse jealousy in others, often by showing interest in a third party and creating a triangle of desire.

Let us take as our example of Josephine Beauharnais, who eventually married Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon Bonaparte.

"Josephine had to deal with a conqueror and that love resembles war. She did not surrender, she let herself be conquered. Had she been more tender, more attentive, more loving, perhaps Bonaparte would have loved her less."

Imbert de Saint-Amand.

A vicomtesse, during the French revolution she narrowly escaped execution. Josephine was languorous, exotic and sensuous with a reputation as a loose woman, whilst Napoleon was shy and believed in marriage. She invited Napoleon into her glittering social circle, and although he felt uncomfortable amongst the great writers and wits, she singled him out and thus made him feel special. She wrote him passionate letters, but when he called she seemed cold and reserved…and so the challenge was issued to a man who loved nothing better than a battle.

Hortense - Josephine's daughter.

But when Josephine eventually married Bonaparte, his troubles were only just beginning. Two days after the wedding Napoleon left to lead a campaign in northern Italy against the Austrians. He wrote to his new wife,
"You are the constant object of my thoughts. My imagination exhausts itself in guessing what you are doing."

But she wrote back infrequently and her letters lacked passion, which drove him to distraction. Napoleon threw this frustration into war against the enemy, whilst his letters to his wife became ever more desperate.

"I work to get near you; I kill myself to reach you."

A less flattering portrait of Napoleon.

In short, Josephine became a motivating force behind the army's victory. When they eventually did meet, Napoleon spent long hours in a darkened carriage with his wife, whilst his generals fumed as meetings were missed and orders went unissued.

Later Napoleon wrote:

"Never has a woman been in such complete mastery of another's heart."

Despite rumours of Josephine taking lovers, Napoleon eventually made her empress and on his deathbed, reportedly the last word he uttered was:
"Josephine!"

Next week: The CHARMER

The Great Seducers - The DANDY.

2012-02-29T10:29:00.001-08:00

Jean duJardin as George Valentin, in 'The Artist.'

This week in this series of posts, we consider the dandy and his methods of seduction. This is a especially apt because "The Artist" has just won several Oscars, including those for best movie and best actor. The film tells the story of silent screen star George Valentin and is loosely based on the life of Rudolph Valentino, who was very much a dandy. So with this timely link, let's take a look at what makes a dandy.

Rudolph Valention - in his role as 'The Sheikh.'

Dandies exist to please themselves, love beauty and like to be different. They don’t like to conform and yet first glance, aren’t threatening, but have the potential to thrill. Dandies are bold enough to 'be themselves', and never try too hard to get attention and yet always seem to attract it. Ultimately, a successful dandy invites imitation, such as Beau Brummell, and his immaculate tailoring.

"The fit of his [Brummell] gloves was achieved by entrusting their cut to two firms- one for the fingers, the other for the thumbs"

Harriett Wilson's Memoirs.

Beau Brummell - he made a career out of being a dandy.

Physical appearance is very important to the dandy, with an almost effeminate attention to detail. Their unconventional dress isn’t necessarily in shocking, but as with Valentino in the 1920's who used to wear bracelets, has unusual touches.

In his most famous movie, The Sheikh, Valentino reversed gender roles. He wore eye make up and flowing robes, whilst the heroine wore trousers. He appears confusingly feminine but his behaviour is masculine, which cinema audiences of the day found hugely exciting. Valentino understood this and reflected it in his off-screen life, presenting an exotic, almost feminine image, but could sweep women off their feet with his masculinity. His hallmark, on and off screen, was to woo as a woman might: slowly, attentively and savouring each moment, and yet when the time was ripe, close in with thrilling boldness.
What Valentino managed on a huge scale was the mass seduction of women via the cinema screen. When he died at the tragically young age of 31 (from surgical complications) America saw an unprecedented out pouring of emotion. Some 100,000 people filed past his coffin, many of the mourners hysterical and crazed with grief.

The Sheikh - Valention in his most successful role.

Another fundamental characteristic of the dandy is their impudence.

"Dandies please women by displeasing themselves"

Barbey d'Aurevilly.

Something of this aloofness was reflected by the consummate dandy, Oscar Wilde. Whilst attending the first performance of one of his plays, the audience appealled for Wilde to appear on stage. He made them wait and wait, and when he eventually distained to agree, he explained the delay thus:

"It may be bad manners to appear here smoking, but it is far worse to disturb me when I am smoking."

Oscar Wilde.

Oscar Wilde.

And finally, dandies live for pleasure, rather than work. They love to surround themselves with beautiful things and eat wonderful food. By making everything an aesthetic choice, when they deign turn their attention on a woman, she doesn’t stand a chance!

Dandies love to accessorize! (With thanks for Cheezburger.com)

The Great Seducers (part 3) - The Ideal Lover

2012-02-22T02:53:00.000-08:00

The first two parts of this series looked at the siren (who masters by manipulation) and the rake (adores but unable to commit). Today's post and our third type of seducer, is 'the ideal lover', who in theory should be less threatening to our composure, but in reality is every bit as dangerous.

The ideal lover feeds off people's dissatisfaction and in a world of disillusionment he or she is gifted in the illusion of devotion.

David Tennant in the title role of the BBC drama "Casanova."

The model for our ideal lover is Giacomo Casanova. Perhaps the most prolific seducer in history, few women were able to resist him. And his secret? The answer was to study the object of his desire, find out what was lacking from her life and then offer it. So from bored wife to lonely spinster, Casanova took on the part of ideal lover by providing excitement for the wife, and company for the spinster. This takes time, patience, attention to detail and perhaps a denial of self-importance that not all people are capable of.

The qualities of an ideal lover (in terms of seductive powers) are:

- Being humble - adoring the object of his attention and yet seeming surprised when that attention is returned

-Anticipation - being in the right place at the right time, with the right comment on the tip of his tongue.

- Absorbed - to be interested in anything and everything to do with his lover

- A longing to be with his lover, as reflected by his reluctant leave taking.

A portrait of the real Casanova.

In the excerpts below, we learn of the importance of making the right sort of exit.

"The lady urges him on, 'Come my friend it's getting light. You don’t want anyone to find you here.' He gives a deep sigh, as if to say that the night has not been nearly long enough and that it is agony to leave." RIGHT WAY to leave

"When he jumps out of bed, scurries about the room, tightly fastens his trouser sash, rolls up the sleeves of his court cloak…and stuffs his belongings into the breast of his robe and then briskly secures the outer sash - one really begins to hate him." WRONG WAY to leave.

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon.

Who knows how Casanova's many conquests felt about his attentions, for just like the rake, he was besotted but never committed to one woman in the long term. He learnt how to use his personal attractiveness to get what he wanted by playing the part of 'the ideal lover'. But don’t be deceived - not only was Casanova skilled at getting what he wanted, he was almost the consummate master of making excuses and then leaving….

"The cultivation of the pleasures of the sense was ever my principal aim in life. Knowing that I was personally calculated to please the fair sex, I always strove to make myself agreeable."

Casanova.

With thanks to Cheezburger.com

The Great Seducers - The RAKE.

2012-02-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

"The Rake burns with a desire that enflames the woman his is seducing."

In the second of this series of posts, our next class of seducer is that dangerous figure much beloved by historical romance writers, the rake. One of the reasons a rake is such a great fun to write about is that he is a master of seductive language and his unrestrained pursuit was enough to stir many a woman's suppressed longings. In the past, when women often lead deeply repressed and controlled lives, the rake offered excitement and pleasure. Marriage was a duty rather than romance, so what could have been more alluring than a man who lived only for her…if only for a short time?

Hollywood film star, Errol Flynn, had a repuation as a rake.

Rakes did not offer mild excitement, but something rare and thrilling, something worth taking a risk for. Added to that, that the resistance of his prey is only a vehicle for the rake's creativity and he becomes almost irresistible, for even his dangerous reputation adds allure as his quarry wonders if she will be the woman to tame him.

Lord Byron - another famous rake.

One such rake was the notorious Fronsac, Duke de Richelieu, (his grand-uncle became Cardinal Richelieu, featured in The Three Muskateers.)As a 15 year old, he charmed the ladies at the court of an elderly Louis XIV. After overstepping the mark with a duchess, an irate King sent the young Fronsac to cool his heels in the Bastille. Years later he used his dangerous reputation as a seducer and heartbreaker to draw women to him.

One such woman was the young Mademoiselle de Valois, who one day was walking in a Paris park with her chaperone. De Valois' father guarded her obsessively and employed a sour, unimpeachable woman as her constant companion to deterr undesirable admirers. On the walk a young man caught her eye with one smouldering look. This man was, her guardian told her, the now infamous Duke de Richelieu.

Days later, in a different park Richelieu passed de Valois again, but this time disguised as a beggar. However his smouldering intensity could not be hidden from de Valois. He represented excitement in her drab routinue, and that of all the beautiful ladies, he had chosen her to pursue added an extra piquancy to her sheltered life.

Richelieu smuggled notes to her, which expressed his uncontrollable infatuation, and she responded. The Duke, eager to spend a night with de Valois, even dressed as her maid to gain entry to her bedchamber. She begged him to leave, but his personal attraction overcame her resistance, she forgot all reason and gave in. to desire.

The most rakish of all - The Earl of Rochester.

"If I believed in sorcery I should think that the Duke possessed some supernatural secret, for I have never known a woman to oppose the very least resistance to him."

The Duchess d'Orleans ( Mademoiselle de Valois' mother.)

When de Valois' father increased security around his daughter, Richelieu only took this as a challenge. Under an assumed name he bought the adjoining house and cut a hole through the wall into his neighbour's kitchen cupboard. The trysts between Richelieu and de Valois continued…until he grew bored with her and moved on....

Elizabeth Mallet - one of the Earl of Rochester's many conquests.

Richelieu's exploits with women were notorious and yet he even turned this to advantage. What Richelieu knew was that intense desire has a distracting effect on women. A woman is often suspicious and can sense insincerity, but when the rake is inflamed for her and will brave danger and breech any barriers to get to her, she is more inclined to overlook his other shortcomings. So long as he seemed the slave to her charms, the woman would not think of the aftermath.

"What a man! What a man! He is astonishing! How often you could be happy with him if he were only faithful."

Madame Renaud.

Johnny Depp as notorious rake, Lord Rochester, in the filim, The Libertine.

So, if you were going to caste a movie featuring a rake, who would make the perfect leading man?
Do leave a comment and share your thoughts!

NEXT WEEK: The Ideal Lover.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DARLENE! (Winner of last week's blog hop giveaway.)

The Great Seducers - The Siren

2012-02-06T14:25:00.002-08:00

At the heart of romance lies a game of attraction - which some people play better than others. And the most successful at getting their heart's desire, are those people gifted in the art of seduction.

Throughout history seducers have been central to some of the greatest love stories, and my next few blog posts will consider famous seducers from history and ponder their talents.

There are 9 types of seducers:

- Siren Alight with a sexual energy that transcends beauty.

- Rake Adores the opposite sex and his desire is infectious.

- Ideal Lover A sensitivity applied to romance

-Dandy Plays with his own image to create allure

-Natural Spontaneous and open.

-Coquette Desire to be admired and yet distances herself.

-Charmers Knows how to please

-Charismatic Possess an unusual self confidence that attracts people

-Star Seemingly unobtainable and enveloped in mystery.

Arguably the most famous siren of all time was the Eygptian queen, Cleopatra.

A siren learns how to take control by embodying the male fantasy. In male dominated society, this is one of the few ways a woman had of exerting influence. In Cleopatra's case, although she was a queen, to gain his protection she needed to manipulate one of the most powerful men in the world, Caesar. Not only that but Caesar had had numerous mistresses in the past, whom he quickly grew bored of, to return to what really motivated him - politics and warfare.

So how was Cleopatra different?

To start with she was daring, which appealed to the soldier in Caesar. She was smuggled into his chamber in a carpet, with only one man to protect her.

"Cleopatra was in the prime of life. She had a delightful voice which cound not fail to cast a spell over all who heard it....Caesar was spellbound as soon as he set eyes on her and she opened her mouth to speak."

Dio Cassius, Roman writer.

She seduced the Roman leader by speaking of reviving the glory of Alexander the Great and how together, they could rule the world like gods. She dressed as the goddess Isis, and surrounded Caesar by decadent opulence and yet when he felt secure with her attention she would turn cold or angry, such that just as if fighting a battle, he had to find a strategm to win her over.

But more than that, when Caesar was murdered in 44 BC, Cleopatra used her power and personal charm to seduce the new ruler, Mark Antony.

"The charm of [Cleopatra's] presence was irresistible, and there was an attraction in her person and talk, together with a perculiar force of character, which pervaded her every word and action, and laid all who associated with it hereunder its spell."

Did you notice how, in the above quote, she is not described beautiful - but the force of her character, her energy and actions are the source of her attractiveness. In Mark Antony's case, he wanted to possess this intriguing woman in order to prove how powerful he was - something Cleopatra used to her own advantage.

So what makes a siren? Not necessarily physical beauty. Again, Cleopatra's allure seems to have been in the theatre she created around herself, how her make up and costume changed each day to keep people entranced. She kept her admirer's guessing, never let them feel on safe ground but always working to please her. What she realised was that by using sheer physical presence, her admirers could not grow bored and neither would they see who she really was.

"We're dazzled by the feminine adornment, by the surface,

All gold and jewels: so little of what we observe, is the girl herself.

Can the object of our passion be found?

They eye's deceived by love's smart camouflage."

Ovid.

Some called Cleopatra a whore, for doing what she did, others called it political cunning. I suspect she was merely trying to survive in very dangerous times. What do you think? Was Cleopatra to be applauded for beating men at their own game, or vilified for loose morals? Was she right or wrong to use the talents at her disposal?

Do comment, I'd love to know your thoughts.

(NEXT WEEK: The Rake.)

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http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/12/follower-love-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html

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-starts following her on Twitter - @grace_elliot

-joins this blog

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Then leave your email address in the comments below;

The winner will be notified on February 15th.

"Deeds Not Words."

2012-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

With the American primaries constantly in the headlines, even here in the UK, it made me think about the importance of democracy and voting, and so this week's blog post is the controversial story of Emily Davison, and her fight to win the votes for women.

In Britain a hundred years ago most men thought women couldn’t understand how Parliament worked and therefore they were not allowed to vote. So in 1897 Millicent Fawcett started a peaceful campaign for 'Votes For Women'. In 1903 a more militant organisation, known as the 'Suffragettes' was created by Emmeline Pankhurst.

The Suffragettes were savvy about getting attention, which eventually ended in tragedy for Emily Davison.

In Edwardian Britain, Emily Davison was a woman ahead of her time; she defied convention in a male dominated society and graduated from London University, and then went on to study at Oxford, where she gained a first class honours degree. But Emily was angered by inequalities she saw around her and was determined to do something about it.

Emily Davison - circa 1913

To get publicity for the cause of women's suffrage, Emily ran onto the race track during the 1913 Epsom Derby, and threw herself at the king's horse, Anmer. Tragically, she was trampled and died of her injuries.

The fateful moment Emily brings down the king's horse.

The Suffragette's claimed Emily as the first martyr to their cause and later Emmeline Pankhurst wrote that Emily had decided only the loss of life would:
"...put an end to the intolerable torture of women."

In tribute to Emily's belief in votes for women, her gravestone was inscribed:
"Deeds Not Words."

Emily's coffin escorted by Suffragettes.

In reality Emily Davison's death so horrified the politicians that they argued if an educated woman such as Emily, could act to irrationally, what bedlam would British society be plunged into if less educated women were allowed the vote?

The Cat and Mouse Act - brought in to deal with Suffragette's on hunger strike.

However, not everyone agreed Emily intended to kill herself and some argued that Emily's death was actually an accident. The royal jockey, Herbert Jones made it known that he didn’t think Emily meant to harm herself. He was haunted by the look of surprise seconds before the collision. His theory was that because of the deceptive undulations of the race track, Emily assumed all the horses had passed and merely intended to run onto the track to protest and draw attention, but a dip hid a bunch of stragglers, including his mount - with fatal consequences.

The question of whether Emily meant to kill herself was recently raised again when in 1986 some personal papers kept by the Davison's family solicitor came to light. Amongst Emily's personal effects was a return rail ticket from Epsom to Victoria, which would suggest she intended to go home that night…
"Deeds Not Words."

Do you always use your vote?

Is voting important to you?

Vandals and Thieves - The Crown Jewels (part 2 of 2)

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

During the turbulence of the English Civil War, (1640's), Charles I had the gold and silver plate used in ceremonial banquets smuggled out of the Tower and melted down to bolster his depleted finances. When Oliver Cromwell eventually seized power he had what remained of the crown jewels melted down as symbols of:

"The detestable rule of kings".

Henry V prays before the battle of Agincourt.

The precious metals were minted into Cromwell's Commonwealth coinage, but in the process many precious artefacts were destroyed. Two ancient Saxon crowns, reputedly worn by King Alfred the Great and Queen Edith were consigned to the furnace, and to their credit MPs protested at the time that this was wanton vandalism - but to no avail.

A handful of artefacts were saved by monks who hid items such as a coronation anointing spoon, the Black Prince's ruby (worn in Henry V's helmet at Agincourt and reputed to have deflected a near fatal blow to the head) and a silver salt cellar belong to Elizabeth I, were saved.

Centre piece - The Black Prince's Ruby.

Much later, with the monarchy restored, some of the gems were recovered and mounted in a third set of Crown Jewels, ready for Charles II coronation in 1661. The Black Prince's ruby was one of these stones - which had apparently been sold for just four pounds, a derisory sum even at the time. The jewel was mounted in the new king's state crown by, Sir Robert Vyner, court jeweller. In the name of continuity Vyner was instructed to make the new jewels as close to the original as possible - work which cost an eye-watering 32,000 pounds.

Celebrated Jewel Thief.

However such profligacy didn’t go unnoticed by a man known to posterity as Colonel Thomas Blood (although he never rose above the rank of Lieutenant).

'Colonel' Thomas Blood.

Born in Ireland, in 1618, Blood refused to accept the return of the monarchy and was active in many Republican plots. In the 1660's he even tried to storm the Tower, and through good luck got away scot free. An adventurer in the truest sense of the word, Blood went on to rescue a co-conspirator, Captain John Mason, as he was moved to York for trial and execution, and attempted the abduction of the Duke of Ormonde.

But it was Blood's audacious plan in 1671 that he is remembered for: stealing the crown jewels. Dressed as a cleric and accompanied by a woman he described as his 'wife', Blood bribed the Assistant Keeper of the Jewels, Talbot Edwards, to let them view the jewels. Having gained access to the jewel room Blood's wife fainted and Edwards went to fetch a glass of water, thus leaving Blood alone to case the joint.

After that, a series of visits then took place where Blood 'groomed' Edwards and gained his confidence. When Blood returned with two friends to view the jewels, Edwards smelt trouble and in the ensuing struggle was stabbed in the stomach with a long knife.

The Sovereign's Orb - hidden by Blood's conspirator in his trousers!

The thieves had thought of every detail; Blood carried a mallet to hammer the St Edward's crown flat and then conceal it under his clothes, another conspirator hid the Sovereign's Orb down his trousers and the other cut the Sceptre with the Cross in half. However it was at this moment that Edwards' son returned to visit and seeing the crime in progress, tried to apprehend the villains. The cry was raised,

"Treason! Murder! The crown is stolen!"

The thieves were eventually caught by guards as, weighted down with loot, they passed under the archway of the Bloody Tower.

Laiden with swag Blood nearly escaped under the Bloody Tower

Colonel Blood and his gang were imprisoned in the vaults beneath the White Tower to await the king's pleasure and since theft of the royal jewels was akin to kidnapping the monarch himself, a sentence of being hung, drawn and quartered was expected.

However the plot thickens because Charles II was astonishingly lenient and rather than punishing Blood, the felon was awarded a pension of 500 pounds a year. Rumours started that Blood was actually acting for Charles to raise much needed cash…

Larry - the Downing Street cat - suitably attired for the recent Royal Wedding

Royal Dismeanours - The Crown Jewels (part I)

2012-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

King John, of Robin Hood fame, a contender for the title of "Worst King of England" is attributed with losing the first set of crown jewels in the Wash 1216. (The Wash is an area of wetlands on the East coast of England, and nothing to do with personal hygiene.) This isnt quite as strange as it sounds because Medieval kings were constantly on the move about their kingdom and took their jewels with them, to impress the locals with their wealth and authority.

King John - also known as "John Softsword" after going back on his word.

The story of the crown jewels loss is connected to John trying to cross the tidal marshes with a baggage train containing his valuables. Surprised by the speed of the incoming tide, the wagons became bogged down in quicksand.

The Wash estuary.

Charles Dickens gives us an account of events in his "A Child's History of England."

"…Looking back from the shore when he was safe, he [The King] saw the water sweeping down in a torrent, overturn the wagons, horses and men that carried his treasure and engulf them in a raging whirlpool from which nothing could be recovered."

This was the beginning of the end for John, who, overcome with the magnitude of the personal disaster was taken to a nearby monastery where he drowned his sorrows with large quantities of pear cider, developed dysentery and died!

Early Hollywood portrayal of Robin Hood.

With John dead, his son, the new King Henry was crowned but he had to make do with a simple gold circlet instead of a crown. This lack of finery was perhaps the beginning of Henry III's interest in jewels and royal symbols of power. By 1230 he decided the core of his jewels - the royal crown, orb and sceptre - symbols of the monarch's temporal and spiritual power, should be kept under guard in the Tower of London. Thus began the beginning of the Tower's link to the crown jewels

Henry III had his own problems and had to put the crown jewels to work, in a different way to his father. Constantly in need of money, not least for continual building work on the Tower, he pawned the gold and precious stones to a group of French merchants. When he died in 1272, they had to be hastily redeemed and brought back to

England

for the coronation of his son and successor, Edward I.

The First Plantagenets.

Henry II (married Eleanor of Aquitaine) R 1154 - 1189

Richard (the Lionheart - of Robin Hood legend.) R 1189 - 1199

John (signed the Magna Carta in 1215 to placate his barons.) R 1199 - 1216

Henry III R 1216 - 1272

Edward I R 1272 - 1307

Et.c

NEXT post…Who melted down the second set of crown jewels and which King discovered he was wearing fake jewels?

London Bridge Legends.

2012-01-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

I have no sense of direction. Many, many times my total lack of direction has got me into trouble, such as the time I went the wrong way round the M25 and a journey that should have taken quarter of an hour, took 90 minutes. And last summer, I decided to take my son to the Museum of London, only to end up at the London Docklands Museum (a subtle but essential difference, which meant we ended up at completely the wrong place!) However, in this case all ended well since the Dockland museum was fascinating and has inspired today's blog post on: London Bridge.

London Bridge in the 1800's.

It is not my intention to give a history of this historic landmark, but more a mention of some of the lesser known legends associated with it. It is thought that a bridge first spanned the Thames in the site of the current London Bridge, in Roman times. The first stone bridge was erected around 1136 and on this more permanent structure, people started to build houses.

The nursery rhyme "London Bridge is falling down," has ensured the bridge is one of the most famous in the English language, but the origin of rhyme is unknown. The first written mention of it is in 1766 and Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book.

London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady

Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.

Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.

Build it up with bricks and mortar,
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar,
Build it up with bricks and mortar,
My fair lady.

Et.c

London Bridge 1616

One theory is that it refers to the different attempts to build a bridge over the Thames; how wood rotted over time, and burning during the Great Fire of London. A more grizzly suggestion is that the song is associated with burying things, possible children, in the foundations of the bridge to ensure good luck. Fortunately, there is no archaeological evidence to back up the later.

So who is the "Fair Lady" mentionned in the rhyme?

There are three main contenders:

- Matilda of Scotland - (1080 - 1118) - consort of King Henry I, who was responsible for building a series of bridges across streams between Bow and Stratford.

- Eleanor of Provence (1223 -91) , consort of Henry III who was custodian of bridge revenues from 1269 to 1281

-A member of the aristocratic Leigh family, from Warwickshire, who had a family tradition that a human sacrifice lies under their family home at Stoneleigh Park.

The current London Bridge (often confused with Tower Bridge!)

On a more cheery note, another legend associated with London Bridge is that of the Swaffham Pedlar. He had a dream in which he was told that someone on the bridge would tell him joyous news. With this in mind he went there and waited for three days and nights. Eventually a shopkeeper went out and asked the pedlar what he was doing. When he explained his errand the shopkeeper laughed and said:

"I myself have had a dream that if I went to a particular oak tree in Swaffham, and dug underneath it, there I would find great treasure, but I am not such a fool as to follow dreams."

Tower Bridge (often mistakenly called, London Bridge.)

The pedlar thanked him and left. He proceeded home to dig under the oak tree, only to unearth a pot of gold! Some versions add that a visitor to the now wealthy man read a Latin inscription on the pot that translates as:

"Under me doth lie,

Another much richer than I."

He went and dug in the same spot, to discover even more treasure!

So there we have it - a blog post inspired by an accidental trip to a museum I had no idea existed. Do you have 'happy accidents' or am I the only one with a talent for getting lost?

Reasons To Be Cheerful - January!

2012-01-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my first post of 2012! (Drums fingers and stares at the ceiling for inspiration.) The trouble is we may have a brand, New Year - but the weather is still damp, dull and grey. So to cheer everybody up lets take a look at what traditions January holds in store.

6 January - The Epiphany or Twelfth Night (or time to take the decorations down!)

Whether you want to call 6th January, Epiphany or Twelfth night (more of the differences shortly) this is the last day for taking your Christmas decorations down.

Epiphany is the easier of the two to explain. Named after the Greek word for 'manifestation' it was first celebrated as the day of Christ's baptism and took another four centuries to become associated with the visit of the Magi or Three Wise King's to the infant Jesus.

Twelfth Night came about in AD 567 when the Council of Tours decreed that the duration of the Christmas festival would be 12 days, during which time no one should be made to work!

Party animal.

Originally, Twelfth Night was marked with a massive party. From the reign of Charles II through to George II, in

England

the day was marked with masques, plays, pageants and gifts. Those with less money played games involving role play at being the King or Queen. To this end players shared a cake containing a bean, pea and clove. The bean represented the king, pea the queen and clove the knave. Whoever found the respective legume in his slice got to play that part. Samuel Pepys mentioned a Twelfth cake in his diary, when drew the clove and secretly placed it into his neighbour's portion!

Sadly the fun part of Twelfth night seems to have died out, leaving us instead with a slightly sad day when all the fun and sparkle of Christmas disappears.

So what can we look forward to?

A plough being taken through the streets to raise money.

Plough Monday.

Plough Monday was the first Monday after Twelfth night and widely regarded as the start of the agricultural year. In 15th century England there are references to Plough Lights being lit in churches, these candles were kept burning to bring God's blessing on the farmers' efforts. But then things become a bit blurry, because some parishes formed 'plough guilds' to raise money to pay for the candles, and then raising money became an end in itself with ploughs being taken round from church to church for fund-raising purposes.

With the Reformation plough lights were banned as superstitious and the practice died out.

Saints Days.

There are a whole crop of Saints days to look forward to in January (tongue firmly in cheek) :

7th - St Distaff's Day (when women started spinning again, after Christmas)

13th -St Hilary's Day - reputedly the coldest day of the year.

19th -St Wulfstan's Day - a popular medieval saint, now largely ignored

21st -St Agnes' Day - young women could divine their future husbands on this eve.

22nd -St Vincent's' Day - if the sun shines today, the weather will be fair for the year.

25th -St Paul's Day - if the weather is good here, a great harvest could be expected.

St Wulfstan - who bizarrely has a cheese named in his honour.

Now, if that isn’t enough to make January more interesting, here is one final piece of trivia. The anniversary of the execution of King Charles I falls on January 30th. Charles was beheaded on 30 January 1649 - sending shock waves through English society. Reputedly, Charles had a favourite black cat called "Lucky" that kept him company whilst in prison. On the morning of the King's execution Lucky went missing….

Lucky...or unlucky for Charles?

You may or may not have gathered, that January isn’t my favourite time of year - far too dismal for my liking. But how about you? Is it a good or bad time of year? Please leave a comment to cheer me up.

New Year - A new take on an old custom?

2011-12-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

Did you know, in the UK, New Year's Day was only declared a public holiday in 1974?

Giveaway blog hop!

For a chance to win an ebook copy of either "Eulogy's Secret" or "Cat Pies" simply follow the link and "like" my FB author page,
GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED.
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and leave a comment below.

Please state your prefered book and leave an email address.

Good luck!

******

Rich with the symbolism of the old year passing and welcoming the new, it seems right to see the New Year in - as a time for fresh starts and resolution.

Be it full-blown celebration or quietly 'staying up to see the New Year' what will you be doing this year? Here are just a couple of the traditions associated with New Year.

Allendale guisers. - an new take on an old custom?

The term "guiser" is likely derived from the word "disguise" and used widely in English customs, denoting people dressed up to adopt another persona. The Northumbrian town of Allendale has a tradition on 31st December, whereby forty fancy-dressed guisers parade through the streets, carrying barrels of burning pitch on their heads. They are accompanied by a brass band and the ceremony culminates at midnight with a large bonfire lit in the Market Place.

The barrels are cut down to a depth of 12 inches and filled with rags and shavings soaked in paraffin, although originally tar would have been used, and set alight. The more romantic traditionalists say this custom has its roots in ancient fire worship carried out by the Vikings, Celts and Druids - whereas the truth is slightly less exciting!

It seems in the mid 1800's someone came up with the idea of burning tar barrels to light the path for the band that traditionally walked the streets on New Years Eve. Nearly a hundred years later, during the second World War, it seems the villagers were so proud of their tradition they were reluctant to stop it when blackouts were imposed.

"When war broke out and many of the guisers were called up for military service, blackout regulations enforced the cancellation of the bonfire. To maintain continuity of the custom, the local carpenter, Launcelot Bell, designed a…small tar barrel which he carried unlit…On the customary site of the bonfire he placed it inside a tin trunk, set fire to it and closed the lid. All the local people then danced around the trunk."

A New Year's Gathering - the tradition.

The tradition of large crowds of strangers gathering together on New Year's Eve is widespread and most cities have a focal spot where this takes place. In London, the Illustrated London News (1897) records significant numbers collecting outside St Pauls Cathedral to hear the newly installed bells ring in the New Year. All went well for the first few years until the crowds became over large and 'uproarious' and cathedral authorities stopped the New Year bell ringing. Undeterred, the crowds still gathered.

A letter to the Times in 1935 voiced the opinion that there was nothing inherently wrong with mass-gathering but they should be better organised - especially the singing, as recorded below:

"In England we seldom sing en masse, except at football matches. In this respect our failing on New Year's Ever are particularly deplorable….emotion finds no orderly outlet….Leaderless, they make no united musical effort. Instead, individuals and small groups sing. The strains of a dozen banal and tuneless ditties intermingle depressingly."

So how will you see the New Year in? Any "banal and tuneless ditties" for you…or something altogether more uplifting? Do comment and tell us about your New Year traditions...and dont forget there's a giveaway prize for one lucky person!!

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com

Click link to full list of blog hop participants.

Cancel Christmas!

2011-12-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I finished my Christmas shopping and so, at last, I'm beginning to feel quite festive. Love it or hate, Christmas is going to happen!

But this wasn’t always the case.

Oliver Cromwell

In the mid 17th century, England entered an unstable period of civil war. Statesman and General, Oliver Cromwell led his armies to fight against the monarch, Charles I - and ultimately had the king beheaded. Cromwell's supporters were Puritans, a group who, amongst other things, believed it was their mission to purge the country of decadence.

The Puritans believed you would ascend to heaven so long as you lead a blameless life on earth, and with this aim frivolity and excessive behaviour were banned. Woman had to wear a long black dress, white apron and headdress and no makeup. The men required to have short hair and dress head to toe in black.

Small wonder then that the heady excesses of Christmas day were frowned upon. December 25th was traditionally a public holiday, businesses closed, people attended church as well as exchanging presents, dancing, singing and drinking. The Puritans saw this as a frenzy of disorder:

'More mischief is that time committed than in all the year besides ... What dicing and carding, what eating and drinking, what banqueting and feasting is then used ... to the great dishonour of God and the impoverishing of the realm.'

Philip Stubbes.

On 8 June 1647, Protestant Puritans were in power and passed, "An Ordinance for Abolishing of Festivals." - You guessed it! They cancelled Christmas.

"Ordained, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, that the said Feast of the nativity of Christ, Easter and Whitsuntide, and all other festival days commonly known at Holy-days be no longer observed …within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales."

Olde Father Christmas.

Predictably, this was an unpopular move with the majority and the fate of Christmas became a rallying cry. "Old Father Christmas" became spokesman for those opposed to the new law and pamphlets soon appeared with his jollity contrasted against the gloomy piety of the Puritans.

People rebelled in their own way - some refused to open their shops on December 25th, others continued to cook a special roast meal and others attended secret services - although not always without consequences.

"I went with my wife to London to celebrate Christmas Day. Mr Gunning preaching in Exeter Chapel…as he was giving us the holy Sacrament, the chapel was surrounded with soldiers…"

John Evelyn 25 December 1657.

Charles II.

The Puritan campaign against Christmas lasted until 1660 when it was swept aside by the Restoration and the fun-loving Charles II.

So whatever your opinion on the excesses of Christmas, just be glad we live in times where we have the option to celebrate!

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND CONTENTED CHRISTMAS.
Grace x

'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

2011-12-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Clement Clark Moore (1779 - 1863)

Welcome!

At this stop on the Virtual Advent Tour, to get you in the Christmas spirit I'm posting about some of the traditions surrounding Christmas Eve.

In modern times it seems Christmas decorations go up as soon as the Halloween ones come down, but this would have been unheard of for our great-grandparents. In their day it was considered unlucky to decorate the house before Christmas Eve and a busy time was had by all putting up greenery and trimming the tree, buying in fresh food (there were no fridges or freezers!) and visiting church. Holly, mistletoe and pine were the most popular decortaions.The Victorians are widely attributed with the introduction of kissing under the mistletoe, but in fact the tradition dates back to the 16th century. An interesting but little known twist to the mistletoe tradition is:

"… once kissed under the mistletoe should be burnt, or those couples who kissed beneath it would be foes for the rest of the year."

It was said that any girl NOT kissed under the mistletoe would not be kissed in the forthcoming year, and to put mistletoe under a young woman's pillow would cause her to dream of her future husband.

Incidentally, any holly brought into the house at any time other than Christmas was believed to result in death.

A table being readied with Christmas fare.

For farmers, Christmas Eve was a time to give extra food to the animals - not just as a treat, but in the hope that they needed less attention on Christmas day itself.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Christmas eve was also a popular time for traditional 'performers' to visit, such as carol singers, or sword dancers (if you lived in North East England), the Hooden Horse (a Kentish tradition) or guise dancers (a Cornish tradition) Not only were the performers likely to find people at home but they would likely be filled with good cheer, and even if no money was forthcoming, they would likely welcome strangers with food and drink.

The Gentleman's Magazine of 1824 records some Christmas Eve celebrations in Yorkshire.

"At eight o'clock in the evening, the bells greet 'old Father Christmas' with a merry peal. The children parade the streets wth drums, trumpets, bells or…even a poker and a shovel, taken from the humble cottage fire."

Christmas Eve was also said to be a good night for an unmarried woman to divine the identity of her future husband. Apparently this good time to meddle in the dark arts because ghosts and other spirits were said to be powerless on this night. The method of doing this was recorded by Sidney Addy in 1890.

"If a girl walk backwards to a pear tree, on Christmas Eve and walk around the tree three times, she will see an image of her future husband."

And finally, at the midnight hour church bells would ring and many people would open their doors to welcome Christmas in. It was said that on the stroke of midnight cattle would kneel down in their stalls and bees hum the Old Hundreth Psalm in their hives.

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions - do leave a comment and share them.

Monumental Vertigo!

2011-12-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not good with heights - in fact, that's something of an understatement. The number of historical buildings that I have exited on my bottom, for fear of open staircases and exposed battlements is a long one. Numbered amongst these is The Monument in London - but for once it seems I am in good company.

James Boswell, writer, visited The Monument in 1762. Half way up the 311 stone steps he suffered a panic attack (can't say I blame him. The Monument feels like a tall stone tomb inside with a dizzying spiral staircase - I got less than half way before I froze and could go neither up nor down - stuck against the wall while people pushed past…but that's another story.) Boswell did better than me and overcame his fear to reach the top to see what was to be seen from what was in the 18th Century the highest viewpoint in London.

His opinion was less than glowing:

"Horrid to be so monstrous a way up in the air, so far above London and all its spires."

A rash of suicides meant the viewing platform was caged in 1842.

So what is the Monument?

As well as being the tallest isolated stone column in the world, at 202 feet. It stands as tall as it does distant from the start of the Great Fire of London, in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane, 2 September 1666. Built on the site of St. Margaret's Church (the first church to be destroyed in the fire), Fish Street, it commemorates the Great Fire.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren (designer of St. Paul's Cathedral) and Robert Hooke, Wren wanted to put a statue of King Charles II at the top. But king declined pointing out:

"I didn’t start the fire."

Instead, a flaming urn of gilt bronze placed on the summit.

During the Great Fire itself surprising few lives were lost but 13,000 homes destroyed and great swathes of London raised to the ground. However, the damage was more extensive than necessary because superstitious people refused to fight the fire, Charles Mackay explains in his 1841 collection, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and quotes from eye-witness accounts:

"The writer, who accompanied the Duke of York….through the district between Fleet-bridge and the Thames, states that their efforts to check the progress of the flames…were much impeded by the superstition of the people."

It appears there was a widely held belief at the time that Mother Shipton prophesied that:

"London in sixty-six will be burnt to ashes."

Those that should have known better even convinced others to do nothing.

"A son of the noted Sir Kenelm Digby…persuaded them that no power on earth could prevent the fulfilment of the prediction, for it was written…that London was to be destroyed."
So people stood back and watched, instead of acting to prevent the disaster.

"Hundreds of person, who might have rendered valuable assistance and saved whole parishes from devastation, folded their arms and looked on. As man …with less compunction, gave themselves up to plunder the city."

Charles Mackay.

So finally, harking back to my abortive attempt to climb the Monument, who else has had an embarrassing experience in a public place?

Lillie's Love Nest.

2011-11-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Jersey Lillie "Lillie Langtry."

A chance mention in a local paper of the Langtry Manor hotel, triggered this week’s blog post. The Langtry Manor resonates with me because my wedding reception was held there and its where I spent the first night of married life. Now I wont bore you with how my wedding was organised at 2 weeks notice and a quirk of fate meant our dream venue was free…because what I wanted to share was the history of this fascinating building and how it was Edward VII’s love nest for his mistress Lillie Langtry.

Pencil sketch of Lillie by Frank Miles.

To understand the Langtry Manor, you need to know about the lady it was bought for. Lillie Langtry was born in Jersey, 1853 as Emilie Charlotte Le Breton. The daughter of a clergyman, with six brothers she grew up a tom boy. Eager to have adventures of her own and surprised by the male interest, she married young Edward Langtry just six weeks after meeting him. It was a rushed ceremony, with the couple dressed in travelling clothes, because Edward wanted to catch the tide for his yacht “Red Gauntlet”

Lillie, as Cleopatra.

But Lillie’s new life bored her and after a bout of illness, she went to London to convalesce. In April 1877 she was walking in Hyde Park when a young artist, Walford Graham Robertson spotted her. He noticed a young woman and approaching and from her plain black bonnet and dress assumed her to be a milliner’s assistant. Robertson goes on to record:

“…the girl looked up and I all but sat flat down in the road. For the first and only time in my life I beheld perfect beauty!”

Her looks and creamy complexion soon earnt her the nickname ‘the Jersey Lillie’. Her beauty made her famous and provided an entrée into society. The Countess of Warwick described her thus:

“She had dewy violet eyes, a complexion like a peach. How can words convey the vitality, the glow, the mazoing charm tha made this fascinating woman the centre of any group she entered?”

Edward VII.

Artists flocked to paint her and a portrait by Sir John Millais came to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) attention. He had his equirries engineer a discrete meeting with Lillie, which eventually led to her becoming his mistress. The problem then presented itself as to how they could meet privately. The Prince of Wales chose the rising seaside resort of Bournemouth, for their love nest. A building was commissioned and started in 1877 with Lillie’s initials carved into the foundation stone. Made of red brick (in subsequent decades painted a horrid peach colour) she called the building “The Red House” and had a wall plaque mounted saying “Dulce Domum” (Our Sweet House.)

The Red House - or Langtry Manor - as it is today.

The Red House became a refuge for Edward VII from the rigours of court. He had a peep hole built into the dining room wall, so he could check who was present before deciding whether to enter or not. Above this same room is a mintrels gallery, carved with the motto:

“They say? Let them say!”

With the passage of time The Red House was sold and became a hotel 'The Langtry Manor.' There were numerous secret passages and stairways, for him to visit his mistress anonymously. Although Edward took other mistresses, he remained friends with Lillie to the end of his life.

Lillie divorced Edward Langtry in 1887 and went on to enjoy a career on the stage. She died aged 75 in 1929.

Lillie endorsing Pears soap!

All of which means that you can appreciate the significance of the Langtry Manor and what a romantic location it was for my wedding.

How about you - what memories do you have of your wedding venue?

Royal Pseudonyms.

2011-11-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

My pen name is Grace Elliot. I use a pseudonym because as a veterinarian, some clients aren't comfortable having their pet treated by an author of historical romance! But it appears I’m in august company, since in the past royalty were not averse to using an alias (although for different reasons I’m sure!)

King George III wrote under the name of Ralph Robinson when he submitted an article to “Annals of Agriculture” in 1787.

However his son, George IV (who became prince regent and the name behind the Regency period) was altogether more frivolous and wrote love letters under the name “Florizel” This was because George fancied himself in love with the actress Mary Robinson, who appeared as Perdita in a production of “Florizel and Perdita.”

“She [Mary Robinson] is I believe almost the greatest and most perfect beauty of her sex.” George IV

Mrs Mary Robinson or 'Perdita.'

The daughter of a failed businessman and the dupe of a lying hound of a husband, Robinson supported her family by going on the stage, aged 14, as a protegee of David Garrick. She must have been gorgeous, especially with her legs on show in the breeches parts so common in Shakespeare. Critics recognised her outstanding beauty, but also praised her acting ability in a number of roles. In 1779, the teenage Prince of Wales went to Drury Lane to see Garrick's adaptation of The Winter's Tale, and was smitten. She was the first of his many mistresses.

George IV, in later life.

.In return, she obtained a bond of £20,000 from the future George IV (equivalent to nearly £1m today), jewels, carriages, a house in Berkeley Square and Parisian fashions that dazzled society. George Romney, Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds painted her portrait for free. Newspapers and scandal sheets reported her every move; ladies of the town rushed to ape her manners and her style.

The Balmoral Estate, Scotland.

Queen Victoria also used a pseudonym when travelling unofficially - The Countess of Balmoral or the Countess of Lancaster - not exactly slumming it! However few people were fooled and hailed the Countess with “Vive la Reine d’Angleterre.” She also liked to fantasize when at Balmoral that she was an ordinary person and so instructed the servants to act as though she was invisible if they encountered her when out walking.

In her journal, Queen Victoria describes how she and Prince Albert used pseudonyms on a journey.

“We decided to call ourself Lord and Lady Churchill and party….however Brown [John Brown, Victoria’s personal servant] forgot this and called me ‘Your Majesty’ as I was getting into the carriage and Grant [head keeper] called Albert ‘Your Royal Highness’; which set us off laughing but no one observed it.”

My latest release, “Eulogy’s Secret” is about identity and how appearances can be deceptive. It’s an interesting thought - how much who were are depends on who people think we are!

Cat's Eyes - Seeing is Believing.

2011-11-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

The invention of the reflective road stud widely known as the ‘Cat’s Eye’ was inspired by a near miss in 1933 when Yorkshireman, Percy Shaw, whilst driving in thick fog swerved to avoid hitting a cat. The reflection of the car’s headlights hit the back of the cat’s eye and alerted him in a nick of time. Perhaps even more significantly, the cat was standing near a dangerous bend in the road that led to a sheer drop over a cliff - so not only was the cat’s life saved, but very likely Shaw’s.

After this near death experience it became Shaw’s mission in life to develop a light-reflecting warning for roads and in 1935 he started his own company, “Reflecting Roadstuds Ltd.” Shaw’s other innovation was the mechanism (again the inspiration drawn from actual cat’s eyes) whereby the glass was embedded in a moveable holder which depressed into the road when run over. This pushed the lens against a rubber coating which wiped it clean; much like a cat’s eyelid does against the cornea. To ensure fairness, The Ministry of Transport held a competition for rival designs but after two years Shaw’s were the only ones still in one piece or not silted up with road dirt.

As far back as classical

Egypt

, a cat’s eyes were worthy of note. The goddess Bast, also called Bastet, is widely known today as the “Cat Goddess. Legend has it that, by day, Bast would ride through the sky with her father, the sun god Ra, his boat pulling the sun through the sky. But by night, she transformed herself into a cat (renown for its superb night vision) to guard her father from Apep (also known as Apophis), a serpent who was her father's greatest enemy.

Even in the middle ages, the properties of cat’s eyes were recorded as in this excerpt from John Bessewell’s book from 1597:

“He [the cat] is sly and willie, and seeth so sharpely that he overcommeth darkness of the nighte by the shynigne lyghte [shining light] of his eyne [eye.]”

In 1868, Charles Ross enlightened (excuse the pun) readers of his work, “The Chit Chat Book of Cats” with an explanation of the workings of a cat’s eye.

“The illumination of a Cat’s eye in the dark arises from the external light collected on the eye and reflected from it. The cat is furnished with a bright metal-like , lustros membrane, called the Tapetum, which lines part of the hollow globe of the eye…this membrane is especially beautiful and lustrous in nocturnal animals.”

Modern science tells us that the lustre is due to a high percentage of rods in the retina - which are especially sensitive to light, but Mr Ross’s description perfectly describes the qualities of Shaw’s cat’s eye invention!

Walking Eagle...and other Toilet Humour.

2011-11-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

With thanks to the internet and my sharp eyed husband for the following (alleged) Tony Blair story:

On a recent trip to the United States, Tony Blair, Ex. Prime Minister of the

, addressed a major gathering of Native American Indians. He spoke for almost an hour on his plans for a CarbonTrading Tax for the UK and Europe At the conclusion of his speech, the crowd presented him with a plaque inscribed with his new Indian name - Walking Eagle. A very chuffed Tony then departed in his motorcade, waving to the crowds. A news reporter later asked one of the Indians how they came to select the new name given to Tony Blair They explained that Walking Eagle is the name given to a bird so full of shit that it can no longer fly.

I love learning about words and phrases and with Tony Blair in mind, I discovered an interesting origin to the common British term for a toilet, politely referred to as “the cloakroom.”

It started with the Normans who introduced the first fixed room for what we would now call an indoor toilet. The White Tower, at the Tower of London, built shortly after the Conquest, has garderobe shafts built into the thickness of the walls. (These shafts faced away from the city of London so that the newly beaten subjects wouldn’t see the stains left by the conquerors’ faeces) These garderobes were little more than a room with a seat over a hole, and called garderobes because they were literally places to “guard robes.” It seems the ammonia rich environment was an excellent way of killing fleas and other unwelcome parasites, and so your most precious garments would be hung in the garderobe. It is from this same origin that the term ‘cloakroom’ is thought to have developed.

Whilst on the subject of cloakrooms and toilets, you may be interested to learn that the ancient Romans favoured a sponge tied to a stick, as the most hygienic way of wiping their bottoms - this may well be the origin for the expression “getting hold of the wrong end of the stick.”!

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November!

2011-11-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

November 5th marks another anniversary for that most famous (or infamous) of British plots. It was on this day in 1605 that Guy Fawkes and conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening by the King, with the entire government present. This dastardly attempt by Catholics to strike a blow against a century Protestant tyranny was discovered just minutes before the ceremony and disaster averted.

An outraged country rejoiced at what appeared Divine (and Protestant) intervention, whilst it now appears that much of what we take as fact was actually a masterstroke of early political spin that has endured for over four centuries.

Circumstantial evidence now suggests that Robert Cecil, Secretary of State and Keeper of the Privy Seal, was aware of the plot all along. He let it run safe in the knowledge that his spy network had it covered, and that it could stopped at the time most politically expedient to him.

The Gunpowder plot discovered!

“Remember, remember, the fifth of November; gunpowder, treason and plot”

-the rhyme English school children learn at school, was Cecil’s work to capitalise on anti-Catholic feeling - just in case people started to forget. Its origins stem form a law passed by Parliament 8 weeks after the event, called “The Observance of 5th November Act,’ which decreed a legal requirement to for an annual celebration of thanksgiving for the failure of the gunpowder plot, described as:

“…an invention so inhuman, barbarous and cruel, as the like was never before heard of.”

The law remained on the statute books until 1859 by which time it was so deeply ingrained on the British mindset as to be indelible. It was revoked because in the 1840’s onwards, many customs associated with Guy Fawkes, such as the tradition of dressing a mannequin and collecting money “A penny for the Guy”, then setting fire to him - took a nasty turn.

“…the great annoyance occasioned …by a set of idle fellows, with some horrid figure dressed up as Guy Faux, and which assembling mob, is the cause of may depredations and disorders”

The Procession of a Guy.

Simmering religious tension often boiled over with such obvious ‘anti-popery’ on display. For example, November 6, 1838, The Times reports and fracas in the City.

“A mob of about 200 persons…paraded the northern part of the metropolis, with a donkey…on which was an effigy of Guy Fawkes….They went up Chalk [Farm] Road where they were attacked by a party of Irish labourers, who pelted them with stones.”

Over the years things got so bad that the authorities had attempted to ban such celebrations…which eventually led to them moving into people’s back gardens or the organised public displays we have each November 5th.

How are you celebrating this fireworks night, or do you have pets, and heartily disapprove? Do leave a comment.

And So To Bed...

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered where the expression “hitting the sack” or “hitting the hay” comes from? Well this post will answer this and dwell on other bed-related trivia.

"Hitting the sack" it derives from the medieval version of a bed which was simply a sack filled with hay and placed on the floor. This mattress was also known as a “palliasse” from the French word “paille” meaning straw.

In medieval times, life was much more communal than it is today. Those who lived and worked at a Manor House, usually slept either at their place of work (kitchen, stables, et.c) or together in the great hall. As a sign of their superiority the blood family owning the manor house would sleep in an upstairs room adjoining the hall. This was called “the chamber” and the special servant overseeing this room known as the “chamberlain.” Often the Lord of the Manor would have a peep hole through which he could literally “look down” on his employees and check what they were up to in the hall below.

In the 17th century people were still accustomed to sharing beds. It was a sign of a child’s maturity to be invited into her parents bed. When the daughter of Lady Anne Clifford reached three, she was encouraged to leave baby-hood behind by wearing a whalebone bodice, walking without leading reins and sleeping in her mother’s bed. Sharing a bed was considered a sign of growing up and leaving the cot behind, rather than a regressive step as it's often seen today.

Expressions such as “you make an ill-bed fellow” originate from the custom of many people sharing one bed for warmth and security. But even in a communal bed there was an etiquette to who slept where. In 19th century rural Ireland the eldest daughter lay closest to the wall, followed in age succession by her sisters, then the mother who lay next to the father, and then sons in age succession - in effect keeping the daughters as far away from interlopers as possible.

Earliest beds or “pallets” were akin to large wooden boxes with a mattress on top and could be pushed under other furniture when not in use. By Tudor times, bed design for the wealthy had moved on and the mattress lay upon bed strings. These were ropes laced up and down, and across, the bed frame. Under the weight of sleeper and bedding these ropes sagged and required regular tightening, hence the expression:

“Night, night, sleep tight.”

Interestingly, with the advent of four poster beds, as well as keeping in heat the canopy served a dual purpose of catching insects and vermin that dropped out of the rafters, since many early houses didn’t have ceilings separating the chamber from the roof.

16th and 17th century, the wealthy had feather mattresses. These were expensive - requiring around 50 lbs of feathers, and so largely the province of the well off. However some female servants were allowed to keep the feathers of birds plucked ready for the table, and collect them as a sort of dowry towards the creation of a marital bed.

And finally.

It was the Georgian’s who came up with the idea of bedroom doors opening inwards - to afford those inside vital seconds to compose themselves before public scrutiny. And the Victorian’s who segregated husband and wife to separate sleeping apartments. A lady’s own dressing room was also known as her “boudoir” from the French verb “bouder” - to sulk.

So how about you? Do you mind where you sleep or will any place to rest your head do?

A Quaint British Custom?

2011-10-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

A Quaint British Custom? - Driving on the Left.

If you are planning to visit the UK and happen to come from one of the many countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, the following advice, direct from the Ministry of Transport, is for you:

“Visitors are informed that in the United Kingdom traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In the interests of safety, you are advised to practise this in your country of origin for a week or two before driving in the UK.”

This week’s blog post was inspired by reading an article about the origins of why the British drive on the left side of the road. Apparently, the convention for driving on the left dates back to medieval jousts and the dominance of right-handedness!

During a medieval joust, two knights would face each other across the lists, gallop towards each other with the intention of unseating the opponent with a lance. Since most men are right handed, the lance was gripped with the right arm and balanced across the body so that the lance-head was angled to the left.

However, to me this idea seems flawed. In the photo the horses pass left flank to left flank, but if this was translated to the road, the rider would be on the right hand side of the road - this calls for more research!

It appears that in violent times, such as feudal Europe, since most people are right handed, swordsmen preferred to pass in the street with their sword arm (ie right arm) closer to any opponent ie walk of the left side. This also reduced the chance of the scabbard, which was worn on the left side of the body, hitting people, and kept the sword further away from felons.

Added to that, it is easier for a right-handed person to mount a horse from the left side. With a sword worn to the left for right-handed access across the body, the right leg is free to swing unimpeded across the horses back. Obviously it is safer to mount and dismount on the edge of the road (ie the left) rather than in the middle of a stream of traffic (to the right)

The continental custom for driving on the right was introduced by the Emperor Napoleon, who happened to be left handed . Since it was he who established the first road system across Europe he adopted right-hand drive.

So why chose the right side of the road at all?

In the US in the late 1700’s, large farm wagons were pulled by teamsters which involved several teams of horses hitched to one wagon. These vehicles had no driver’s seat but were controlled by the driver sitting on the left rear horse, so that his right arm was free to whip up the horses. Also, when sitting on the left he could watch to make sure he was sure his wagon was clear of oncoming wheels - and therefore kept to the right side of the road.

Added to this, during the French Revolution (1789) driving on the right gained a boost. This was because the aristocracy travelled on the left, forcing peasants out of the way to the right. When the aristocrats were trying to keep a low profile, they to adopted the right side of the road!

Don’t you just love history!!!

King Henry VIII - Fat or Fiction?

2011-10-12T02:52:00.000-07:00

Henry with Jane Seymour, his third wife.

I thought it would be fun to compare Henry VIII, as created in TV series, The Tudors, with accounts of the real king.

In his later life King Henry VIII was famed for being obese:

“ …[King Henry VIII] laboured under the burden of extreme fat and [an] unwieldy body.”

Edward, 1^st Baron Herbert of Cherbury.

However chief executive producer of The Tudors, Morgan O’Sullivan was refreshingly honest about his attitude to Johnathan Rhys Myers portrayal of the ageing king:

“We still want him to be appealing. We don’t want to destroy his good looks. An exact portrayal of Henry is not a factor that we think is important.”

Henry VIII reigned from 1509 to 1547 and in his youth was evidently a very handsome man:

“His majesty is the handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on.” Venetian visitor.

At 6 ft 2 inches he was tall, even compared the average height of a UK man today, at 5ft 9 inches. He was an active man who loved to hunt, joust, wrestle and play tennis but food played a prominent part at his court. In one year alone Henry’s court consumed 1240 oxen, 8200 sheep, 2330 deer, 760 calves, 1870 pigs, 53 wild boar and innumberable birds from swans to peacocks, fish and even whale, accompanied by 600,000 gallons of ale.

Food was used as a demonstration of England’s cultural superiority, a demonstration to visiting princes and foreign diplomats of her levels of wealth and luxury. But it was perhaps two factors that doomed Henry to his eventual morbid obesity: ill health which meant he could no longer exercise, and the death of his beloved third wife, Jane Seymour. Accounts suggest that after Jane’s death in 1536, twelve days after giving birth to their son, Edward, King Henry turned to food for comfort.

Studies of Henry’s suits of armour also speak of a steady increase in his girth:

1512 32 inch waist

1520 35 inches

1545 54 inches

Jowly portrait by Matsys.

By 1544, a portrait by Cornelys Matsys showed Henry’s cheeks sagging with fat and eyes mouth mere slits in the blubber and by 1546 he could hardly walk and had to be carried around in special chairs called “Trams.” It was around this time that Henry, famously, had to be winched on and off his horse.

Henry died 28 January 1547, aged 55. His cadaver was placed in a lead coffin within a 6ft 10 inch elm chest and it took 16 yeoman of exceptional strength to manoeuvre the coffin.

Modern medical assessment suggest that at his death Henry had a BMI of 35 (normal 20-25) and weighed around 30 stones (normal for a 6ft 2 inch man is 13 stone) and was morbidly obese.

“Fat Henry sat upon the throne

And cast his eye on harm sir.

No, no Sir cook, I do propone

I think I’ll have the lamb sir.”

19^th century nursery rhyme.

A romanticised version of Henry with the wife who outlived him.

But let’s leave the final word to The Tudor’s star, J. Rhys Myers himself. The actor made it clear he never intended to pig out to get into character.

“ …[actors] are not famous because they’re pug ugly.”

And he argued it there was no point selling historical drama featuring “… a big, fat 250 lb red-haired guy with a beard.”

Got to admire his honesty!

So do you think JRM was right to go for glamour, or should he have bulked up?

A younger Henry with Anne Boleyn.

Nude or Prude? Victorian Attitudes to Nudity and Sea-Bathing..

2011-10-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am currently researching Georgian and Victorian attitudes to marriage and after a particularly pleasing foray into a second hand bookshop, came home with a real gem - 'The Perfect Wife,' by Rona Randall.

Skimming through this book, a passage caught my eye, about Victorian attitudes to nudity. In short, in the Victorian bedroom nudity was to be avoided at all costs. Even sisters sharing a bedroom would stand back to back, and undress beneath voluminous night gowns. Indeed husband's often disrobed in an ajoining room to don his night shirt and didn't enter the bed chamber until his wife was safely attired in a billowing nightgown and frilly cap.

With this in mind it came as a quite shock to also read that some early Victorians thought nothing of bathing nude in the sea! The invention of swimming costumes came as late as 1870 and before this the options were a bathing hut wheeled into the sea or to cavort naked in the waves. It seems the later was not as exceptional as you might suspect, and many preferred nude bathing! In the summer months the correspondance columns of local newspapers were full of complaints about the;

'shameless seaside cavortings of loose women and unblushing men...'

However one naked bather, the Rev Francis Kilbert, was anything but loose morals. In his diary he extols the delights of nude sea bathing and somewhat innocently complains about,

'the detestable custom of bathing drawers that are now becoming de rigeur.'

It seems he created quite a stir at Seaton 1873 when unaware of the new requirement for wearing bathing suites, especially as;

'the young ladies strolling near seemed to have no objection.'

One newspaper, the Saturday Review, commented on the habit of some women activley seeking out male nude bathers;

'There they sit [women] happy, innocent, undistrubed - placidly and immovably gaze at hundreds of males in the costume of Adam.'

Who'd have thought!

Coming...November 2011

Publish and Be Damned!

2011-10-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

A contempory portrait of courtesan, Harriette Wilson.

Have you ever paused to wonder where the expression, "Publish and be damned" comes from?

In truth, I hadn’t thought about it, until I read the story of Harriette Wilson’s memoirs and the proverbial penny dropped.

In the 18^th century Harriette Wilson was celebrated and adored amongst men - for Harriette was a courtesan. She was one of three prostitute sisters, banded together under the name of ‘the Three Graces.’

At a time when social etiquette was everything, Harriette’s attitude was:

“A fifty pound note is as good as an introduction.”

Frances Wilson's fascinating book on Harriette.

She was lively, extravagant and outrageous, and must have been like a breath of fresh air to some of the men who called on her services. She had many famous lovers whom she listed in order of rank:

“Dukes: Argyle, Beaufort, Leinster …..Wellington.

Marquesses: Anglesey, Bath, Hertford”

…and so on, working her way through Burke’s Peerage to the modest Esquires.

However when she fell on hard times, ever a woman of ingenuity, she channelled her formidable skills into writing an autobiography. She then sent copies of the manuscript to her high-born conquests with a note saying:

“Two hundred pounds by return of post, to be left out.”

Duke of Wellington, hero of Waterloo, commanding his troops.

One of the few men to resist this unprincipled blackmail was the Duke of Wellington, who reputedly scribbled:

“Publish and be damned” on the papers before sending them back. Accordingly, Harriette was less than flattering in her account of him in her memoirs.

The Duke of Wellington - looking slightly less heroic.

I leave you with a sample of Harriette’s style:

“Beautiful creature!” uttered Wellington. “Beautiful eyes, yours.”

Wellington was now my constant visitor – a most unentertaining one, Heaven knows! And in the evening, when he wore his broad red ribbon, he looked very like a rat-catcher.”

Rules Not to be Broken.

2011-10-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

It’s tempting to think that the 19^th century was governed by rules. Even a simple thing such as moving around the house in company, had rules attached:

“The lady should be given the wall when descending stairs, but if merely passing from room to room, the man’s right arm should be offered to her.”

But rules abounded nowhere quite so much as hosting a dinner party.

“The direction of a table is no inconsiderate branch of a lady’s concern.”

There were strict orders of precedence to be obeyed, with the highest ranked in society commanding the most prestigious place at table. The lady of the house sat at the head of the table, with the gentleman of highest rank on her right, and the gentlemen next in rank to her left. This arrangement was mirrored at the bottom of the table for the gentleman of the house.

But the finer rules of etiquette were constantly changing.

“…what is considered the height of good taste one year, is declared vulgar the next.”

What a nightmare for the aspiring hostess!

“If a lady…be invited to take wine…they must never refuse; it is very gauche to do so. They need not drink half a glass, but merely taste of it.”

And at the dinner table,

“Ladies are not to dine with their gloves on, unless their hands are not fit to be seen.”

However servants were to wait at table wearing clean white gloves because:

“There are few things more disagreeable than the thumb of a clumsy waiter in your plate.”

It is hoped some rules never went out of fashion, such as:

“Never use yor knife to convey food to your mouth, under any circumstances. It is unnecessary and glaringly vulgar.”

“Making a noise in chewing or breathing hard in eating, are both unseemly habits, and ought to be eschewed.”

“Do not pick your teeth much at table as, however satisfactory a practice to yourself, to witness it is not a pleasant thing.”

And finally, perhaps a piece of reverse snobbery in this piece of advice about family meals.

“At family dinners, where the common household bread is used, it should never be cut less than an inch and half thick. There is nothing more plebeian that thin bread at dinner.”

Thin sliced bread, plebeian indeed! Whatever next? Cucumber sandwiches with the crusts on? Heaven forbid!

When the Past Becomes History.

2011-09-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

‘Smuggling, though a real offence, is owing to the laws themselves, for the higher the duties, the greater the advantage and consequently the temptation.’

1768 Treatise on Crimes and Punishment, Beccaria.

I’m currently researching my WIP (work in progress) about smuggling along the south coast of England in the 18^th century, and so imagine my surprise when my husband produced a small beige-coloured book on the subject from our very own bookshelves! The interesting thing is, the more I read, the more I realised this book itself, was a piece of history!

‘The Smugglers of Christchurch, Bourne Heath and the New Forest’, by E Russell Oakley, published in 1924, turned out to be a wonderful glimpse into the history – not just of smuggling, but also of the 1920’s.

Excisemen tackle some smugglers in their lair.

In the book Mr Oakley writes about a talk on smuggling he gave on BBC radio, in January 1924. He recounts the true story of a fast sailing boat with a cargo of contraband tea which, in 1748, was chased by Revenue cutters. In danger of being overhauled and captured, the smugglers jumped overboard in shallow water just off Bourne Heath and swam ashore to escape. In his radio broadcast Mr Oakley bemoans:

“It is curious that contemporary records give us so much detail, yet the name of the boat and her home port are not stated.”

Smugglers ashore, signalling they are ready to recieve the landed contraband.

And it’s this next bit that I love as a reflection of history-within-history. In his book, Mr Oakley recounts that a week after the program he received a letter which read:

“Last week I purchased a wireless set. [Don’t you just love it? Owning a radio was so unusual the writer mentioned it in his letter!] Last Saturday night I listened in for the first time and you were the first speaker I have heard on the air.”

The letter goes onto say:

“I am going to tell you something you don’t know. That boat belonged to a relative of our family and the loss of it broke his heart and he died soon afterwards. The name of the boat was ‘Charles’ and she was…an oyster dredger and fishing boat.”

How wonderful, that the new-technology of the ‘wireless set’ provided an answer to a question nearly two centuries old!

Smugglers at work.

Another fascinating glimpse into the past is the mention of what were then hamlets and villages, - Shirley – a hamlet four miles away (now a waste concrete and brick, sprawling suburb of Southampton, and anything less idyllic or hamlet-like it’s difficult to imagine.) And of course there is the Bourne Heath of the books title – which it transpires is the forerunner of the well-known seaside resort and popular retirement town of Bournemouth. In Victorian and Edwardian times the transformation from sleepy Bourne Heath, to bustling Bournemouth was underway, as E Russell Oakley writes in 1924:

“Many places in the coastal belt….have entirely disappeared, submerged under a titanic tide of bricks, cement, reinforced concrete and Trinidad asphalt.”

Bournemouth (seen from the air) as it appears today.

‘I spent my nineteenth summer on a smuggling coast…The contraband trade was at that time very successful, and it happened to me to fall in with those who carried it on.’

Robert Burns 1778.

Murder Tourism - Victorian Style!

2011-09-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Judging from the popularity of crime series on TV, it seems the modern world is obsessed by murder. However, this gruesome voyeurism is nothing new as revealed in this post about ‘murder-tourism’ in Regency and Victorian England.

In 1811, a particularly ugly murder whipped up anxiety and fear in the East End of London. One night, Thomas Marr, his wife, baby and a fourteen year old apprentice were bludgeoned to death in their hosiery shop; his servant, Margaret Jewell was only saved because Marr had earlier sent her on an errand and she got lost on the way home.

But almost as bad as the murders themselves, were the sight-seers who flocked to see the scene of the crime.

It was usual at the time, to leave bodies in situ for the jury to view, whilst the inquest was held (in a nearby public house or tavern). This had the unfortunate consequence of attracting people to see the crime first hand for themselves:

“…from curiosity to examine the premises,” where they entered, “…and saw the dead bodies.”

Murder sight-seeing was not uncommon and indeed, some people were not above turning a profit on it.

In 1823, William Weare unwisely boasted of his personal wealth and was murdered for his troubles (He was actually penniless.) His body thrown into the pond adjacent to the cottage of a Mr Probert, one of conspirators. The case was widely reported in the press attracting crowds of people on excursions as ‘murder tourists’; they wandered through the grounds and payed a shilling to visit the cottage itself. A contemporary publication reported that as many as five hundred people parted with their money and a sightseeing route worked out;

“At Elstree the curious made their first halt, the pond, about a quarter of a mile out of the village…The Artichoke Inn, to which the corpse was carried, and where the Coroner’s Inquest was held. Mr Field, the landlord, being one of the Jury, was….fully competent to the task of answering the numerous questions but to him by customers. Here the sack, in which the remains of the Victim had been carried from Probert’s cottage, was shown. The marks of blood which it bears gave it peculiar interest…”

For those wanted, took a souvenir home: be it a bit of the sack the hapless victim was trussed up in, or later, a Staffordshire figure of the murderer. It was even reported that the hedge outside the cottage slowly vanished:

“…filched by those curious people, who consider a twig from the hedge, through which the remains of a murdered man had been dragged, must furnish a treat to their equally curious friends.”

It seemed murder-tourists came from all walks of life. Walter Scott, some years later, recorded a visit to this same murder spot: taking in the lanes, pond and cottage itself, where he was shown around by ‘a truculent looking hag’ for 2s.6d. – the equivalent of a week’s pay for a workman.

But before we throw up our hands in horror at the terrible goings-on in Victorian times, we’d do well to remember that watching a CSI program on TV, and seeing the murder victim- albeit with a pixellated face, perhaps isn’t so far removed from those Victorian murder-tourists!

DO YOU WATCH CSI - or other crime related docu-dramas? If so, why? Leave a comment and share your thoughts as to why murder fascinates you.
Grace x

Did Anne Boleyn Ride Astride?

2011-09-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

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I’m a huge fan of the TV series ‘The Tudors’ and have long since accepted the liberties taken historical realism. However, one episode – where Anne Boleyn is shown riding astride – had me reaching for the text books. Surely a lady, like Anne Boleyn, would have ridden side saddle?

My research revealed illustrations of women riding, literally sitting sideways on a horse, going back to the vases of ancient Greece. Medieval depictions show women seated side-ways, riding pillion behind men, on a small padded seat. Anne of Bohemia 1366 - 1394 created the earliest functional ‘side saddle’ – a chair life affair with a small footrest, but the rider was still insufficiently secure to control her mount and so had to be led.

Riding side saddle meant facing forwards instead of sideways, and gave more control.

In the 16^th century, Catherine de’Medici developed a more practical saddle, complete with a small horn around which the rider hooked her right knee, with the footrest being replaced with a ‘slipper stirrup’ for the left leg. The meant the rider now sat facing forwards and was therefore able to hold the reins and control her horse, albeit only at sedate paces.

A photo illustrating the secure grip afforded by two horns and a stirrup.

Incredibly, it took until the 1830’s for a design with a second, lower pommel to trap the left leg and add extra grip, was invented. This extra horn or ‘leaping head’ was revolutionary in that it allowed women to stay on a horse at a gallop, or even jumping.

Ester Stace, 1915 - world record the highest jump riding side saddle (6'6")

So as to the question as to how inaccurate is the portrayal of Anne Boleyn riding astride, in The Tudors….The answer goes something like this.

As the centuries passed, women of wealth and position desired to control their mounts, but long skirts and social rules meant that it was considered extremely immodest to sit astride (Anne Boleyn take note!) However, and perhaps this is where the producers of The Tudors took their creative license, not all noble women rode side saddle all the time. Women such as Henry II of France’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers, Marie Antoinette and Catherine the Great were know to ride astride. So there we have it…who knows, perhaps Anne Boleyn, might…just might…have ridden astride after all.

In series such as, The Tudors, how much does historical inaccuracy bother you?

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Calls and Calling Cards.

2011-09-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Following on from the previous post ‘Advice for the Bride-to-be’, one of the social skills a new wife had to master, was the art of paying a call. Although known as ‘morning calls’, these visits were actually made in the afternoon, at specific times depending on their purpose: ceremonial calls were paid between 3 and 4pm, semi-ceremonial between 4 and 5pm, and intimate calls between 5 – 6pm, - but never on a Sunday which was reserved for very close friends and relatives. Generally a call was limited to 15 minutes, and if other guests arrived during your visit, it was expected you would quietly excuse yourself and leave.

One should never call ‘on the off chance’ but on pre-set ‘at Home’ days and times, e.g. the third Friday of each month, or the second Tuesday.

If a wife was new to an area, she might get a lucky break and gain a letter of introduction from a friend to someone of prominence in the local community. These were sometimes referred to as ‘letters for soup’ because generally the person receiving the letter then invited the bearer to dinner.

A more usual way of announcing yourself into society was to leave your card.

Visiting cards were invented by the French, and adopted in

England

around 1800. It was imperative to understand the rules of calling, of which card-leaving was the first step. Those wise in the ways of society, left their card but without requesting to see the mistress of the house. Then it was up to the recipient to respond – if no card was sent in return, that was a heavy hint that there was no wish for an acquaintance to develop. The unwise presented their card and then inquired if the mistress was ‘at home.’ Since you could be physically at-home, but not socially at-home, the visitor had to be prepared for the ignominy of being turned away.

In “Eulogy’s Secret’’ (due for release November 2011), alone in London, Eulogy Foster calls on her estranged brother for help…but with no card to present, the footman assumes she is a nobody.

A lady would wait in her carriage whilst a groom presented her card.

EXCERPT – “Eulogy’s Secret” by Grace Elliot.

A surly footman opened the door and squinted into the gloom; sounds of music and raucous laughter spilt over his shoulder.

“Yes, Miss?”

“My apologies for the late hour, but I must see Lord Devlin.” Eagerly, Eulogy pushed back the hood of her travelling cloak.

The footman raised a haughty brow.

“His Lordship is not at home.”

“But His Lordship would wish to see me… I’ve travelled a long way.”

Her head buzzed with frustration that this man stood between her and safety.

The footman’s gaze wandered disapprovingly over her plain wool cloak and battered valise.

“Your card, Miss?”

Her heart sank. “I don’t have one but I’m a close…very close, family friend.” She neglected to add that she had yet to meet his Lordship….

“No card? Then what name do I give?”

“Miss Foster. Miss Eulogy Foster. Be sure and tell his Lordship that his late mother, Lady Devlin, knew me well.”

“Wait there, Miss Foster.” He withdrew, exuding cool disapproval, leaving her to shiver on the doorstep.

Advice for the Bride-to-Be .....Victorian Style!

2011-09-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

The 1830’s and 1840’s saw a fashion for manuals devoted to helping women fulfil their roles as both a wife and mother. The aim of these books was to stress the desirability of being the model wife in socially and domestically – advice that the modern reader may find alarmingly comical.

Respectability was everything and the key was knowing the correct etiquette. Published in 1834, ‘Hints on Etiquette and the Usages of Society, With a Glance at Bad Habits’, defined etiquette as:

“A shield against the intrusion of the impertinent, the improper and the vulgar….”

This was the book for any self-respecting bride-to-be to read and memorise….especially if you were from the country, or the offspring of wealthy working people, and therefore hopelessly unfamiliar with proper manners and customs. As the author of ‘Hints and Etiquette’ wrote:

“Shopkeepers become merchants…with the possession of wealth they acquire a taste for the luxuries of life, expensive furniture, and gorgeous plate; also numberless superfluities, the use of which they are imperfectly acquainted. But although their capacities for enjoyment increase, it rarely occurs that the polish of their manners keeps pace with the rapidity of their advancement. In all cases, the observances of the Metropolis [seat of refinement] should be received as the standard of good breeding.”

Take care introducing mutual friends....lest they be bores!

For the unwary, everything was a mine field – from introducing friends and paying a call, to whom to invite to dinner and table manners – for those not born into society, the task of fitting in must have seemed Herculean.

Even something as simple as introducing friends, was a mine field.

“Never introduce people to each other without a previous understanding that it will be agreeable to both.”

The reason runs like this:

“A stupid person may be delighted with the society of a man of learning, to whom in return such an acquaintance may prove annoyance and a clog, as one incapable of offering an interchange of thought, or an idea worth listening to.”

Harsh!

Such was the risk of introducing a bore that if unexpected thrust into the situation of, whilst walking with a friend, bumping into an acquaintance not know to that friend, “Never introduce them.” The risk of them proving not to be a kindred spirit was too great!

Neither, should you take an uninvited friend, to the home of another, because:

“….there is always a feeling of jealousy that another should share our thoughts and feelings to the same extend as themselves, although good breeding will induce them to behave civilly to your friend on your account.”

In Wednesday’s post – I expound on the ritual of “Calling” – what was proper, and what was improper, as outlined in the 1850 manual, “How to Behave – A Pocket Manual of Etiquette.”

The Sort of MAN a Woman Likes.

2011-09-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Domineering, Henry VIII - and is unfortunate second wife, Anne Boleyn.

Following on from the previous post, the tables turn as women from the early 20^th century debate what they like in a man. These comments are taken from articles published in 1913 in the ‘Strand Magazine’ [famous for publishing Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ stories] ; written in response to men espousing that women liked to be dominated, some females give their opinions.

What makes the following comments even more intriguing is that in 1913, the Suffragette movement was in full swing; in June 1913 the suffragette Emily Davison threw herself under the King’s horse at Epsom and died three days later. This was a time when women were fighting for the vote, and had ambitions to be treated as equals with men. Fashion tended to polarise into those who donned mannish clothes, as an indication of their political views, and those who donned frills, feathers and furs as a celebration of their womanhood.

Magazine cover commemorating the death of Emily Davison.

Not doubt men were feeling threatened when they suggested women liked to be dominated…and here’s what women wrote in response.

Adelaide Arnold wrote:
“Whilst all women detest a bully, personally, there are many who secretly approve a master.”

Marjorie Bowen agreed.

“I think women do like to be tyrannized over, and the one unforgiveable thing in women’s eyes is weakness of the sprit.”

Mrs Stanley Wrench seems to back this up:

“In her secret heart woman likes to be tryannized over, though never, even to herself will she acknowledge this. If she is in love…there is more of the Cave Woman in her than she imagines.”
So much for the suffragist movement!

But dissenting voices were beginning to be heard, including Sophie Cole who wrote:

“As to being tyrannized over, I think women imagine they like it before marriage, and discover they deterst it after…It is ‘understanding’ which men and women have craved of each other since the time they were created so dissimilar that the aspiration is impossible of fulfilment.”

And the final word goes to the philosophical Mrs H Penrose, who observed:

“The average woman has never been very exacting in her demands – perhaps owing to her melancholy preponderance in the marriage market which inclines her to take what she can get and be thankful for the moment.”

So please, leave a comment – What do you look for in a man?

The Sort of Woman a Man Likes.

2011-08-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

The ideal woman? A blend of Angelina Jolie, Charlieze Theron and Carmen Electra!

As an author of historical romance, there’s no escaping the different role women had in the past. In the 18^th and 19^th century, for a woman to amount to anything she had to marry…and to increase the chances of marrying it helped not only to be wealthy…but appealing to men.

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The sort of woman a man considered an ideal mate, was openly discussed…and enough to make modern toes curl. In 1913, (note: less than a 100 years ago!) The Strand magazine asked some noteable men of the day their views on ‘The Sort of Woman a Man Likes.’

The perfect Edwardian wife - interested in what interests her husband.

F. Frankfort Moore wrote:

“She should confine herself to the language of angels if she wishes to be liked by men…Men do not want a polyglot; they want one who will put the kettle on.”

(NB. Is your blood boiling yet?)

E Temple Thurston added:

“…a woman who can minister to his selfishness, without obliterating herself, who can listen to his egotism without making him feel he is monopolizing the conversation.”

The novelist Joseph Hocking stated:

“He doesn’t like a political woman [ie someone with opinions!] …Man’s ideal…is a sympathetic companion, who desires to share the joys and sorrows of her husband…a lover of home and children, and finds her greatest joys by the fireside.”

A Victorian couple - wife looking adoringly at her husband.

However, not all men were convinced marriage was a good thing. In 1838, the 29 year old Charles Darwin, was torn between his calling as a scientist and the distraction of taking a wife. In a truly ordered manner, he drew up a list.

Emma Darwin - the wife, Charles, came to adore.

He listed under “To Marry”:

- Constant companion who will feel interested in one – better than a dog anyhow.

- Someone to take care of the house.

- Charms of music and chit-chat – but a terrible loss of time

And under “Not to Marry:”

- Freedom to go where I liked – not forced to visit relatives.

- Conversation and clever men at clubs

- Responsibility and anxiety over children – and less money for books et.c

- Perhaps quarrelling – cannot read in the evenings – loss of time – fatness and idleness.

So did Darwin marry?

Yes, he did…and happily. And at the end of his life he wrote:

“I marvel at my good fortune, that she [Emma, his wife], so ultimately my superior in every single moral quality, consented to be my wife. She has been my adviser and cheerful comforter through life.”

FOR MORE MUSINGS ON THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX:

My weekend blog post considers “The Sort of Man a Woman Likes.”

The Sort of Man a Woman Likes..?

FOR THE 'I'M A READER NOT A WRITER BLOG HOP' I'M OFFERING A $10 AMAZON eVOUCHER TO ONE LUCKY WINNER.
All you have to do is follow the link and 'Like' my author Facebook page - then leave your email address on the comment section of this blog.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Elliot/173092742739684?v=wall&sk=wall
Easy!

Welcome! Author Bob Stewart, (aka Thomas A Katt.)

2011-08-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I honoured to have author Bob Stewart, visiting my blog. Bob and I got chatting over a topic of great mutual interest - cats! As it happens, Bob's latest book, "Alias Thomas A Katt" is right up my alley (so to speak) so read on to learn how a story is born!
Grace x

HOW A BOOK IS BORN

We had snakes in the house. Somehow, they found their way into our South Texas home, and we had to get rid of them.

What’s a natural born snake killer, you ask?
Everyone knows it’s a cat.
That’s how I found myself at the animal shelter, walking along rows and rows of furry convicts, until I came to one particular character. Black and white, long silky hair, and a hangdog look.
“Okay, Buster,” Schyler meowed. “I’ll give you one chance.” I held my arms out to receive him, opened the cage door, and Schyler pranced out into my wife’s arms, and into our hearts. We didn’t have a chance.

Schyler -

About a hundred dollars later, plus the price of wiggle toy on a string, we brought him home. He took one look around, shrugged as if this new place was better than nothing, and made himself right at home.

He didn’t have to be taught how to play favorites. My wife’s lap became his evening nest where he was stroked and loved.
Me, I became the body servant. It’s my job to make sure the water bowl stays full as well as the food dish and the litter box cleaned.

Occasionally he’d walk by my computer, stop, and meow. If I didn’t respond immediately by reaching down to pet him, that was it for the day. Sometimes he’d favor me with a long stay by walking a couple feet away flooping onto the carpet, then expecting me to stand on my head to reach him.

The cat who inspired a book! Schyler.

I came to understand why Schyler was standoffish: Royalty doesn’t hob-knob with the common folk – especially the male body servant. I had my place and my function.

To everyone else he’s a loving kind kitty who beats us to the front door when the doorbell rings, then sits and invites the visitor into the house with happy meows. The whole time they visit, he lies on their feet, a happy, contented, and sweet animal. So it was one night while watching a film noir classic, The Maltese Falcon, with Schyler and Martha that I wondered what would happen if Schyler switched bodies with Humphrey Bogart. Would Schyler develop the “film noir” tough guy persona of a Sam Spade or a Mike Hammer as he masqueraded in human form?

Is it true? Can Schyler type?

Better yet, what if his name was Thomas and he was owned by a lovely librarian named Mallory. Then, one miraculous day at the blessing of the pets he switched bodies with her current boyfriend, a jerk named Tom A. Katt, only to discover that Current Jerk is a killer. Now, he must figure how to be a human, use opposable thumbs – the devil’s own invention as far as he’s concerned – and protect Mallory in a scenario right out of “feline noir.”

In Alias Thomas A, Katt, he’s destined to find out just how tough he is as he takes the reader on a first person journey.

Oh, and one last thing. We’ve had no snakes since he came to live with us. Come to think of it, he’s pretty good with elephants, too.

Author, Bob Stewart, and Schyler

Advance review:

Bob Stewart has created his own niche – feline noir –in this kitty caper aptly named Alias Thomas A. Katt. When Tom Katt, a police officer and romantic interest of the lovely Mallory, switches bodies with Mallory’s real cat, Thomas, the tables are turned on the bad guys. Even though he’s forced to work within the boundaries of an inferior human body, Thomas still has his feline smarts. Bad kitty! takes on new meaning in this fun romp that all cat lovers will find purr-fect.

- Carolyn Haines is the author of Bones of a Feather, the 11th in the Sarah Booth Delaney Delta Mystery series. www.carolynhaines.com

Bob has been kind enough to share an excerpt from "Alias Thomas A Katt."

Chapter One

I hate water, holy or not.

So much that sleep last night was a series of fitful catnaps interrupted by nightmares of a barbaric yearly ritual performed in the name of all that’s holy.

Mustering all the pathos I could, I looked up into Mallory’s deep-set emerald eyes as we shuffled along the queue for the Blessing of the Pets. The line stretched outside The Mortuary Chapel and across the street into the cemetery.

She stroked my fur, and then gave me a big grin.

“What are you thinking?” She bent over to hug me closer, whispering in my ear. The scent of magnolia blossoms drifted from her hair as I raised my face to be nuzzled. “Sometimes I think you understand more than people realize.”

I do understand. I just wished she understood that I did.

“You pay more attention to that damn cat than you do me.”

The jerk she calls her current boyfriend has a way of ruining the finest moments. His voice was proof that even in near tropical New Orleans a chill can penetrate the normally temperate October air.

“Don’t be silly, Tom. I’m just loving my cat.”

“Next thing I know you’ll put one of those medals around my neck. Maybe you should, then I’ll get to sleep with you, too.”

Mallory’s hand secretly sought out the Saint Expedite medal on my collar. She bought it for me the first time we came here, put it around my neck, and it never came off. She wears a matching one that drops below the neckline. She used to wear it over her blouse, until she met Current Jerk.

Saint Expedite could teach Current Jerk some manners. I visualized ol’ Expedite, standing tall in his niche just inside the front entrance of the church, a young Roman soldier dressed in an historic battle tunic, brown hair tossed in the wind. Instead of the short sword used by grizzled legions to conquer the ancient world for the likes of Julius Caesar, he grasps a cross raised high above his head, ready to cold-cock modern-day heathens right and left.

Like all great historic warriors, Saint Expedite is swift to take action when petitioned. He is even more of a patron saint of lost causes than that wimpy Saint Jude, or that sissy Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, who is about to cause water to be dumped all over my head. These guys run around in dresses, for heaven’s sake.

As we neared the entrance, every sinew in my body went taut; I’ve heard it said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. I know a third to add to that list.

Only Mallory’s sweet touch and Saint Expedite’s courage could get me through this, barely, because Expedite’s one tough cookie. I’ll tell you how tough he is. He’s a saint without portfolio because his arrival in New Orleans was sparked by a quirk of tragedy, according to a tour guide I heard on the Travel Channel.

A special chapel was built to speed the funerals through St. Anthony of Padua during the 1826 Yellow Fever epidemic. That piece of grim history earned it the nickname of The Mortuary Chapel. Grieving relatives would scribble the name of a saint on a casket before leaving it at the door of the chapel. The priests would swiftly perform a funeral mass in the name written on it, and shove the contaminated container out the door to a final resting place in the cemetery across the street.

One smelly casket had the word “expedite” scrawled across it. The priests glanced at the word, and chanted a funeral mass to Saint Expedite. When they discovered the error, it was decided to create a Saint Expedite medal in a good-humored effort to acknowledge the mistake. No one took ol’ Expedite seriously. After all, he’s just the figment of a priest’s fertile imagination.

But I always took him seriously. Besides being a good yarn, it just seems to prove the old saying that “people are only human” or “to err is human” or whatever cliché fits best. Of all the saints, he’s my favorite, even if he isn’t real.

But, Mallory is real. So is her love. I snuggled into her arms in smug satisfaction. In spite of the pending water torture, there’s no way life could get any better.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

About Bob Stewart.

Bob Stewart is the author of four published books, and has reported news events for popular magazines (People, Time, Life, and Latina). He has authored two plays presented by the Aggie Players at Texas A&M University, and two scripts for series television while pursuing a career in journalism. He served as associate producer for Switched at Birth, a television mini-series based on the Kimberly Mays baby switch in Florida. It was nominated for an Emmy.

He has been managing editor of The Bryan Daily Eagle, The Laredo Times, and the Marshall News-Messenger. For ten years, he wrote a daily television column for the San Antonio Light. Next, he pursued a career as a freelance reporter/writer/author. In 1998, he joined the staff of People Magazine as a correspondent, working out of his San Antonio home.

Mexico

on spring break.

Man to Man: When the Woman You Love Has Breast Cancer (St. Martin’s Press and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection) with co-author Andy Murcia, the husband of entertainer Ann Jillian.

Bob Stewart has worked on a number of national stories for People, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, the murder of Tejano singer Selena, the TWA jet crash in New York, the murder of students at schools in Pearl, Miss., Jonesboro, Ark., and Columbine in Denver, Colo., the racially-motivated murder of James Byrd in Jasper, Tx., the ex

His books include:

No Remorse (Pinnacle True Crime and a True Crime Book of the Month club selection) is the true story of Texasserial killer Kenneth McDuff who was convicted of murder, then paroled, when the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, only to go on a killing spree. McDuff was executed in October, 1998.

Revenge Redeemed (Revell ) is the true story of a Kentuckycouple whose only child was killed by a drunk driver in 1972. They rehabilitated the man who killed their son and today he lives next door to them.

Sacrifice: The Drug Cult Murder of Mark Kilroy (Word Inc.) with co-author Jim Kilroy is the bizarre true story about Mexican drug smugglers who murdered Jim’s son, a University of Texaspre-med student as a human sacrifice while the youth was in execution of Karla Faye Tucker, and the kidnap/murder of Mark Kilroy in Matamoras, Mexico.

Welcome! Author Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz.

2011-08-24T03:05:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm delighted to welcome prolific author, Penny Lockwood Ehrenkrantz, to the blog.
In addition to telling us about herself, Penny is also offering a generous giveaway -to EVERYONE that leaves a comment.
Just leave a comment and contact details and Penny will email you a unique short story "Midsummer Knight" !

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published hundreds of articles and short stories in print magazines and on-line. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for three small independent publishers. Visit her web site at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

GRACE: Penny, lovely to have you here today; please tell the readers a little about what makes you tick.

PENNY: I retired in 2008 from my "day" job as office manager and chief legal secretary of our county district attorney's office. Since then, I have become more of a full-time writer, although I have also taken on some free-lance editing positions. Part of my time is now spent editing other author's work, rather than my own.

I actually enjoy writing in several different genres, including children and young adult. I also write non-fiction and have numerous articles published in writing magazines, parenting magazines and teen magazines.

When I'm not writing or editing, I'm reading, crocheting, or gardening. I enjoy water aerobics and walking. My family comes first in my life and I recently became a grandparent for the second time. My son and his wife have a delightful little girl, who is now three, and my daughter and her husband just celebrated the birth of their son in June.

GRACE; I understand you have exciting news that Love Delivery has just been published. Please tell me a little about it.

Love Delivery is a novella released by MuseItUp Publishing. Here's a short synopsis:

SYNOPSIS

LOVE DELIVERY

By: Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz

Ann and Tom have both been disappointed in love, yet they yearn for happiness. Ann works as a waitress in a donut shop. Tom has been delivering supplies there for a while. Each is attracted to the other. Tom makes the first move by inviting Ann to dinner and a cat show.

Both Tom and Ann have cats, and this brings them together, but there are forces at work tearing them apart even as they seek each other out. Tom’s ex-wife, Maria, is hired at the donut shop. Before Ann knows the relationship between Tom and Maria, she confides in Maria about her feelings toward Tom.

When Maria learns Ann’s beau is her ex-husband, she becomes like a wildcat. She tries everything she can to separate Ann and Tom, including showing up where they’re having dinner, going to Ann’s apartment, and arriving unannounced at Tom’s home when Ann is visiting.

To complicate matters, Maria and Tom have a child. Although the Tom is not the biological father, he adores Catherine.

As Ann becomes more involved with Tom, she sees both sides of him and wonders if there can be a future. When she gives Tom the ultimatum of getting his life back in order, he disappears. Weeks later, he returns with Catherine, a plan for the future, and a ring for Ann.

GRACE: There is a lot of competition for readers’ attention these days. What is different about your book that makes people want to read it?

PENNY: The story is about two very normal people who don’t earn a lot of money and haven’t completed their higher educations. They don’t work in fancy jobs or live in exciting cities. One is a waitress/day manager of a donut shop and the other a delivery man. But they enjoy life, cats, eating out, movies, children, and bike rides in the country. They are real people with real problems, and I believe readers will be able to relate to the obstacles they have to overcome in their quest for true love.

GRACE: It seems eBooks are taking off in a big way. What is your opinion on eBooks vs. traditional paperbacks?

My next three novelettes from MuseItUp Publishing are eBooks, so I have a very positive opinion of eBooks. My print release from Sam’s Dot Publishing (A Past and A Future) is now available through Smashwords, which is a good thing since I’ve had a number of people ask me how they could get a copy for their eReader.

I think the stigma previously attached to eBooks is no longer valid. I believe this is the wave of the future and eventually very few books will be printed on paper.

I used to enjoy holding a “real” book, but since I acquired a Kindle, I’ve gotten used to the lightweight of it, the built in reading light, and the fact I can carry a whole library of books with me when I travel. I think eReaders are great.

GRACE:What is the kindest act anyone has ever done for you?

When we first moved to Oregon, a very dear friend who recently passed away, took our family under her wing. She wanted my kids to call her “auntie,” and she more than deserved the title. Our very first home, she came with paintbrush in hand and helped paint both inside and out. No matter what was needed, she was there. Teri, you’ll always be with us.

GRACE: What would your nearest and dearest say is your most annoying habit?

PENNY:That’s a tough question to answer since we get along really well. The only thing I can think of might be when we’re in the car, and I see something he doesn’t see, and I just yell “Dave, Dave, Dave,” instead of saying, “There’s a kid in the crosswalk,” or “There’s a car pulling out of that driveway.”

GRACE: When was the last time you cried?

PENNY: On June 21^st when my grandson was born. After telling me for months I couldn’t, my daughter relented and allowed me to be in the room and participate in the birth. It was an incredible experience, matched only by being allowed to participate in the birth of my granddaughter three years ago.

GRACE:Have you heard of ‘Room 101’ – the room where an object once placed disappears forever…I wish all alarm clocks went there! What 5 things would you put in Room 101 and why?

PENNY: No, I’ve never heard of it, but here goes:

1. Alarm clocks (I agree with you on that one)--I hate being forced to wake up.

2. Bigotry—I would love to live in a world where diversity was embraced.

3. War—It appalls me what people do to each other during a war and I can’t seem to fathom the reasons behind war. Live and let live.

4. Crime—People should be allowed to live without fear of being beaten, robbed, murdered or abused.

5. Slugs—I hate when they eat my plants after I’ve worked all summer long trying to grow veggies and flowers.

As you can see, I’m a dreamer and would love if conflict were simply eliminated from our society.

GRACE: It’s been lovely chatting with you today, Penny, and before you go, where can I find out more about your books?

PENNY:

My website and blog:

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Links for my YA/Adult short story collection:

A Past and A Future

http://sdpbookstore.com/anthologies.htm

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62608

My three releases from MuseItUp Publishing:

Love Delivery, coming August, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/4ajo9wz

Lady in Waiting, coming November, 2011

Mirror, Mirror, coming December, 2011

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2

My children’s books which will be released through 4RV Publishing:

Funny Dog, coming May, 2012

Ghost for Lunch, coming September, 2013

Many Colored Coats, coming October, 2014

Boo's Bad Day, coming June, 2015

http://4RVpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html

GRACE: - Thank you, Penny!

If you have enjoyed this interview and would like to sample some of Penny's work, dont forget to leave a comment and contact details, to recieve the short story "Midsummer Knight."

Walking the Plank - Fact or Fiction?

2011-08-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Walking the plank is described in J.M Barrie’s children’s classic “Peter Pan” and also featured in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, but did it happen in reality? Did pirates force their hostages to ‘walk the plank’; after all, wouldn’t it have been easier just to toss unwanted visitors overboard?

But what evidence is there to back up the myth?

As David Cordingly, curator of the National Maritime Museum and author of “Under the Black Flag” points out:

“There are no written accounts in the 17^th and 18^th century of walking the plank, and so historians largely dismissed the practise as the fanciful product of fiction writers.”

However, Plutarch, the first century Greek historian, writing in his work “Life of Julius Caesar” tells a fascinating story of a young Julius Caesar being captured by Cicilian pirates. In his account the 18 year old Caesar was:

“…was taken near the island Pharmacus by…pirates, who, at that time, with large fleets of ships and innumerable smaller vessels infected the seas everywhere.”

Plutarch goes on to recount how the captive Caesar was held to ransom and threatened with being made to walk the plank. What is also interesting is what an irritating hostage Caesar made; apparently he disagreed with his captors who wanted a ransom of twenty talents, he argued he was worth at least fifty!

Caesar’s ransom was paid and he was released…only to return in force to capture those who had previously held him and order them crucified. Apparently, after this episode pirates would always;

“Bow low and tender their most humble services”

To all Roman captives, then politely ask their victim:

“To mount upon the ship’s ladder and step to liberty…into the sea.”

Of course, part of the terror of walking the plank was that few sailors could swim, as outlined in a 19^th century article in ‘Macmillan’s Magazine.’

“Many of our English sailors cannot swim. Many gentlemen in various professions, to whom that accomplishment would be not only useful, but perhaps absolutely necessary, as equally ignorant of it.”

In the 19^th century several accounts of ‘walking the plank’ exist such at in 1822 pirates capturing the Jamaican sloop, ‘Blessing’. The unfortunate Captain, William Smith, could only offer flour and cornmeal, instead of coinage and so:

“A plank was run out in the starboard side of the schooner, upon which the pirate chief made Captain Smith walk…they then tilted the plank, then he dropped into the sea.”

It seems Captain Smith was one of the few sailors who could swim…not that it did him any good since seeing their captive strike out to sea; the pirates shot him in the head!

Word Play.

2011-08-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working hard on the final version of ‘Eulogy’s Secret’ and it’s big decision time (drum roll!) Do I spell-check in my native UK English, or go for US English? The differences aren't huge and mainly come down to ‘parlour’ vs ‘parlor’ and some disappearing L’s (dishevelled vs disheveled) but it did set me thinking about dictionaires and (another tenuous link to excuse a blog post) the compiler of the first dictionary to include common usages of words for a clearer definition, Dr Samuel Johnson.

....because the word 'CAT' must appear in any good dictionary......

Surpisingly Dr Johnson seems a bit of a wit on the side. Despite the gravitas of his work he came up with such chose sayings as:

“A second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience,”

“A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out as good for nothing.”

And

“A woman’s preaching is like a dog walking on his hind legs. It is not done well: but you are surprised to find it done at all.”

Dc Samuel Johnson.

Dr Johnson’s “Dictionary of the English Language” was published in 1755 and weighed in at nearly 9 kilos (20 lbs). Despite costing the equivalent today of nearly 500 GBP, it was an instant bestseller. With 42,773 entries, it took the good Doctor eight years to complete, although he was originally supposed to complete the book in three years. This original target seems particularly unrealistic, bearing in mind that it took forty French scholars, forty years to do the same task. As Johnson remarked:

“Forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman.”

One of Johnson’s fears was that the English language was becoming unduly influenced by the French and would,

“…reduce us to babble a dialect of France.”

And he refused to add words such as, champagne, blonde and bourgeois to his dictionary, in protest.

As already mentioned, Johnson’s dictionary was the first to explain words with common expressions or usage. Let me end with some examples of his humour slipping into some of the definitions.

First editions of Dc Johnson's famous dictionary.

Lexicographer – ‘a writer of dictionaires; a harmless drudge.’

Patron – ‘commonly a wretch who supports with insolence and is paid with flattery’ (Johnson was on poor terms with his patron!)

Oats – ‘a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.’

Stockjobber – 'a low wretch who gets money by buying and selling shares.'

Debating between pic of stockjobbers and kittens....the kittens won!

The Canary Isles ....going to the dogs.

2011-08-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

The beautiful sandy beaches of the Canary Isles.

I’m on vacation and so when choosing a topic for my weekend blog post, my thoughts turned to that popular holiday destination of the Canary Isles (OK, I know it’s a tenous link.) But, if like me, you assumed these Spanish islands, located off the north-west coast of mainland Africa, were named after small, brightly coloured birds – just like me, you’d be wrong.

'Canary Dogs.'

In the first century BC, the Romans sent an expedition, their findings reported back by Pliny the Elder:

“The island of Canaria [is] so-called from the multitude of dogs [canes] of great size.”

‘Canary’ dervies from the Latin for dog, ‘canis’, from which our word ‘canine’ is derived. There is also an association with a North African tribe called ‘the Canarii’, so called by Pliny because:

“They partake of their food in common with the canine race, and share with it the entrails of wild beasts."

The coat of arms of the Canary Islands, reflects it's origins.

Subsequent explorers sent by King Juba II of

Mauritius

, returned to present their paymaster with two of these giant dogs. Some accounts now speculate that these so-called-dogs were actually a species of Monk Seals (or ‘Sea-dog’ in Latin.) – now sadly critically endangered and no longer resident on the Canary Isles.

Monk Seals.

Canary birds do come from the Canary Islands, but it was a case of cart before horse, as explained Virginia Sliverstein in her book, ‘Beautiful Birds’ –

“Canaries were named after the Canary Islands, and not the other way round.”

So there we have it, some not-too-taxing holiday trivia. Enjoy!

Smugglers and the Isle of Wight.

2011-08-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Lily for winning the Amazon eVoucher giveaway.

Lily, your voucher will be with you shortly.

The tidal harbour at St Helens, Isle of Wight.

I’m currently on the Isle of Wight, which is a place rich with a history of smuggling. In the 18^th century, to the north-east of the island, the tidal mud-flats of St Helens and Bembridge, made them the perfect hideout for smugglers. Many were fishermen, who supplemented their income by illegally importing high value goods, such as tea, tobacco, brandy, lace and silks – that were highly taxed by the British government to finance war with France.

Low tide, St Helens beach, with a Palmerston Fort in the distance.

The local knowledge of these fishermen meant they could safely navigate the treacherous shallow, in-shore waters at low tide, leaving the Excisemen in their deeper drafted vessels, stranded out in the Solent.

Palmerston Fort seen from St Helens beach.

The Island acted as a staging post for goods smuggled over from France, and then transported to the main land in the fishermen’s skiffs. Spirits such as brandy were often double or even triple strength, and made for a tidy profit once diluted. Barrels were often attached to ropes and dragged beneath the water, hidden from the vigilant eyes of the Excisemen patrolling the waters.

The treachorous, Bembridge Ledge, as seen from Culver Down.

It was a dangerous job, being an exciseman; you risked shipwreck, shooting or intoxication! One Exciseman who was captured by brandy smugglers was forced to drink as much brandy as he could before passing out, at which point he was tied to a horse and set free.

On the horison, a Palmerston Fort.

Two things saw the reduction in the smuggling trade: a reduction in tax duty, and the building of Martello Towers, or Palmerstone Forts, along the south coast. These were constructed to oppose any invading Revolutionary or Napoleonic forces but also acted as a convenient base for the national coast guard, established in 1824.

Taking part in the walk-to-the-fort, walking across the sea at ultra-low tide.

Some of these forts can still be seen off the Isle of Wight, and although built out at sea, at ultra-low tide, a path emerges that makes it possible to ‘Walk to the fort’ – something I have done on a couple of occasions and an almost biblical experience – being a little like the parting of the Red Sea.