Unofficial London: Gin Lane

As an avid reader of historical romance novels, one of my favourite authors is Elizabeth Hoyt and her 'Maiden Lane' books. Set in the Georgian period the series is based around an orphanage in the notorious St Giles district of London. This was a district known for its squalor and poverty, a place where criminals thrived and gin-selling flourished. The Georgian artist William Hogarth created 'Gin Lane' as a piece of social comment on the squalor and lawlessness of St Giles, and after reading Ms Hoyt's books, I looked at the etching with fresh eyes.

 

 The focal point of the picture is the half-naked woman in the foreground. In a drunken stupor she is careless of her baby, who falls from her arms into the cellar of the neighbouring gin shop (note the jug-shaped shop sign - to alert those who couldn't read as to where they could purchase alcohol) The woman is shown with sores on her legs, probably syphilitic ulcers, the implication being that she is a prostitute.

Sadly, this scene is not as outlandish as it might appear. Records exist of a woman, Judith Dufour, who reclaimed her child from the workhouse and then strangled it, in order to sell the child's clothes (for 1s. 4d.) in order to buy more gin.

In Hogarth's painting, languishing in front of the disreputable mother is a skeletal pamphlet-seller. He rests with his eyes closed, glass in hand (from which he drank gin?) whilst a leaflet titled "The Downfall of Mrs Gin," moralising about the evils of alcohol, spills from his basket.

 

To the left of the picture is Mr Gripe's pawnbrokers shop. He is buying a carpenter's tools and a housewife her cooking pots, supplying them with money to buy their next drink.

If you look carefully, in the top right hand corner of the painting is a barber, who has hung himself because no one has the money for a shave. Apart from gin-sellers and pawnbrokers, the only other business to survive is the undertaker (again, note the coffin-shop sign) kept busy by gin-related deaths.

The Foundling Hospital, as it is today - a museum.

Intriguingly, the artist Hogarth worked with a philanthropist called Thomas Coram who established the Foundling Hospital in London. Going back to Ms Hoyt's 'Maiden Lane' books, these also feature a charitable orphanage and this link made me wonder if original the inspiration behind Ms Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, came from seeing Hogarth's work and reading his support for orphans and foundlings.

Have any of you read the Maiden Lane books? Which is your favourite?

 

Unofficial London: In Search of Almack's

            In Georgian and Regency England, if you were an aspiring socialite then Almack's was the place to be seen. It was there that select ladies might dance with the most eligible bachelors in England, and to be admitted implied you were a member of the coveted social elite. It could be argued Almack's was a triumph of marketing over content; the food was stodgy, the drink ( non-alcholic) was nothing special and yet it was the pinnacle of aspiration for a young lady on the hunt for a husband.

A ball at Almack's.

Balls were held once a week during the season, on a Wednesday evening, and entry was via a voucher purchased for  the season at a cost of ten guineas. However, it was not cost but the difficulty of obtaining a voucher that was the challenge. The idea of the Almack's patronesses was to make good-breeding and social standing the criteria for entry and hence keep out the undesirable nouveau riche. But not even being a member of the nobility guaranteed acceptance, for only about three-quarters ever gained vouchers.

Petitioners vying to get to attract the attention of Almack's
lady patronesses.

            In order for your name to be put on the list you must be approved by one of six or seven 'patronesses' - all high-born ladies, of whom Lady Jersey was in command. Even once your name was placed on the hallowed list of two thousand members, you could still be excluded if your behaviour fell below that expected. These seven autocrats met each Monday evening between April and August to discuss those members whose poor behaviour may cause them to be barred.  Indeed the Duke of Wellington was once refused entry for being too late (last entry at 11 pm and he arrived at 11.07 pm) and wearing trousers instead of the regulation knee-breeches and silk stockings.

Almack's Assembly Rooms in the 18th century.

 

If once to Almack's you belong,

Like monarchds, you can do no wrong;

But banished thence on Wednesday night,

By Jove, you can do nothing right.

Henry Luttrell
 

Where the original Alamck's once stood...

So what remains of Almack's to this day? On a recent trip into London I visited Kings Street in search of the once famous building. What I found was a glass and steel edifice bearing a once illustrious name. Being a romantic, I wonder if on a very quiet night, when all the lights are off and there is no traffic, you can still here the echoes of the orchestra playing a cotillion...

Eye-catching Oscar Fashion - Regency Style!

Even Anne Hathaway's gown appeared on a
'worst' dress list!
Photo courtesy of Disney ABC Photostream.

Debate about which were the best and worst gowns at the Oscars is rife on the internet; the strange thing is that I saw the several dresses appear on both lists: best and worst! I thought Helena Bonham-Carter's black dress with white gauzy underskirt was beautiful and suited her quirky character perfectly…and yet it appeared on a 'worst' dress list. Bah!

            All of which set me wondering about what the regency woman would have worn to attract attention and impress. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, young women took the business of attending a dance very seriously because it was a major opportunity to snare a husband.

 

A wonderful, diaphenous Regency gown.

            At a ball, a man was not obliged to dance but could watch from the sidelines to study the feminine charms parading around him. Amidst the elegant gowns, coiffured hair and graceful dancing, if a woman was to stand out and tempt her reluctant 'Mr Darcy' she had to look her absolute stunning best.

            Regency dresses must have been exquisite. Delicate, flimsy fabrics such as muslin or crepe de Chine were all the rage. Waistlines were high and necklines low, indeed doctors blamed the rise of consumption on insufficient clothing and exposing the chest, they called it 'muslin disease'. Although no prude, apparently Jane Austen drew the line at having too much shoulder on show and disapproved of "ugly naked shoulders."

            A popular colour for that first ball gown was white, although light colours such as pink, yellow, pale blue or green, were also good choices.

 

Best or worst?
Photo courtesy of Disney ABC Photostream.

           "As a lady's quality …was once determined by the circumference of her hoop… [Is] now measured by the length of her tail."

            Miss Bingley, Pride and Prejudice.

 

            Around 1800 it became fashionable for a dress to have a train, to avoid tripping the wearer whilst dancing the train was elevated with the aid of a small hoop or similar device, and let down again afterwards.

            Shoes were often made to match the dress and had silk soles, and were tied on with ribbons round the ankle a bit like a modern ballerina's pump. The shoe might be adorned with a 'shoe-rose', which was a rosette of ribbon attached near the toe.

            The best stockings were made of silk, and usually white or pink, and have clocks (embroidery) inserts. The stocking came just above the knee and were held in place with a ribbon garter although in the late 18th century a spring-garter (presumably an early form of elastic) was invented and proved very popular. 

 

When wearing a flimsy gown, a shawl was a vital accessory.

            Gloves were de rigour at a ball; usually white, but again pastel shades of lemon or lilac were acceptable and ingenious devices existed to keep elbow length gloves unwrinkled whilst dancing.

            Hair would be carefully dressed and curled, and often adorned with tall feathers. Not only did an ostrich feather make the wearer appear taller and indicated wealth (they were expensive) but they also bobbed in time to the dance, emphasising the dancer's grace and deportment.

 

 

            Ballrooms were often hot and stuffy so a fan was a vital accessory. Apart from cooling the owner, it could be used for flirtation, to signal in code, or even have an aide-memoire written on it for those tricky dance steps.

            It is salient to remember that once a beau had snared a bride, as a husband he would be more likely to notice the cost of a gown, than its cut! This takes me back to the Oscars. Who did you think was best dressed? Which gowns were your favourites, and which wouldn't you be seen dead in? Do leave a comment.

A Society Ball in 1819.

 

Tower of London: Polar Bears in the Thames

In this the third post about animals at the Tower of London, we look at bears - or polar bears to be precise.

One of the sculptures (made from chicken wire) at the Tower of London

In 1252 King Henry III (1207 - 72) was given a Norwegian bear by King Hakon V. This bear was described as "pale" , which is significant because the black bear (albeit sometimes light coloured) was common in England at the time. It seems likely that this bear was significantly different in order to merit it being a gift, and was probably a polar bear.

The bear arrived with a keeper, and once again the Sheriffs of the City of London were asked [told] to pay for the animals upkeep. The Sheriffs allotted around tuppence a day, which considering the prevalent poverty of the day, must have seemed galling to some. However, after a year, the sheriffs decided it was time the bear caught it's own food in the Thames; at that time the Thames was a clean river, rich with salmon and fish.

"fat and sweet salmon [are] dailie taken."

 

The White Tower at the Tower of London

The bear was fitted with a chain and muzzle, and the keeper expected to take the beast down to the river to fish and bathe. The sheriffs thoughtfully provided the keeper with a thick cape, presumably to keep out the cold on the riverbank.

"Greetings. We [the King] command you that for the keeper of our white bear , recently arrived from Norway… ye cause to be had one muzzle and one iron chain to hold the bear without the water, one long strong cord, to hold the same bear fishing or washing himself in the Thames."

The Tower of London with Tower Bridge (over the Thames)
in the background.

King Edward I (Henry III's son) took an interest in his father's menagerie. He employed 4 keepers, each paid 3d each a day, plus a 10d allowance towards animal food. Some thirty years after the original bear, records exist of payment for a white bear called Lynn (she originated from a place of the same name) being transported by boat (presumably up the Thames) to the Tower.

A few centuries later, it seems curiosity was superseded by cruelty. King James I of England (1603-25) made the bears, lions and dogs fight each other. To this end he had a platform built from which he could watch the so-called 'sport'. This was a vicious activity where the bears were often chained and toothless, and had massive mastiff dogs set on them. The 'sport' was in betting on which animal would inflict the most damage.

 

And finally, did you know that most polar bears are Capricorns - since the majority are born between late December and mid January.

Welcome! Arlene Webb - author

Today I'm delighted to welcome author, Arlene Webb, to the blog. I love the premise behind Arlene's latest "Prepper" series (people who are prepared for anything...but read on to find out more.)

 

 Be Prepared

Trying to be ready, so as to survive with minimal screw-ups, has to be a good thing in a world where natural and man-made disasters happen anywhere and everywhere.

When I was asked to write a story with ties to Preppers (survivalists who prepare for whatever life can throw at them), I was intrigued at how much fun it could be to write about the obvious, unexpectedly falling in love, that blindsides people who think they have a handle on everything.

My heroine in Falling for Water has a touch of OCD disorder, while the hero doesn’t easily recover from loss, so much so that he charms everyone and falls for no one. When the two are thrown together and bullets fly, compulsion and closed heart are pushed back into the past while the need for the other to survive takes over.

If you like flawed characters who risk all for a happy ending, I hope you check out this new series at Decadent Publishing. DL Jackson in her premier story for the series, Finding Mercy, has created a fantastic imaginary town based on a real one in which to concentrate preppers at, the only requirement is romance be involved.

Thank you, so much, for hosting me, Grace.

Sincerely,

Arlene

http://arlenewebb.blogspot.com

http://www.arlenewebb.com

https://www.facebook.com/arleneannwebb

https://twitter.com/Arlene_Webb_

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3448136.Arlene_Webb

Falling for Water - the blurb

Water.
What Cassi thought was a simple obsession with clean water has taken over her life. When she orders a distiller online to replace the one smashed by her abusive boyfriend, she gets more than she bargained for.
Enter a man with a badge, hunting a terrorist, and Cassi is his number one suspect. Not only is she struggling with her fixation on pure H2O, she has to prove she’s not the one he’s looking for—only she kind of wishes she was. Before she knows it, Cassi is in over her head.

Justice
Ray had everything, until a random crime ends badly and he’s left to hold to his grief or make changes in his life. Charming his way into people’s personal business—slapping on the cuffs as needed—gives him reason to get up in the morning. When he falls headfirst into another chance at love, he must take the plunge without hesitation or risk losing more than his heart.

As the pair join hands, sparks fly as well as bullets, leaving Cassi and Ray to wonder if the universe could right itself. Will the past reach out and drown their chance for happiness?

 

EXCERPT

He stared at her, his expression wary. “And I’m thrilled you’re so into evolution, variation, and moving toward different things. I…er…just wondered, do you have a problem with saliva?”

“Saliva? What the hell are you talking about?”

He smiled. Not slow and lazy, not sweet and gentle, but the wolf smile she’d seen at the bar. “You admitted a thing with water right away. So what I’m hearing is no, I love saliva. Go ahead and slap me, and…maybe I’ll stop.” He grabbed her, yanked her up, and took her lips with his.

Ray tried for gentle and slow, but the moment his lips locked onto hers it felt like he had to make this the kiss of a lifetime or she’d slip through his fingers and disappear. She’d either run screaming from yet another bully who took advantage of a vulnerable state, or she’d fall through the cracks of the justice system and out of his reach.

From his mouth to hers, he yearned to dive in fast and hard, plundering with his tongue until she opened more than her heart to him by confiding an intense trauma. He wanted the supple and beautiful body rolled over him as well.

He deepened the kiss, and his heartbeat pounded faster and faster as the tension left her shoulders. She melted into him, soft and sweetly yielding to his aggressive hardness, and she began kissing him back.

His careful exploration, the tip of tongue easing along the seams of her mouth, forced his lust into an easy, steady climb as lips meshed, escalating on the roller coaster scale to maybe a five, a first-time kiss like when a boy walks a girl to her door.

Forget that. It was no-hold-back time. He was too into the taste and feel of this woman to strive for less, and he had to bring her over the edge with him. Plunge down and down into the world-is-about-to-end type kiss. A kiss that’d stay with her, marking her as his own.

 

Falling for Water is available at Decadent Publishing. http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=134&products_id=701&osCsid=6c1232251c1e45744bd0b3ee7262f414

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Water-Prepper-Romance-ebook/dp/B00AV2FM2I

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-for-water-arlene-webb/1114050348

 

For more information about Decadent Publishing authors, books, and their submissions guidelines, visit www.decadentpublishing.com.
Decadent Publishing is current accepting submissions in all sub-genres of romance, including their ongoing series'. 

 

The Tower of London: of Elephants and Wine

“We believe that this was the only elephant ever seen in England.”

Matthew Paris

Look closely - can you see the sculpture is made from chicken wire?

This blog post was inspired by the wonderful elephant sculpture on display at the Tower of London. I wanted to find out about elephant keeping at the Tower, which it transpires was well-intentioned but misinformed. Read on…

A Jumbo-sized Gift

The first elephant at the Tower was a gift from King Louis IX to King Henry III. The animal was a trophy from the crusades in Palestine, but it's quite possible the present was a major headache for Henry. A mandate records, 7 January 1239, orders for the Sheriff of Kent to arrange transport (presumably at his own expense) for the beast.

"…to provide bringing the King's elephant from Whistsand to Dover, and if possible to London by water."

Henry III's tomb

Housing the Beast

Henry's menagerie at the Tower was started in 1235 with the gift of three leopards as a wedding present from Frederick III, the Holy Roman Emperor. One can only imagine what an awe-inspiring sight his collection must have been, but it seems Henry didn't expect to shoulder the cost himself, but deferred this to the Sheriff of London.

“We command you,” Henry wrote to the Sheriff of London, “that ye cause without delay, to be built at our Tower of London, one house of forty feet long and twenty feet deep, for our elephant.”

Interestingly, the wooden elephant house at 20 by 40 foot was roughly the same dimensions as the recently decommissioned elephant house at London Zoo - only the later housed three, rather than one, elephant!

Whilst the kudos of the animals was appreciated by royalty, the expense was not. When James I was gifted an elephant in 1623, from Spain, someone pithily records:

'the Lord Treasurer will be little in love with presents which cost the King as much to maintain as a garrison'

Ancient and modern: The Tower with the Shard in the background
Author's own photograph.

A Great Draw

In the 13th century few people had ever seen an elephant. Drawings of them were created from descriptions, rather than life, and so ended up looking like horses with long noses. When the elephant arrived at the Tower, such was the draw, that the monk and historian, Matthew Paris, travelled specifically from the abbey at St Albans to study and drawn the animal.

Matthew's drawing is one of the first naturalistic pictures of an elephant. He depicted it with the keeper, Henricus de Flor, in order to show the scale, and described it has having:

"Small eyes on top of his head, and eats and drinks with a trunk."

One of the first naturalistic pictures of an elephant -
By Matthew Paris of Henry III's elephant and his keeper.

 Keeping Out the Cold

Sadly, for many centuries no one bothered to find out what care the elephants needed to stay healthy. This was typified by James I's elephant, which came with instructions to give it only wine to drink in the winter months, to 'keep out the cold'. The poor animal drank over a gallon of red wine a day, without anyone stopping to query how an elephant would acquire wine in the wild. This elephant didn't live long, but worse still, no lessons were learnt and for another couple of centuries the myth remained and Tower elephants were given wine to drink.

And finally

When Henry III's original elephant died, its grave was near the chapel on Tower Green, close to where Anne Boleyn was later to be buried. However, the bones were later dug up and it is said that 13th century bone and ivory caskets that house reliquaries, (kept at the Victoria and Albert museum) are made from the remains of that elephant.

 

Valentine's Day: A Twist of Fate

As part of the "Heart's Through History" blog hop, my post looks at Valentine's Day as experienced by Samuel Pepys.
My giveaway prize is a $15 Amazon voucher:  SEE the END of THIS POST FOR DETAILS.

Click for link to participating blogs.
(Scroll to bottom of the page.)

Times change and so do the customs associated with Valentine's Day. Indeed, Samuel Pepys diary gives us a fascinating insight into a 17th century tradition that has died out. In modern times Valentine's Day is about secret admirers and lovers, but in the 17th century it seems it was a much more random event. There seem to have been two variations on a theme but somewhat oddly to us, a person's valentine was rarely their spouse.

A Game of Chance

The first way a 17th century lover chose their valentine was by lottery - or rather, pulling a name out of a hat at a party. This was often done on February 13th so that the Valentine partners (rarely husband and wife) knew who to present gifts to on Valentine's Day itself.

 

Samuel Pepys diary 1665/

This morning called up by Mr. Hill, who, my wife thought, had been come to be her Valentine; she, it seems, having drawne him last night, but it proved not.

These gifts could be costly, indeed, members of the artistocracy took it upon themselves to out do each other with expensive and showy items. The tradition was for the man to give the woman a present, indeed the Lady Bulkely played the system rather well by putting in a request, via her valentine's (Sir William Petre) wife, for a present of six yards of black satin (worth 60 shillings).

 

Sanuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys diary 1667/8

Up, being called up by Mrs Mercer, who come to be my Valentine, …and this year I find it is likely to cost 4l. or 5l. in a ring for her, which she desires.

The gift giving could go on for several days and Samuel Pepys remarked about the cost involved in buying six pairs of plain gloves, and one pair of embroidered, for his valentine. However, it seems likely Pepys also used this Valentine's Day tradition as a cover for buying presents for his mistresses.

 

Elizabeth Pepys.

The First Person You See on Waking

The other custom was that your valentine would be the first person you saw on waking on February 14th. To this end it seems in 1661, Elizabeth Pepys spent a morning with her eyes closed in order to avoid seeing the painters who were redecorating the house!

Samuel Pepys' diary 1659/60

Called out in the morning by Mr. Moore, whose voice my wife hearing in my dressing-chamber with me, got herself ready, and came down and challenged him for her valentine...

So which do you think is more exciting: a game of chance, or having a secret admirer?

Would you prefer a 17th century-style Valentine's Day?

 

 

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Grace x