The Regency Timeline
My previous posts I’ve explained that I was working on the Regency timeline. I posted my entries for 1788 thru 1797.
Now I have the 1794 Timeline again. I went back added a significant amount of graphics. I will be doing this with all the years I previously posted and then ensuring that the new years have a lot of graphics as well.
I have uploaded all these years to the Regency Assembly Press website. You can see a little preview of this below in the picture. I especially like how the Duchess of Alba by Goya looks a lot like Cher.
My sources which include the Internet and The Timetables of History by Grun and Stein
as well as the Chronology of CULTURE y Paxton and Fairfield should cover a lot of events. There are now over 5000 listed for the period between 1788 and 1837 when Victoria comes to the Throne. I have also just found a third book I own with timelines in it, very USA centric though. 
What Happened When by Carruth. I also have added a Dorling Kindersley book 
, History of the World.
I may post a year at time every so often in between scanning through all these to find something that will be a good article for this blog and the blog at English Historical Fiction Authors. I will also have the full listing up shortly at Regency Assembly Press.
Those who have feedback, it is appreciated or if someone would like a specific year in a future post. The very first entry is to show who was Prime Minister of Great Britain, later it was the United Kingdom, during the period of the chronology. In choosing our dates, 1788 is the first sign of madness in George the III, it is the beginning of the end of the French Monarchy with the riots in Paris, it is the time when the mama’s of the girls during the true Regency would be girls going to London for their own season, and when our heroes are young lads or babes as well.
We need to know of the events that occurred when they were children, as well as what happens when they are on stage in our stories.
Click on the link below or the picture to go to the entry. More years coming. The list is now over 5000 event entries long and growing.
After the Regency Timeline, I plan to do a short addition on Regency Prime Ministers. They always come up in my research and I think we need a page where we can find out all about them in one place. Then, the Edwardian Timeline. I am thinking the years 1890 to 1918 (The end of WWI)
Regency Assembly Press 1794 Tineline
The Writing LIfe
My new writing project is another regency, tentatively titled The Heir. I am now over 200 pages into it. The heroine of course can not stand the hero, who is trying to understand why she dislikes him so. Part of the action takes place in St. James Square, where I have located our Heroine’s home. That was written about, in a blog post from fellow writer Angelyn Schmid on her post about Let’s do Business in Bed.
I enclose a few more paragraphs from the first draft.
Chapter 2
Sebastian could attest to that. He had met with the enemy at Corunna and tried his best to keep it from his memory. However, all too often in the depth of night, the remembrance of the battle would bring him forth from deep slumber. His brow heavy with sweat and his mind filled with the horrors of that battle.
The battle was now a little over three years gone. And still Sebastian was troubled by it. He was troubled a great many things. The battles effects troubled he that he often was awoken in the night when his dreams were distressed by the memories. When you see a human being torn apart by the cannon balls, more than one, it is a memory you wish you did not have and could never rid yourself of.
Drink helped, but then he never knew what night he would be set upon by these visages in his mind. And he was not in the habit of drinking so that he was in a stupor. Such a habit led to becoming an ondit of the Ton. And the only thing that the Ton did scold him for was his wooing of far too many women, and offering for none.
Sebastian had taken the advice of his uncle to heart. To find a woman to wed and beget more heirs for the Earldom of Bath. Ones the eighth Earl would take pride in. Three years more of his and Lady Elizabeth having no joy. And from what he had heard of his cousin Annabella and her first season, the hope that she would marry a man of quality was dashed when she surrounded herself like a ninny with only flatterers who knew to the farthing how much the Earl would part with, and what the estate would be worth should a son come of her body.
He had approached her once at Almacks but she had said all her dances were taken and she did not need his pity to be seen lifting her up. That was a fine how do you do, and should the Earl have been in attendance at Almacks, Sebastian would have been so embarrassed that he would not have been able to meet the man, who was his benefactor.
Annabella must have had some reflection or talked to the Countess who was always pleasant, for he had received a curtly written letter, which one might even take for an apology. You would have to be generous in order to do so. Sebastian had little idea that his cousin, whom he had not seen since before going down to Oxford, until the once at Almacks, was so proud that she could not be seen with her cousin, a commoner.
Or rather, he had been a commoner. His actions at Corunna had been recognized, and as the heir to the Earl of Bath, the Prince Regent had decided he should be a baronet. Sir Sebastian Lennox. A singular honor that he was to pay for the privilege. Prinny expected a nice gift for such a nice title, and that he be honored for some few months. Then, it was fine for Sebastian to leave the company of the Prince’s close circle and return to his own friends.
“Your cousin the Earl returns to Town, I see in the paper,” That was Marlowe. His father and the Earl had been good friends at one time. Some years back there had been a falling out. Sebastian was not sure why. He and Marlowe found that they favored the same play of cards at White’s and had become friends the last six months.
“Yes, he plans I am sure, to be ensconced on his bench when the House of Lords opens and gets down to business. The man is very much attuned and interested in politics.” Sebastian and Peter had talked of the Earl on some few occasions but usually the discussion of his cousin and Peter’s father did not arise.
“My father called me to his study the week before last and spoke to me at length of the Earl, and of my aunt. He, if you shall allow, told me all the sordid details.” And for the next few minutes, Peter explained how the Earl had offered for his aunt. How she had agreed, but a cavalry captain had come to also ask for her hand, after she had accepted the Earl. How she had loved the captain and was torn but in the end ran off with the officer. Who was dead not three months later from a sickness he had contracted most likely from his service in India. By then it was too late. The Earl had married the current Countess.
A woman that was known to Sebastian and he had only good things to say about. One didn’t say ill of a woman who you were related to, even to your closest friend. One never said ill of a lady. A shrew perhaps, but one honored a lady. Especially the Countess of Bath who was barren and the hopes of everyone, including Bass, seemed to be thwarted. “My father knows that we are friends and hopes that you shall come to dinner on occasion that he may hear of his old friend, and perhaps through our offices, if we deem the moment right, a reconciliation between the friends can be achieved.”
“Well, I am shocked, and though I should love to meet your father and do what I can, you should know that I am summoned to Lords when my cousin comes to Town, early when they sit. And then at the end of the season as they prepare to leave, I am invited to visit my cousin at St. James Square. I have been to dine there on occasion and the Countess has invited me to make evens for dinner, though now that my cousin, Lady Annabella has debuted, I was not needed last year. I fear my cousin has little regard for me. The girl. And that has caused the father to shun me somewhat. We did much better some years ago. He visited me at Oxford, and was quite about when my mother fell deathly ill shortly after our father died. We had no need to maintain much of a household then for the Earl bought James his commission, and paid for Hank to be a midshipman. He gave me an allowance at Oxford, and so we were sent to the corners of the globe. It was the girls who needed some mothering and family.”
Peter smiled, “I have met you sisters and know that you would not want to have had such young misses with you when you studied at Oxford.”
“Not so, I proposed that I should use my allowance and rent a small house for the girls there. The Earl sent them to my mother’s sister and paid handsomely for their upbringing. The eldest will be coming out this season, and the younger in two seasons hence. They both wish their other brothers, dressed smartly in their uniforms should attend them. Unfortunately all they have is myself.” Sebastian said. He looked forward to reuniting with his sisters, both to come to London in the next few weeks. He had the staff prepare the house, a nice townhouse that he rented on Panton Street. It was within walking distance or riding from everywhere.
“Well I look forward to meeting your sisters. I should imagine that they will be as pleasant as you old fellow. For the life of me I do not know how we have become friends.”
“It is because I bring calm to a life that was anything but. That, and we are quite successful when we partner at the card table.” Sebastian said.
“That is so. Do you realize I have not had to draw on my allowance since November? My father wanted to ask if I was alright or if I had stopped all my expenses. He was worried that he was to get a great dunning with hundreds of bills coming due all at once. That I had somehow convinced all my creditors to defer their settlements.”
Sebastian laughed, “I can not say quite the same. I still draw my allowance, though what money I have earned has been invested in land in Kent. Should the Earl ever be given a son, then I am out as heir, and though promised to be kept at my current generous estate, I should not want to be a burden to a man who must plan for the expenses of a son.”
Peter said, “Should that happen, then perhaps we should consider more cardplay. Our luck will only last for such a length of time that we best see how much we can manage to make from it as quickly as possible.”
That brought a laugh even as they were joined by the other two members of their set. Sir Francis Hamilton and Lord Beauchamp.
“Kit, Marlowe here was talking to me of trying to engineer a reconciliation with the Earl and his father. They were quite good friends at one time.” The Viscount Beauchamp’s mother was sisters to the Earl of Lennox’s first wife. That made Christopher Beauchamp the nephew of the Earl.
“Well, that would be awkward I think. My mother told me the whole story some time ago. And then reminded me of it after you came to dinner last week. She did not realize that you were the son of Sir Lambert. She said that your father had once been a welcome guest in my father’s house. That is before your aunt broke her engagement to my uncle. Can’t fault her. The man likes his horses, and likes Lords. Often say I can’t see much difference between the two of them.”
Sebastian thought that wasn’t very fair. Though he had not had as much interaction with his cousin, he had several long hours with the man. The man had more to him than his horses and the House of Lords.
“The interest that the Earl of Bath takes in the country by attending Lords, I should think you would consider admirable, my lord. How often did you attend Lords last year, was it twice I believe you boasted proudly?” That was Francis Hamilton. He said exactly what Sebastian was thinking. “Come Bass, I have heard you speak in favor of your cousin some few times. Not to mention that he gave you that courser last year and have we not made some money on his running, so his work at breeding horses is worthwhile as well.”
Leave a Reply