Don’t Try This at Home: Common Cures for Ailments in the Regency
I’m returning to one of my favourite books today, Buchan’s Domestic Medicine. At the back of my 1809 copy is a British Family Herbal, containing details of all the items thought necessary for both domestic use and for private medical practice. I’ve made a selection of some that will be familiar to you and some […]
Who Wants a Glass of Water?
Today, I thought I’d take another look at Buchan’s Domestic Medicine. In my edition, there is a section that discusses mineral waters. Now, for anyone who is a fan of Regency novels there is often mention of ‘taking the waters’, and this was usually undertaken in Bath, a city still known today for its hot […]
Finding the Right Spot
A couple of weeks ago I made a trip to Falmouth in Cornwall; it was mainly for research purposes for my forthcoming book due out later this year, but I can’t deny that I also enjoyed my visit and it wasn’t all about work. It was sad to discover that, thanks to Covid restrictions, one […]
A Cure for Every Ill?
Having recently purchased one of the most popular domestic medical advice books of the Regency period – Buchan’s Domestic Medicine Modernized– I thought I’d look at a few common ailments and see how they were treated in the past. If you’re a bit squeamish, look away now! FeversAccording to Buchan, fevers are usually caused by […]
Wellington: Was his one failure the making of him?
I thought I’d write a little bit about a real-life Regency hero, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). From unpromising beginnings, Wellington rose to become one of the towering figures of the nineteenth century. His reputation for integrity and devotion to duty make him stand out in an age when these qualities were seldom […]
Will You Take the High Road? A Tour of Scotland
Regular readers of my blog may recall my article about John Byng, Viscount Torrington, an 18th century diarist who wrote about his travels round Britain. Well, in the Gentleman’s Magazine, I discovered yet another chap who enjoyed touring the country. Amongst the ecletic mix of articles in the July 1812 edition, one in particular caught […]
You’ve Got Mail: A look at the mail coach service
I’ve written before about the various ways in which mail got delivered in the past, specifically the packet ships . Now I’m looking at the mail coach service and John Palmer (1742-1818), the mail coach pioneer. John Palmer was born in Bath to a family of wealthy brewers. As well as the brewery business, his […]
Learning the Drill:The Good Soldier, Part 3
Here is my third and final post about Sir John Moore’s system of training. Today, I’m looking at drill. Drill was an important feature of a soldier’s training. Recruits were initially taught this on an individual basis, then as they progressed, they were taught in squads, then companies and battalions. Starting with close order drill, […]
The Good Soldier: Part 2
My previous post about Sir John Moore’s system of training officers and soldiers at his training camp at Shorncliffe in Kent concerned some of the practicalities of of life, such as dress, cleanliness, and discipline. But Sir John believed that every aspect of a soldier’s life should be regulated and that, with training and application, […]