A Small Glossary of Regency Terms
by Lisa M. Prysock
The Regency Time Period- In England/United Kingdom, the time period when King George III had been deemed unfit to rule and the Prince of Wales, his son, reigned in his stead as the Prince-Regent, from approximately 1811-1820. He became King George the IV when his father died.
Almack's- An exclusive club for both men and women of the social elite consisting of Assembly rooms for social gatherings where Wednesday night balls were held. A committee made decisions on who was admitted by granting vouchers which cost about ten guineas each.
Apothecary- Regency time period type of 'pharmacist' who dispensed herbs and powders for medicinal purposes.
Bath- Popular spa town in Somerset, England where the fashionable vacationed who enjoyed the natural springs, waters and Roman baths built there. Located in southwest England. Famous for the Royal Crescent. Many social parties, dances and theater parties were held at Bath.
Chemise- Ladies wore a thin short sleeved undergarment under their corset; sometimes called a shift.
Codicil- An addition made to a will
Conservatory- Indoor garden with a great many windows to allow sunlight
Cut- Pretending not to know or see a person was the act of giving someone the “cut.” It was a type of social disgrace.
Curricle- Small carriage usually made for only one or two people to ride in, pulled by one or two horses.
Corkbrained- Term used to describe someone as foolish, silly, light-headed, blockhead, numbskull, dunce, simpleton
Country Squire- Non-titled gentleman or owner of an estate who was accepted among the titled and landed gentry.
Dowager House- A house located on the property of some larger estates for the widow of deceased titled gentlemen. In this story, William's parents, the Duke and Duchess, have both died, but the aunt who raised him is preparing to move into the Dowager House. Had the Duchess lived and only the Duke died, she would have become, as his widow, the Dowager Duchess when her son inherited her deceased husband's title and married a bride of his own, who would then be granted the courtesy title of Duchess. The Dowager Duchess often lived in the Dowager House after these types of events, leaving the new Duchess the opportunity to learn her role in managing the household while the Dowager Duchess was able to retire in her own household, well taken care of, yet private from the main house.
Entail- During the Regency time period, an inheritance and a title could be entailed together. This was often done to preserve the family name. In this story, the Honorable Miss Alexandra Benningham's former home prior to living at the parish manse was not available for her to consider as a home of her own because it was entailed to a missing uncle who'd gone to America, the brother of her father, the vicar. Because there was hope that he might be found, Alexandra was at the mercy of Lady Dresden who allowed her to continue living at the manse after her father's death. If she had a brother, her father's former home could have been passed on to the vicar's son, even if he was second born after a daughter. A gentleman with only daughters might not have been able to will property to anyone who could not carry on the family name in the event of an entail, so the property might revert to a brother, nephew or cousin through the entail of the title or will of the deceased property owner. In this story, the William's ducal title was entailed, or attached, to two of his father's properties and his seat in the House of Lords, which indeed had passed along to him when his father died. The problem was that the other properties not entailed to the Duke's title were attached to the codicil of the will.
Footman- Servant or employee whose duties might include riding along on the back or top of the coach or carriage of the aristocracy to open carriage doors and steps, load and secure trunks and luggage, present calling cards to those his mistress called upon while she waited in the carriage. A footman ranked below the butler but above a page boy. A footman might serve food to guests at a party, be called upon to handle an errand or any other number of duties, such as trimming the wicks on lamps. It was considered proper to have footmen of tall stature or equal stature if hiring a pair. They usually dressed in fine livery uniforms.
Fortnight- Two weeks
Haberdasher- This person sells items used to sew such as thread, needles, ribbon....
In His Cups- phrase used to describe someone who had been drinking alcohol and might be drunk
Mayfair District- The most fashionable neighborhood in London.
Milliner- This person made ladies hats and sometimes other items
Pelisse- Regency ladies often wore a matching pelisse over their dresses. These were long, usually light weight outerwear, similar to a light coat.
Portmanteau- luggage satchel
Reticule- a drawstring purse for Ladies
Royal Pavilion- This famous seaside palace was transformed by the famed architect, John Nash, for the Prince Regent at the popular town of Brighton. The Prince Regent entertained his guests in the elegant assembly and dining rooms there. Young ladies liked to travel to Brighton because it was a military regiment town and many handsome officers could be found there.
Shilling- term for a British currency coin equal to one-twentieth of a pound or twelve pence; in Anglo-Saxon times, much earlier than the Regency it used to be about the amount of the cost of a cow or a sheep.
Slippers- Ladies often wore silk or satin slippers with their fine ball gowns and dresses during the Regency time period.
Spencer- Short waisted jacket for ladies to wear over their dresses for walking or being out of doors.
The Season- London's society season when Parliament opened from late January to early July. England's families came to London to present their daughters and debutantes in hopes of finding a favorable and profitable marriage. A whirl of social events took place during this time such as parties, balls, masquerades, theater parties, etc. It was often called the 'Marriage Mart.'
The Ton- a term used in reference to Britain's high society during the Georgian era or the Reign of King George the IV, to include the Regency time period.
About the Author
Lisa Prysock lives in scenic, rural Kentucky near many horse farms and rolling land. She is happily married to Robert, her husband of seventeen years. She homeschools their two youngest children, Aaron and Courtney. She has a son, Nick, in college and two stepdaughters, grown, Adrienne and Amanda. They have an English Cocker Spaniel named Miles Oliver and a cat, Tabitha.
Lisa has three sisters and two brothers. She spent part of her childhood growing up on a northern, Minnesota farm and has many happy memories from that time in her life. She also grew up in the Ohio Valley near her grandparents. Their ministry greatly impacted her life.
She is very active in her church and loves working with the children and youth. Some of her favorite activities include: spending time with family, sketching, reading, cross stitch, sewing, crochet, gardening, working out, swimming, walking, cooking and scrapbooking – when she is not writing. She loves to share her faith in Christ through her writing.
Don’t miss her debut novel “To Find a Duchess,” a Regency mail order bride story. Lisa is also the author of The Victorian Christian Heritage Series: “Hannah’s Garden,” (Volume I) and “Abigail’s Melody,” (Volume II).
A portion of the proceeds of her books go to support missionaries. You can find out more about Lisa at her author website and sign up to for her free newsletter, enjoy free devotionals and vintage recipes, find out when her next book is coming out and enjoy more free reader resources at www.LisaPrysock.com. She encourages and enjoys feedback in the form of reviews written by her readers (on the website where you purchased this book, your favorite retailer or at her author website).
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