Upon My Word! is a glimpse into the Regency for fans of the period, readers and writers. Each month's issue will have interesting tidbits in three venues: facts, fashion and figures. I will share my own articles, but also cite original sources, and I hope to feature many guest columnists. Please create a folder on your desktop or elsewhere in your hard drive and save each issue. You may want them for future reference. _________________________________________________________ This Issue: From Linore: Regarding, the “Debutante Issue” Featured Figure of the Month: The “Beau” (Brummell)
Fashion: Frills and Foibles. The problem with Muslin! Facts: Debt and Debtor's prisons Freebie Of the Month ___________________________________________________________
From Linore:
Welcome to the “Debutante” Issue of “Upon My Word!” (What? It should be, “debut” issue? Please! This is a Regency Newsletter!) :0)
Joking aside, I am very happy to be launching the newsletter this month. I'm experimenting with various tools and means of creating it for you, so don't be surprised if next month's product doesn't look the same as this one. Please let me know what you think of this first issue, though! Send your thoughts to admin@LinoreRoseBurkard.com Enjoy!
Featured Guest of the Month: George Bryan Brummell (“The Beau”) by Linore Rose Burkard
George Bryan Brummell (June7,1778-March 30,1840) better known as Beau Brummell, reigned long enough over the fashionable elite of Regency England to be remembered forever as the one man responsible for bringing the modern man's dark suit into being. He has claims to our sympathy, but the last words he probably ever spoke in the Prince Regent's hearing were, “Alvanley, who's your fat friend?” It was a dig at the corpulent Prince and hit its mark—they never spoke again. Once good friends, the Prince had given the beau the “cut direct”--ignoring him completely after addressing Alvanley. Brummell, humiliated and angry, made the famous remark which has survived long after his demise. I believe it is a fitting epigraph: Beau Brummell was entirely too sure of himself for his own good.
I love the above engraving (made after a miniature) for the way it shows the cocky attitude that was eventually his undoing.[Note:The picture would not copy to the website newsletter. To see the pdf version with the picture and other formatting, check back soon for a link, or email me and I'll send it to you.] Not only did Brummell succeed in permanently alienating himself from the Prince, one of the most powerful personas of the day—but he ended up, not too many years afterwards, living in squalor as an exile in France. Sad. Despite his arrogance, Beau Brummell was largely harmless, except to himself. He was fastidious to the point of dandyism, self-centered and self-absorbed; but he did much to tone down the clothing of the upper classes from the flamboyance of the previous century. He reigned supreme in the art of tying the cravat, and was said to spend up to 5 hours in dressing. Even the Prince (before their falling out) attended one of the beau's “dressings” while the latter went through piles of textile in pursuit of the perfectly tied neck cloth. His valet referred to the heap of discarded cloths as “our failures.” Brummell influenced the trend for meticulously fitted clothing and I have to think that nothing would make the beau roll over in the proverbial grave like a good glimpse of men in today's baggy T-shirts and jeans! (Or women, for that matter.)
Why did he flee London for Paris? To escape debtor's prison. Brummell claimed many friends among the upper classes but even these allies could not continually keep him out of the duns. After all, they frequented the same men's clubs and spent time at the same gaming tables—they too, lost money and lots of them were often strapped for cash themselves. Nearly all men of the upper classes gambled and a good portion of them were ruined as a result.
The Prince was capable of losing money at the tables—mostly his own—and he was in debt for most of his life, not primarily from gaming, but because of his enormous expenditures and tastes for luxuries. Part of the beau's problem was that, like so many others of his day, he was an addicted gambler. Neither sense or stark financial facts kept him from participating at the tables, and pride probably often necessitated it. In addition, it simply cost a great deal to live in the style that was considered “fashionable.” Unlike his blue-blooded friends, he had no landed family estate providing income, so he was actuallydoomed quite early on. The town home which he had taken great pains to appoint in “the first order of elegance,” was abandoned to the creditors and he fled like a hunted fox to France. So much for sartorial elegance. Still, there's something undeniably appealing about the Beau, making him a staple in most Regency Romances. Perhaps it is the idea of his rise to stardom in an age that has rarely been paralleled for its snobbery and closed doors. When he entered society, Brummell had a fortune of 30,000 pounds. It was his entire inheritance, and he set about positioning himself as a part of fashionable society. He was accepted into the “Carlton House set” (the Prince's closest circle of friends) and rose widely to fame on the tails of his faultless sense of style. As noted earlier, however, his star became meteoric, spiraling downwards and landing with an unearthly thud in poverty in Paris. It makes one shudder to think of the fastidious Beau in such surroundings. Small irony for an age, however, that boasted enormous splendor (in the upper classes) and the filthiest of living conditions for multitudes of people, including unbelievable numbers of street children. Ah, the Regency. The time of “elegant madness”, Jane Austen, Napoleon, pleasure gardens and servants in livery; King George gone mad (did he? We'll explore that question in the next issue of “Upon My Word!”), and Almack's....The Regency is all of this and more...You've got to love it!
Copyright Linore Rose Burkard 2006 ___________________________________________________________ Fashion: Here's a tidbit.
Regency clothing for women was often woefully inadequate for such things as wind and weather. The favored textile for gowns was muslin, one of the thinnest cottons available, and yet many women wore it year-round. In addition, rather than appearing in less than fashionable attire, they would go all winter without an adequate over-garment; a publication I read once described English ladies in winter “dropping dead by the dozens!” Probably an exaggeration, but you get the point. (Upon My Word!) ___________________________________________________________ Facts:
Ever think that debt is only a symptom of modern living? Debt is as old as the hills, and Regency England saw more than its fair share of it. In defense of Brummell, read on:
“Debt was widespread, galling, and often catastrophic in its effects in the nineteenth century....It was also remarkably easy to get into debt or go bankrupt.” *
In reading "The Worst Poverty: A History of Debt and Debtors," it becomes clear that today's credit cards have merely taken the place of personal credit, which in the past was extended by your tradesmen and shopkeepers because they knew you. Then, as now, it took a strong will and determination not to incur debt; The Duke of Wellington was one who managed to avoid it, saying, “I make a point to pay my own bills and I advise every one to do the same...It (debt) makes a slave of a man...”**
The same book goes on to detail how crowded debtor's prisons often were, and that for this reason there was a great cry for more prisons to be built. 1816 was a year when one small such establishment claimed to be housing 116 individuals, in cramped quarters, making some wonder whether they might be better off in the hands of their creditors. (Upon My Word!) _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Freebie!! Now, don't anyone take this personally. I went through my files to see what I could offer and I came across this neat little introductory ebook about “Being a Good Dad.” I happen to have made peace with my own Dad and I love him to pieces—he's really a great guy! He's a pleasure to know and unbeatable at playing with grandchildren. (I wish we could see him and my Mom more, but they live in southern VA and we are in western Ohio.)
Anyway, here's the blurb about the freebie from its author, David Perdew. (Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'll let HIM tell you about it—he wrote it!) "Who can benefit from Bad Dad: 10 Keys to Regaining Trust?” Any parent - new or old, with children from newborn to 25 years old - will be relieved to have read this ebook. It chronicles the experience of one father who managed to turn his doomed relationships around with estranged children to create loving and respectful bonds.
This Bad Dad learned the hard way that separation from your children is NOT a matter of physical distance. And that it's never too late to rebuild relationships with the most important people in your lives. The 10 keys in Bad Dad: 10 Keys to Regaining Trust will help you build better bonds with your kids (and spouse) no matter what state they're in now."
I think all parents will find this interesting. If, by chance, you don't like this sort of ebook, please let me know by email, and I promise I will give you something else in its place for free. (This offer is for subscribers only, sorry. If you're not already subscribed, please just use the subscribe box on this page to become one!)
I write inspirational fiction out of a desire to entertain, but also to help people, and I saw this little freebie as a possible way of increasing the flow of that help...and to appeal to the men on the list since many of you will not read my book. (I know—it has a “chick” book look, and its a romance....but hey, what are you guys afraid of, anyway? A MAN gave my book a five star review on BarnesandNoble.com! And other men have told me they LOVED it. They were pleasantly surprised. If you are a guy reading this, be BRAVE and try it! lol) Get it here: http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com
Okay, now I'll shut up and here's the link: (cut and paste into your browser if the window doesn't open when you click) http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/Jan_Freebie_Dad.html_________ Enjoy! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What I may add to upcoming issues are:
***Jane Austen—a monthly look at something concerning this singular young woman—or at least a quote from her writings.
***Dictionary—No boring lists of words, here. I'll just grab a good Regency word, and “discuss” it.
***A Look at the Royals (of the day) Brief but eye-opening.
***History—We'll take a dip here and there throughout the years of the Regency;
***Diversions –from balls to card parties to parlour games.
***What else? Drop me a line and let me know what YOU would like to see included here, either as a feature or just a quick spotlight. Anything of the Regency goes. And don't be shy—your opinion matters to me!
***Updates—on my book series, The Regency Light Chronicles. (What? Have you not heard of it? I call it, “Inspirational Romance for Today's Woman.”) Forget about the formula plots you've probably long given up on reading—so have I! My books are fresh and, well—since this is MY newsletter, let me divulge and say, just pop on over to the home page of this site and see the great stuff readers have said about my first book in the series! It's not the same old, same old Regency you've seen in the past, I can assure you of that. I'm also running a special so if you're thinking of getting the book, NOW is an excellent time! Take a look!
Well, th-th-th-that's all folks! (Please read through the end for other news) See you next month!
Linore
“Upon My Word” is a monthly ezine. If you received this issue from a friend, you can subscribe by going to www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com and scrolling down to the sign-up box. Subscription is free—(for now) and all new subscribers receive a FREE downloadable product! You may forward this newsletter to anyone you like provided you forward it in its entirety—nothing may be deleted or left out. If you would like to use only a portion of the contents, please contact Linore at admin@LinoreRoseBurkard.com before doing so.
This newsletter is copyrighted according to law and all rights are reserved, except as stated above..
About Linore Rose Burkard: Linore is a Regency Romance writer, and has the distinction of being the first author in the genre to pen a specifically Inspirational Regency. Her first book, Before the Season Ends has garnered five star reviews and inspired the series, The Regency Light Chronicles. The second book in the series is projected to be out in the spring of 2006. For more information about Linore or her books, go to www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com
For information on Linore's ebook Christmas At Carlton House: Celebrating the Season in Regency Style go here: http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/btse_christmasbook_orders_info.html
For January's web “Deal of the Month” go here: http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/healthandbeauty.html This one's for the ladies!
To get a copy of the Daily Readings Desktop Bible that Linore uses, go here: http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/upon_my_word.html
copyright 2006 Linore Rose Burkard PO Box 674 Waynesville, Ohio 45068
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References: *Pool, Daniel What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew:From Fox Hunting to Whist—the Facts of Daily Life in 19th-Century England Simon & Schuster 1993 pp. 95, 96
**Barty-King, Hugh The Worst Poverty: A History of Debt and Debtors Sutton Publishing Limited, Great Britain 1997. p. 82
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
