Monday 8 April 2013

Research for My New Regency Novel

I plan to begin the sequel to my novel Sunday's Child which ends when Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from Elba.

My research will begin when re-reading Dancing into Battle A Social History of the Battle of Waterloo by Nick Foulkes.

I am browsing through a very large file of notes and cuttings about the period and intend to share some snippets from it. The first ones are from notes I made on Regency advertisements.

"Rowland's Essence of Tyre will produce a brown or black hue for hair."

"Anodyne Necklace - for use of children cutting teeth. Sugar plums for worms for children and grown up persons. Necklace 9 shillings. Sugar plums - box 2 shillings and eight pence."

"At Repositaire a la Mode. Dresses for Christmas balls for 12 shilings and swansdown muffs for 1 pound ten shilings."

"Need to learn the latest dances for the Christmas ball? Only 2 guineas a quarter at Mr Leiven's select Evening Academy.

(Unfortunately I did not note the source of these ads.)