Class Distinctions in Regency England

By Philippa Jane Keyworth

I want to thank English Historical Fiction Authors for having me here. It is a real privilege to guest post, and I want to thank them for giving me the opportunity.

Today I want to write about a well-known primary source, The Mirror of Graces by a Lady of Distinction. This book was first published in London in 1811, and, presumably due to its popularity, it was subsequently re-printed in New York in 1813 and 1815, in Edinburgh in 1830 and then again in Boston in 1831.

The copy that I own is an enlarged photo-reprint and spans some 239 pages or more. At such a length, I can hardly say that this article will cover the entirety of the book or will be a full analysis of the source. However, I wanted to share a little something about this captivating text which I am currently studying.

Specifically, I have been drawn to the passage entitled, 'ON THE PECULIARITIES OF DRESS, WITH REFERENCE TO THE STATION OF THE WEARER'. It strikes me that when reading a Regency romance and even when writing one, we tend to focus on the positives of class divides. Who can resist a classic Pride and Prejudice-esque storyline that follows the romantic attachment of a man and woman divided by class who eventually overcome it?

What we sometimes fail to see is, as John Tosh describes it, 'The gulf between past and present.' We don't give complete gravity to the social divides of the time and instead we romanticize them. In truth, while reading this passage from The Mirror of Graces, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or to frown in comprehension. The peculiarities of dress A Lady of Distinction refers to are the fashions of the time, and she sets us straight from the beginning by describing the danger of lower and middle classes dressing fashionably:

It is not from a proud wish to confine elegance to persons of quality that I contend for less extravagant habits in the middle and lower orders of people: it is a conviction of the evil which their vanity produces that impels me to condemn in toto the present levelling and expensive mode.

And before this statement of her conviction she declares the propriety of corresponding your dress with not only your season of life, character and figure but also with your station. She speaks of this matter so:

This is the subject not less of moral concern than it is a matter of taste.

Yes, that's right, you've got it. She believes that dressing for your station is not just about taste but actually your moral obligation. Well, doesn't this just put a new spin on the classical fashions of the Regency!?

She differentiates between tradesmen and those with 'fortunes of princes'. Of course, for those with 'fortunes of princes' it is different. They are allowed to array their 'fair partners' in 'rich produce', but not so for the tradesmen:

...but I animadvert on our retail shopkeepers, our linen drapers, upholsterers, &c. who, not content with gold and silver baubles, trick out their dames in jewels!

Shocking! She even uses an exclamation mark! 

And what, pray tell, does she think of the morality of these tradesman she so heartily attacks for their expensive tastes?

No wonder that these men load their consciences with dishonest profits, or make their last appearance in the newspaper as insolvent or felo de se! 

Incompetent both in business and morals. Just wait until she gets onto the working-class women....

If the brazier's daughter is taught to sing, dance and play like the heiress to an earldom, we must not be surprised that she will also emulate the decorations of her rival...not able to have hers of gems, foil-stones produce a similar affect....

So, these women are like those of today who shop in Primark to emulate the fashions of Chanel and D & G. Is this successful in attracting men (which is one of the purposes of such finery) ?

...and when she is thus arrayed, she plays away the wanton and the fool, till some libertine of fortune buys her either for a wife or a mistress.

Harsh words!

So, having devoted four pages to these working-class tradesmen and women, a Lady of Distinction moves swiftly, and unsurprisingly, back to the class she is from:

After having drawn this agreeable picture of her who has well-chosen, I will leave this modern daughter of industry to her discreet and virtuous simplicity; and once more turn to her whose fortune and station render greater changes and expence in apparel not only admissible but commendable.

I found this passage, as I have said, quite humorous, but it was also very enlightening. There is a lot to be learned here, I believe. 

The author is, as she describes herself, '...a woman of virtue and a Christian...' who does not feel it beneath her dignity to lift her pen on these subjects, so I will therefore assume her to be from the upper echelons of society. It's important to count this information when making any deductions from what has been said above. 

What I will deduce from the above extracts is:

• The importance of dress to some women in Regency Society
• The industrial revolution allowing for the rise of rich tradesmen (note the term she uses, 'this modern daughter of industry')
• The ability of the middle and lower classes to buy finer clothing
• Tradesmen becoming bad businessmen when they buy fine clothing for their female relatives - oh, I love this woman's logic!
• The availability of ‘mimmick’ clothing, jewels etc
• Dress being a clear factor denoting status
• The status line being questioned and blurred by trade and affluence
• The 'truth' that tradesmen's daughters dressing above their station leads to wantonness and becoming a libertine's wife or mistress
• Following the fashions and spending money on fashion for women 'of fortune' is commendable

Again, I want to stress that this is a tiny section of this text which I have analysed and there are far more diverse subjects within it which should not be discounted. However, it does provide a valuable window through a contemporary text into opinions advocated by one woman, at least, and embraced by more, most probably, as evidenced by the multiple re-printings of this book.

It is an interesting text, especially as it is written almost twenty years after Mary Wollstonecraft's controversial text A Vindication of the Rights of Woman which declares the need for women to receive an equal education for men, whereas the Mirror of Graces implies the opposite. To gain some insight into the differing views on women and their roles between the years 1792 and 1811, I would highly recommend reading these two contemporary texts. They could not be more different, and yet both contain insights into the mindset of women toward other women and toward their role within society itself. 

Which mindset was more prevalent? It would have been amazingly helpful if the rest of the women in British Regency England had written a volume cataloging their responses to the views put forth in these two texts—if only!

Thank you again for having me, and I hope you enjoyed this little research topic of mine!
_____________________________

Known to her friends as Pip, Philippa Jane Keyworth has been writing since she was twelve in every notebook she could find. Add to this her love for reading, history, and horse-riding, and you have the perfect recipe for creating Regency romances. You can find out more about Philippa by going to her blog, checking out her Facebook page, or following her on Twitter.

Pip’s debut novel, The Widow’s Redeemer (Madison Street Publishing, 2012), brings to life the romance between a young widow with an indomitable spirit and a wealthy viscount with an unsavory reputation. It is this week's giveaway on EHFA and you can click here to read more about it and enter to win.

17th Century Trade

by Katherine Pym
The East India Company almost died under the reign of Cromwell. The dour religion disallowed many things. Gold and silver did not help the ‘saints’ into heaven.

Calicoes from India were not allowed during the Commonwealth. Only dark and homespun woolens prevailed. Spices brought about the fall of man, so little sold in England. The East India Company was forced to trade spices for other goods in the foreign markets. Pepper traded for coral in Italy sold in India at a 90% profit.

It brought the Dutchman Company, called: VOC or United East Indian Company, into power. They took advantage of England’s weakened Navy and merchant ships to increase holdings in the Far East. In Persian waters, Dutch merchant ships outnumbered the English four to one. The Dutch gained control of one port after the other. After the English Civil Wars, Cromwell went to war with the Dutch. In the South Seas a battle completely destroyed Pulo Run Island’s nutmeg industry.

English merchant ships were virtual warships that carried cannon and shot. If the crew survived periods of calm in the seas, scurvy, or the treacherous waters off the Cape of Good Hope, they invariably fought the Dutch, and other sundries as pirates, to gain ports of call where they could trade. This continued until after Charles II regained the throne.

Enter the Portuguese Infanta, Catherine of Braganza in 1662. Portugal had been in the South Seas trade industry for well over one hundred years. Her dowry brought a wealth of cash, artisans, new designs in furniture, and ports of call in India. They included stations in the Far East, warehouses called factories, counting houses, and residences.
 
Her dowry ship to England used sugar for ballast.

My resources indicate tea was introduced in England about 1660 by Thomas Garway. He felt it preserved one’s health until old age, but it was expensive—10 shillings per pound with the (England's) East India Company the sole right to import it. Called China tea, it was transported in square wooden boxes lined with lead. The new queen, Catherine of Braganza gave tea popularity. She felt the quality of water in England terrible. Her first drink when she arrived was a horn of ale. She shook her head, and asked for ‘tee’.

Along with the new ports of call came a plethora of new items from the South Seas. Porcelain made its original entry to Europe through the Crusaders. Queen Elizabeth I was given by Lord Burghley a ‘poringer of white porselyn, and a cup of greene porselyn’. She also wore ‘an armlet of pearls and enclosed thereof a clock’. But few others enjoyed such riches. 

When Catherine of Braganza came to England, food was eaten out of bowls and trenchers, liquid slurped from horn cups, tankards, two-handled cups, or posset pots (generally called dishes). These were made of earthenware, wood, or tough leather. Porcelain for the general public did not really hit England’s shores until after King James II went into exile.

King William and Queen Mary brought porcelain with them when they came to England to rule. Europe, who had been the recipient of Dutch trading for years, received a further taste for tea, sipped from porcelain, and served from lacquer-ware.

As time marched toward the end of the 17^th Century, shiploads of 250,000 porcelain pieces at a time were brought to England. No longer were the habits of good Englishmen as they had been during the Restoration. Breakfasts were then a dish of new beer, bread, Cheshire cheese, or gruel served with a heavy meat. In early 18^th Century the Tatler stated a breakfast of  ‘tea and bread and butter…have prevailed of late years.’

Even though Catherine never gave Charles II an heir, she brought to England a new way of living with the finer things of life. England’s taste became more dignified and refined.

For more information on England and trade, please see my novel, Twins. It takes place in London 1661. It is a study of trade and Catholicism in an overwhelming Protestant city.

You can find it and my other works at the Nook and amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Pym/e/B004GILIAS 

My many thanks go to Richer than Spices by Gertrude Z. Thomas.

An Anglo Saxon Christmas

by Richard Denning

Christmas is coming . Along with the new year celebrations that follow it, it is in Britain the most important festival and holiday of the year. Families get together, give and receive presents, eat and drink and have a good time. Many businesses close down for almost 2 weeks and very little work gets done even in those places that are actually open. Unless of course they are pubs and restaurants!

In celebrating this time of year we recreate festivals that predate even the coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England. For here it is deep winter. It is a time of long nights and short days. It is cold and dark and not a time to be out. This is a time to feast and create our own light and warmth and to look forward with hope to the return of the sun.

That at least is how our ancestors saw things. Christmas coincides with Yuletide – the ancient celebration that occupied midwinter. Here in England it was celebrated for a number of days running on from the 25th of December. At that time, under the old Julian calendar, December 25 was also the winter solstice. (Today it is 20th or 21st December of course).

How do we know that the early Saxons celebrated Yuletide at this time? Well the 8th century scholar, Bede, tells us this in an essay he wrote on the Saxon calendar:

They began the year with December 25, the day we now celebrate as Christmas; and the very night to which we attach special sanctity they designated by the heathen mothers’ night — a name bestowed, I suspect, on account of the ceremonies they performed while watching this night through. 

The very name for the months that straddled Yuletide -December and January – were considered “Giuli” or Yule by the Anglo-Saxons.  The Anglo-Saxons celebrated the beginning of the year on December 25th,which they called Modranect”— that is, Mothers’ Night. This celebration was linked to the rebirth of ‘Mother’ Earth and the whole idea of ceremonies conducted at the time was to ensure fertility in the coming spring season.

As the Saxon gods of fertility were Freyja, who governed love and fertility and her twin brother Freyr then they may well have been linked to the celebrations.

Forget the Turkey – bring out the boar

It is probable that the feasts involved boars. Freyja and Freya were associated with the boar. This was the primary animal represented in Yuletide customs and indeed in Anglo-Saxon culture in general. It is mentioned in epic warrior poetry like Beowulf. A boar’s head may well have been sacrificed to appease the gods and the boar continued to ornament brooches, bowls and jewelry as well as more military objects for centuries.

It was not only boars that were eaten but cows and other animals. We can get some idea of Yueltide ceremonies from Icelandic writings. (We have to rely on Scandinavian writing often as not many writing exist from the early Anglo-Saxon period).

This is an excerpt from The Saga of Hakon the Good. 
It was ancient custom that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to the heathen temple and bring along with them the food they needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part of the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it, horses also; and all the blood from them was  ... smeared all over with blood the pedestals of the idols and also the walls of the temple within and without; and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. But the meat of the animals was to be boiled and served as food at the banquet. Fires were to be lighted in the middle of the temple floor, and kettles hung over them. The sacrificial beaker was to be borne around the fire, and he who made the feast and was chieftain, was to bless the beaker as well as all the sacrificial meat.


The narrative continues that toasts were to be drunk. The first toast was to be drunk to Odin "for victory and power to the king", the second to the gods Njörðr and Freyr "for good harvests and for peace", and thirdly a beaker was to be drunk to the king himself. In addition, toasts were drunk to the memory of departed kinsfolk.

So sacrifices were made to the gods including the fertility gods as well as Odin (Woden in England) and then much drinking of ale and eating of meat ensued. The main celebration lasted three days and it seems that fighting and duels were put of for this period.

The Svarfdæla saga records a story in which a berserker put off a duel until three days after Yule to honor the sanctity of the holiday. Grettis Saga refers to Yule as a time of "greatest mirth and joy among men."

The missionaries arrive

In the year 597 the pope at the time sent Augustine to England to try and convert it to Christianity. The process would take centuries but quite early on it appears that a decision was made to amalgamate the pagan festival of Yuletide with Christianity. 

The Roman church had already decided to use 25th December as the date of Christ birth some centuries before. Christmas as a festivity celebrating the birth of Jesus originated in Egypt sometime in the second century: here it took over a previous festivital, most likely the birth of Osiris. In Europe, Christianity encountered the Roman cult of Mithras.  The 25th of December is now universally accepted as Mithras’ bithday. Mithras was an Iranic deity associated with Sun worship whose cult became so widespread in the Roman Empire as to become a serious threat for Christianity. When the Emperor Constantine declared that Christianity was the official religion of  the Empire then, from 336 AD onwards, the WESTERN Church used this date. The church often took this pragmatic view - rather than attempt to do away with pagan celebrations and traditions and temples they took them over and eventually replaced them although often older traditions still show them selves in little things we do.

A significant step in this process occurred in 567 AD, In order to encourage the people to abandon pagan holidays, The Council of Tours declared the 12 days of Christmas to be a festival. Historically, the 12 days of Christmas followed-did not precede-December 25th. These dozen days ended the day before Epiphany (the coming of the Magi), which was celebrated on January 6th.

So when Augustine arrived in Britain in 597 he was encouraged by the Pope to bring the Saxons Yuletide into line with Christmas. "Because they are accustomed to slay many oxen in sacrifices to demons, some solemnity should be put in place of this... they may make bowers of branches of trees around those churches which have been changed from heathen temples, and may celebrate the solemnity with religious feasting. Nor let them now sacrifice animals to the Devil, but for the praise of God kill animals for their own eating..."

Christian influence, however, remained superficial until the time of the Norman Conquest. Many older pagan rites persisted and to some extent do today. Rites included Yule logs which may have been a Celtic tradition adopted by the Anglo Saxon. The idea was that since the sun was far away it could be persuaded to return if the log could be kept burning throughout Yuletide. The use of evergreens and mistletoe originated in ancient fertility customs – an echo of mother’s night.

Gradually old Germanic Yule celebrations combined with nativity feasts, and the English Christmas began to take shape. Alfred The Great insisted that no business was done during the Twelve Days. By 1066 the Christianisation of England was complete and the Twelve Days were the main annual holiday.

So when we sit down to our Christmas lunch we recreate traditions that stretched back through fifteen and more centuries.

Merry Christmas and Happy Yuletide!

I write novels set in early Anglo Saxon England. To find out more click here

The Widow's Redeemer, by Philippa Jane Keyworth

Merry Christmas week to you all! This week you have the chance to win The Widow's Redeemer, a sweet Regency romance by Philippa Jane Keyworth. This giveaway is for one paperback copy available internationally. You can read more about the book HERE.

If you wish to be entered into the drawing, please leave a comment below including your e-mail address.

The Holly and the Ivy

The Holly and the Ivy, a Christmas carol dating from the 17th - 18th Century, is one of my most favorite.  The concept of Holly and Ivy has come to symbolize different things over time, from the original pagan festivities of the Winter Solstice, or emerging as a homage to Jesus Christ and his Virgin birth, to even being a representation of the Battle of the Sexes.

The dreaded Pagans - Holly was sacred to the Druids.  To alleviate the dreariness of winter they would decorate their dwelling places with it, allowing the greenery and the berries to recall the Springtime to come, the hope and promise of rebirth.  Pagans fashioned Holly and Ivy into wreaths and garlands for the Winter months; Ivy had a close association with the idea of Bacchus, the Roman God of wine, Holly with Saturnalia (upon which the Christmas holiday was based)  Holly and Ivy were accepted decorations during Roman times, and despite the disapproval of early church fathers, they gradually found their way into our Christmas traditions.

The Church - Early English Lyrics by Chambers and Sidgwick, published in 1926, mentions a broadside of 1710 with a version of the carol which begins

The holly and the ivy

Now are both well grown

Of all the trees that are in the wood

The holly bears the crown

The holly bears a blossom

As white as lily flower

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To be our sweet Saviour.

The holly bears a berry

As red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To do poor sinners good.

The holly bears a prickle

As sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

On Christmas Day in the morn.

The holly bears a bark

As bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

For to redeem us all.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full grown

Of all the trees that are in the wood

The holly bears the crown.

Here the Pagan symbols for life and rebirth, Holly and Ivy, are captured in lyrics that possess a definite Christian meaning.   The blossom, 'white as lily flower,' recalls the purity of the Blessed Mother and the innocence of the birth of Jesus.  The red berry recalls the blood of Christ, the prickle of the leaves as sharp as the Crown of Thorns, the bark bitter as the gall given to Christ to drink as he died on the cross.  'Of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly bears the Crown."

The Battle of the Sexes - Everyone's favorite bitter/sweet battle.  Supposedly, in ancient English village life, men and women would hold singing competitions in midwinter with the men praising Holly for its masculine strength and disparaging the Ivy for it's femininity.  Of course, women took the opposite viewpoint (remember, the battle between men and women is as old as time).  Women would praise the Ivy for its feminine qualities and scorn the Holly for it's manliness.  Not surprisingly, more 'Holly' songs survived, as this example below.

Holly stands in the hall, fair to behold:

Ivy stands without the door, she is full sore a cold.

Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be I wis;

Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is.

Holly and his merry men, they dance and they sing,

Ivy and her maidens, they weep and they wring.

Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be I wis;

Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is.

Ivy hath chapped fingers, she caught them from the cold,

So might they all have, aye, that with ivy hold.

Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be I wis;

Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is.

For me - The Holly and the Ivy reminds me of watching old black and white Christmas movies on television late at night, the English ones especially, like A Christmas Carol - every year my brother and I would watch the Alastair Sim version on TV (NEVER the Reginald Owen one).  I also think of midnight mass for which I could never seem to stay awake.  As the choir sang carols I would fall asleep leaning on my mom's arm or snuggled in my father's lap.  

Happily, the carol continues as popular as always, bringing me so many happy memories of Christmas past.  When I was younger I never understood when old relatives would become melancholy on such a wonderful day!  I loved Christmas and the gifts and the family joy.  But then time took its toll on me as well. I got to be an old crank like my aunts and uncles before me.  As you age you sometimes lose your grasp on the holiday you loved as a child; worse yet, you lose the very people who made it special.  

It is then that the real meaning of Christmas, hopefully, recharges your spirits.  This is a holiday of hope and rebirth; after all, the salvation of the world is at hand.

Hold your loved ones near and never let them go

And have a very Merry Christmas
God Bless Us, One and All.

Karen V. Wasylowski is the author of two books, 'Darcy and Fitzwilliam' a rollickingly funny continuation of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'
and
'Sons and Daughters', a rollickingly funny continuation of 'Darcy and Fitzwilliam'
(The Family Saga of Mr. Darcy)

Purchase either book here, at Amazon.com

Visit her blog, as well

THE LEAGUE OF BRITISH ARTISTS

Of Scotland, Glencoe and the Reformers

by Shawn Lamb

Have you ever run across a story that just had to be told? That is what happened to me when my husband and I visited Edinburgh, Scotland. History buff that I am, I loved touring England, Wales and Scotland, and took every opportunity to find historical gems to bring home.  One such find, was an intriguing non-fiction book by John Prebble titled "Glencoe". I bought it and tucked it away in my suitcase. 

Not until I returned home to the U.S., did I read it and became hooked!  The story of Glencoe gnawed at me, needing to be told and wouldn’t let me go until I set down to write. Yet not fictionalized in any trivial way, but told as it happened to those involved, the the good and bad of the entire incident.

I expanded my research to discover a rich, yet complex series of circumstances leading up to Glencoe. Most know the time period called the "Highland Clearances" ended in the fateful battle of Culloden in 1745. However, not many realize Glencoe sparked the revolt.

For centuries Scotland and England clashed, with the Civil War being a great turning point. This factor played a part in the events leading to Glencoe. One of the most powerful clans at time –Clan Campbell, rose to political prominence, and used its influence to execute personal vendettas. Some of these revenge-laced initiatives came in response to robber raids or acts during the Civil War committed against the clan.

Robber raids were a common practice in the Highlands, sort of a training exercise for the real act of war. They mostly involved stealing livestock, and could result in injury and death, but that was something to avoid. The MacDonalds of Glencoe were part of raiding group called “The Gallows Herd”. MacIain, the Glencoe chief, also participated in the Civil War as a young man. Needless to say, the Campbells didn’t think very highly of the MacDonalds of Glencoe.

Whereas governmental politics and clan rivalry played a part in shaping events in the Highlands, so did the Scottish Reformers. Second only to John Knox was a man named Alexander Henderson. He played such a crucial role in establishing the National Covenant and Reforming the Church of Scotland that a statue of him stands in Stirling.

Why do I bring up Alexander Henderson? Because relatives of his lived in Glencoe. Known for their large stature and physical strength, these Hendersons were the hereditary pipers and bodyguards of the MacDonald chief. The MacDonalds were predominately Catholic and among the Jacobites, those clans remaining loyal to King James VI after being deposed by William of Orange.

Imagine being related to one of the most power Reformers in Scotland while living and serving the chief of a Catholic Clan? Add to that fact, the Kirk and Church of Scotland commissioned Protestant missionaries from England and sons of clan chiefs educated in universities to win over the Jacobites.  There are records of missionaries in around Glencoe since the Civil War. A seed for conflict perhaps? Yes and no.

The code of clan life went beyond religious affiliations, beyond personal and clan feuds. In such a hostile and unforgiving environment as the Highlands, survival ruled. Story after story in Scottish lore tells of the unbiased acts of hospitality giving no thought to blood feuds or allegiances when sanctuary is sought and granted. In my book, I use the telling of the story involving my husband’s own clan – Lamont, to help illustrate this point. It is perhaps the most horrendous aspect of what happened at Glencoe, which some call murder under trust.

All these complexities figure into the events leading up to the fateful February night. The story practically told itself, with little fictionalizing from me. With the publication of Glencoe, the gnawing I felt is now satisfied, but the echoes of what happened there, are still heard today.

The Prophetess & the End of the World

By Nancy Bilyeau


In the spring of 1881, families across England deserted their homes, too distraught to sleep in their beds. They slept in fields or prayed in churches and chapels for God to spare their lives in the apocalypse that was foretold: "The world to an end shall come; in eighteen hundred and eighty one."

The author of their terror was Mother Shipton, also known as Ursula Shipton, a woman whose prophecies had been circulating through England and beyond for centuries. The first famous man whose life she prophesied was Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the minister to Henry VIII until 1530. In often cryptic verse, the crone-like seer predicted wars, rebellions and all matter of natural disasters. After London burned in 1666, Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary: "Mother Shipton's word is out." Her prophecies were published in one form or another over 20 times between 1641 and 1700. In the 1800s, her predictions grew even more terrifying: The end-of-the-world was foretold in a book published in 1862. Its other prophetic verse included: "A carriage without a horse shall go; Disaster fill the world with woe; In water iron then shall float; As easy as a wooden boat."

The world did not end in 1881. People began sleeping in their beds once more. It was not the first time that fear of a Mother Shipton prediction convulsed a nation and it would not be the last.

Today there is considerable skepticism that a voluble prophetess named Mother Shipton ever existed. Many of her written predictions are, after all, confirmed forgeries, created to sell greater numbers of chapbooks and almanacs. Her 1684 "biographer" spun spooky details of her birth and existence; the 1881 end-of-the-world prophecy was debunked when the Victorian editor Charles Hindley publicly confessed to concocting the verses himself.

Entrance to Shipton Cave

Nonetheless, belief in Mother Shipton persisted. Today a thriving tourist attraction called Mother Shipton's Cave, at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, features the cave where she was born and the petrifying well where objects can turn to stone. There's also a shop selling mugs, tea towels, thimbles, and wishing-well water in dark pink, ruby red and kelly green.

But just because Mother Shipton has become the label on kelly- green wishing-well water does not mean that she has no basis in fact. Like Robin Hood or King Arthur, it's believed that if we were able to trace the myth-making back to the very beginning, a living, breathing person could be identified

There are no written references to Mother Shipton in the 1500s. That name does not appear in print until 1641. But a mention of a "witch of York" in a chilling letter written by King Henry VIII himself could be the elusive source of the legend.

The context of the letter is critical. It was written to Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk, while the duke was in the middle of a clean-up operation following the Northern rebellion against the king known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. Thousands of commoners and a fair number of nobles rose up against the reforms in religion forced on the country by Henry VIII. The rebels were particularly aggrieved by the fresh taxes and the closing of the monasteries, which in the poorer regions of the North were needed sources of food, shelter, and medical care. The Duke of Norfolk had easily defeated this 1537 outbreak, which followed the main rebellion of 1536, and he was now imprisoning and then executing people without trial, imposing martial law. He wrote his king that he hanged more than 70.

A watercolor of the rebellion showing, somewhat inaccurately,  that the army was led by priests and monks

Henry VIII dictated the following letter to Norfolk in response:

“We shall not forget your services, and are glad to hear also from sundry of our servants how you advance the truth, declaring the usurpation of the bishop of Rome… We approve of your proceedings in the displaying of our banner, which being now spread, till it is closed again the course of our laws must give place to martial law; and before you close it up again, you must cause such dreadful execution upon a good number of inhabitants, hanging them on trees, quartering them, and setting their heads and quarters in every town, as shall be a fearful warning, whereby shall ensue the preservation of a great multitude... You shall send up to us the traitors Bigod, the friar of Knareborough, Leche, if he may be taken, the vicar of Penrith and Towneley, late chancellor to the bishop of Carlise, who has been a great promoter of these rebellions, the witch of York and one Dr. Pykering, a canon. You are to see to the lands and goods of such as shall now be attainted, that we may have them in safety, to be given, if we be so disposed, to those who have truly served us..."

"The witch of York"...could this be a contemporary reference to a woman who not only caused enough trouble to incite the wrath of Henry VIII but also transformed into Mother Shipton? Her legend grew and grew in the 1600s, in published almanacs: Ursula was born in a cave in 1488, the child of an orphan servant girl and an unknown father--perhaps Lucifer himself. She was singularly ugly, called "Devils Bastard" and "Hag-face." Nonetheless, Ursula married a builder named Toby Shipton and lived quietly with him, never prosecuted for witchcraft though regularly uttering prophecy. "Her stature," wrote her biographer, "was larger than common, her body crooked, her face frightful; but her understanding extraordinary." How much of this describes the same "witch of York" cited by Henry VIII is unknown.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

The fact that Mother Shipton's first known prediction concerned the fate of Cardinal Wolsey is significant. According to Wolsey's gentleman usher and later biographer, George Cavendish, Wolsey, near the end of his life, was disturbed by a prophecy heard. Cavendish wrote: " 'There is a saying, quoth he, 'that When this cow rideth the bull, then priest beware thy skull." According to Tudor-court interpretation, the cow was Anne Boleyn, who in her holding sway over Henry VIII and convincing him to divorce his queen to marry her, triggered the break with the Catholic Church. Mother Shipton was not attributed to this prophecy by Cavendish. But in the future, her soothsaying would intertwine with Wolsey's fate.

Belief in prophecy ran through every level of Tudor society. It reached a fever pitch during the dangerous 1530s, when queens and courtiers were beheaded, monasteries fell, and rebels were hanged from trees across the North of England. 

Many prophecies were used for political purposes. Uprisers against Henry VII said they were following the ancient sages. The rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace cried that Henry VIII was the ancient 'Mouldwarp,' a monster ruler foretold by Merlin who would be "cast down." Anthony Babington, who conspired to assassinate Elizabeth I, carried a prediction of Merlin's sayings. One popular prophecy during Elizabeth's time was "When HEMPE is soon, England's done." HEMPE was thought to stand for Henry-Edward-Mary-Philip-Elizabeth.  Madeleine Dodds in Political Prophecies in the Reign of Henry VIII wrote:  "Political prophecies tended to be invoked at a time of crisis, usually to demonstrate that some drastic change, either desired or already accomplished, had been foreseen by the sages of the past."

In the 1700 and 1800s, Mother Shipton's prophecies broadened to cataclysmic disasters, amazing inventions, and, of course, the end of the world. Stripped of politics, they were more potent than ever. Perhaps they filled a deep craving within to feel that everything happens by some design, even if it is drawn by an ancient mystic, sage or witch. We are all of us fulfilling an obscure and coded destiny.

It's a craving that we still see around us today. It just might be part of being human.

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Nancy Bilyeau is the author of the Tudor-era thriller The Crown, now on sale in North America, the United Kingdom and nine foreign markets. It was put on the short list for the Crime Writers' Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award for 2012.

The sequel, The Chalice, which goes on sale on Feb 28th, 2013 in the United Kingdom and March 5th, 2013 in North America, revolves around a deadly prophecy. And yes, Mother Shipton is part of the plot.

For more information, go to www.nancybilyeau.com

The Health of Mr. Gladstone.... and Privacy Issues

by Debra Brown

William Ewart Gladstone:Wikipedia Villafanuk {{PD}}

Mr. William Gladstone, of Scottish blood and born in Liverpool, served four times as Prime Minister of England and was the leading statesman of the century--though he was disliked by Queen Victoria. She once complained about Gladstone, "He always addresses me as if I were a public meeting." He entered politics as a Tory, but became the leader of the Liberal party. He focused on reforms which were to reduce the power of privilege and opened certain institutions such as the military and civil service up to the common man. He doggedly pursued the vote for working class men, and added about six million to the ranks of Parliamentary voters.

As a young man in 1832 he was recruited by the Duke of Newcastle and voted into Parliament as a Conservative. At the time he opposed the abolition of slavery and factory legislation. In 1833 he entered Lincoln's Inn to become a barrister, though he continued also in Parliament. He gave up the career direction of barrister in 1839.

Gladstone married Catherine Glynne that same year. His marriage was happy, and he and Catherine had eight children. Catherine was not interested in entertaining as a politician's wife was expected to do, and at age thirty-three his daughter Mary, for the most part, took over the role of hostess. Mary was politically minded, and some saw her as a way to reach her father.

Gladstone walked the streets of London beginning in 1840 and even decades later as Prime Minister trying to talk prostitutes into giving up their careers. He offered them shelter and a way to make another life. As a result, some questioned his sanity or because he would enter their houses, even his motives.

During his first term as PM, Gladstone became very interested in "the Irish question", and he worked toward improving conditions for the Irish peasantry. Though it was considered to be quite radical, he worked toward Irish "home rule" on into the later part of the century.

His nemesis was Benjamin Disraeli, who was the other leading politician of the time, and who was in Victoria's favor. They intensely disliked each other and fought each other's policies--Gladstone being effective in his efforts. When Disraeli died, Gladstone refused to attend his funeral. Despite such controversial ways, he remained popular with the voters and continued to be returned to power.

He resigned as Prime Minister for the last time in March 1894 and left Parliament in 1895. There is much more to be said about those 60 years in public service, but for now... I thought I might pry into personal matters of his health as this blog is media and that is what media is wont to do.

Gladstone lost a finger in an accident with a gun in 1842.

He was obsessed with physical fitness and to that end would fell trees with an axe.

In 1892 William Stead wrote that: "Mr. Gladstone ... must somewhere have discovered the elixir of life or have been bathed by some beneficent fairy in the well of perpetual youth. Gladly would many a man of fifty exchange physique with this hale and hearty octogenarian. Only in one respect does he show any trace of advancing years. His hearing is not quite so good as it was, but still it is far better than that of Cardinal Manning, who became very deaf in the closing years. Otherwise Mr. Gladstone is hale and hearty. His eye is not dim, neither is his natural force abated...."

On Friday, December 11, 1896, the Daily Graphic printed an article:

The Health of Mr. Gladstone
Some uneasiness has been felt owing to the reported indisposition of Mr. Gladstone during the week, but the authentic facts are of a reassuring character. On the early morning of Thursday, December 3rd, after a rather longer walk than usual on the previous damp and chilly afternoon, Mr. Gladstone felt some oppression of the chest and difficulty in drawing a deep breath, which disturbed his usually tranquil sleep. These symptoms, however, passed off the next day under very slight treatment, and on the afternoons of Friday and Saturday he felt well. On the Sunday evening, which was very wet, he drove to church in a close carriage. During the night he had a return of the uneasiness with some disturbance of sleep, but to a lesser degree. A careful examination of the chest disclosed nothing wrong beyond a few dry crepitations. The heart sounds were free from bruit and under simple remedies he has practically been restored to good health. There has been no angina, and the symptoms appear to have been due to chill of the intercostal muscles. Mr. Gladstone is strongly advised by Dr. Dobie to go to Cannes after Christmas. -British Medical Journal

Apparently, privacy issues were not what they are today and quite intimate details could be shared. It sounds like the journal practically had a copy of the patient's chart! He went on to live till 19 May 1898, nearly a year and a half longer, when finally his heart gave out. Or, as a different source states, he died of cancer.

After his death, his son opened a letter Gladstone had written that stated: "With reference to rumours which I believe were at one time afloat, though I know not with what degree of currency: and also with reference to the times when I shall not be here to answer for myself, I desire to record my solemn declaration and assurance, as in the sight of God and before His Judgment Seat, that at no period of my life have I been guilty of the act which is known as that of infidelity to the marriage bed."

This was no doubt written for those who questioned his morals in the matter of the prostitutes.


Debra Brown is the author of a Victorian novel, The Companion of Lady Holmeshire, now available as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible.com and iTunes (should you be traveling in the next few days), a paperback or a Kindle ebook on Amazon. For further information about Debra's books, see her website.

The Making of a Medieval Queen

by Anne O'Brien

Or How to Throw a Party in Lent ...

On the day that Katherine de Valois was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey on 23rd February 1421, her husband of nine months, Henry V, was not present at the ceremony or the resulting festivities.  It is suggested that he absented himself in order not to detract from the new Queen's glory.  That his time was too valuable to waste on such 'junketings', or that it was not tradition for the King to attend the coronation of the Queen.  Or even that his initial affection for her had cooled.  Whatever the truth of it, I imagine that Katherine might have valued his company at such heavy ceremonial.  She was neglected as a child, raised for much of her young life in the convent at Poissy, and her command of English or any language other than French was not very good.

 We know that Katherine rode through the streets of London which were hung with cloth of gold, silks and velvets.  The crowning by Archbishop Chichele was 'performed with such magnificence that the like had never been seen at any coronation since the time of the noble knight Arthur, King of the English.'

It was a very popular marriage and a splendid occasion.

After the ceremony there came the coronation feast, which was so notable that we have the complete menu for three vast courses.  Since it was Lent, fish was definitely the order of the day:

pike in herbiage

eeles in burneax

lamprie fresh baked

smelts fried

fresh sturgeon with welks

cervisse de eau doure

eeles roasted with lamprie

pearch with goion

carp de ore

and so on, with a vast array of trout, plaice, whiting, crabs, sole, halibut, salmon and lobster.

There were two interesting exceptions to the fish:
Roasted porpoise was served, which since it lived in water was frequently considered to be 'fish' as were beaver and water birds (which were not on the menu on this occasion.)
Also brawn, which is a traditional, classic, British dish cooked from the meat of a pig's head, trotters and other parts of porcine offal.
I think I would stick with the fish!

At the end of each course there was a superb subtlety produced for the admiration of all, full of political symbolism for the marriage and heraldic meaning, made of pastry and sugar and marzipan:
- a pelican sitting on her nest with St. Catherine (Katherine's own saint) holding a book in her hand.
- a panther and St. Catherine with her terrible wheel and holding a scroll of poetry.
- St. Catherine with angels.
- a tiger with a mirror, and an armed man on horseback holding the tiger's cub.
They must have been wonderful to see.

What did Katherine think of all this?  What did she wear for the occasion?  Sadly we do not know either her thoughts or her appearance.  We have no indication of Katherine's sentiments on any aspects of her life until the final months when on entering Bermondsey Abbey she comments on her state of health, and The Pageant of the Birth, Life and Death of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick K.G. 1389-1439 which is always a valuable source does not include an illustration of Katherine's coronation.   But if it was anything like her marriage, she wore an ermine trimmed gown and mantle and a eye-catching necklace.

I doubt that Katherine's experience as Queen of England was a stimulating one, but the fishy coronation feast was obviously a memorable occasion.

The illustrations here have no connection to Katherine's coronation or feast but are merely illustrations of medieval feasts, and lovely for that.

My novel The Forbidden Queen, Katherine's story, will be released in March 2013
To keep up to date with all happenings, do visit my website, FB page and Blog:

www.anneobrienbooks.com
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GIVEAWAY: HEYERWOOD: A Novel

This week's giveaway is a signed, hardbound copy of HEYERWOOD: A Novel by Lauren Gilbert.  For more information about the novel, please go HERE: http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

To enter, just leave a comment  below  for a chance to win!  This giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, 12/23/2012.  Good luck!