The “Regency” is the era in England when Parliament declared King George III “mad” and unfit to rule, naming the Prince of Wales as Regent 1811, hence the term Regency. The Regency era ended in 1820 when George III died and his son, Prince George became King George IV.

However, there is also an expanded Regency style that spans from the beginning of the century until Queen Victoria took the throne. This expanded Regency era is marked by classical influences and elegant designs. The books written by Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen have made it famous. When people think of Regency, they often think of books and movies such as Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and most of all, Pride and Prejudice. The Regency has its own terminology with which the modern reader may not be familiar. The following are a few terms I often use in my books that bear explanation.

Abigail: A lady’s maid, one of the most prestigious positions for a household servant. Her duties are to care for her lady’s every bathing grooming and dressing need, including brushing her outer clothing and seeing to it that her underclothing is laundered.

Almack’s: Assembly rooms on King Street in London where exclusive subscription balls were held each Wednesday night of the Season. Only young ladies of good breeding deemed worthy by Almack’s patronesses were awarded vouchers to entrance. Although, reportedly the patronesses weren’t as particular when it came to awarding admittance to gentlemen since, as in most balls, ladies usually outnumbered gentlemen.

Apoplexy: A stroke.

Banns: A public announcement in church of a proposed marriage. The banns were posted on the parish church and read aloud during church service, following the reading of the second lesson, for three consecutive Sundays, with a query as to whether anyone knew of any reason why the couple should not wed. This was done in the parish of both the bride and groom. Once the banns were read three times, without objection, the cleric issued a certificate allowing the couple to marry. These marriages had to take place at one of their parish churches and be performed before noon. Because reading the banns did not require purchasing a marriage certificate, the lower classes preferred this method, although some had the banns called out of family tradition.

Barrister: Trained in one of the four Inns of Court and then for two years under a practicing barrister, they presented cases in court, usually only addressing judges, not juries, and not even clients; they relied on their solicitors to give them all the important information. Barristers were gentlemen and therefore were accepted in high society.

Bluestocking: A woman with unfashionably intellectual and literary interests, often with a scientific bent.

Bow Street Runner: (See more info below) The forerunner of the metropolitan police that became known as Scotland Yard, the Bow Street Runners were established in the mid-18th century by the magistrate of the Bow Street court, Henry Fielding. They investigated and gathered evidence in a way law enforcers had not done up to this point. They could also be hired for special cases outside their jurisdiction.

Cit: a derogatory term for a member of the merchant class in London.

Chit: an unflattering term for a girl or young lady 

Cut direct: A deliberate, public snub; “she gave him the cut direct”, also called cut dead, as in “she cut me dead.”

Demi-monde: Literally “half-world”; a class on the fringes of respectable society but most often referred to as courtesans, prostitutes, etc.

Dowager: The widow of a peer, e.g. the Dowager Countess of Placename. The term was not added to a woman’s title until the new holder of the title married. This differentiated her from the wife of the new peer. The term also sometimes refers informally–and disparagingly–to an older woman of the upper classes.

Entail: An inheritance of real property which cannot be sold by the owner but which passes by law to the owner’s heir upon his death. The purpose of an entail was to keep the land of a family intact in the main line of succession. The heir to an entailed estate could not sell the land, or bequeath it to anyone but his direct heir.

Guinea: A gold coin worth 21 shillings.

Hell (ie gaming hell): A gambling establishment, less respectable than the elite gentlemen’s clubs which also provided many opportunities for gambling and betting.

Jarvey: The driver of a hackney coach or cab in London.

Jointure: A financial provision for a widow. Typically the amount is negotiated based on the portion she brought to the marriage and is generally established as part of the marriage settlement.

Laudanum: A tincture made with a mixture of brandy and opium used to control pain or as a sleeping aid.

Mayfair: A desirable residential neighborhood in Regency London.

Modiste: A lady’s dressmaker who was usually French or pretended to be.

Pianoforte: An early version of the piano developed about 1730. Unlike the harpsichord, it could be played softly (piano) or loudly (forte). The full term was gravicèmbalo col piano e forte (literally harpsichord with soft and loud).

Pelisse:  A lightweight, full-length coat worn over a gown to protect it from dirt and soot while providing an extra layer against the chill.

Rake:  A dissolute person who indulges in excessive drinking, gambling, and debauchery.  Often rake is often–but incorrectly–used interchangeably with “playboy” or “womanizer.”

Redingote: A full-length coat worn to keep warm and also to protect a gown from dirt and soot.

Rout: A crowded party with no place to sit and barely room to stand.

Season: The social “Season” began in early spring and lasted until the end of June. The Season typically followed the sitting of Parliament.

Special license: A license obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury granting the right to marry at any convenient time or place. Only men of influence could obtain one. They were valid for 3 months. Without a special license, marriages could only take place between 8:00 a.m. and noon in a parish in which one of the parties has resided for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Solicitor: A man of law lower on the social class than a barrister because he interacted with clients, gathered information, and took money. Solicitors also drew up deeds, wills, and contracts, and did the preliminary work for a barrister. Some solicitors specialized as a landowner’s “man of business” who saw to their financial affairs and managed their expenses. Men became solicitors by training at the Inns of Chancery and then apprenticing for about 7 years.

Tiger: A liveried groom, generally small and young, who managed the horses when his master ascended to or descended from the seat, and sometimes took the reins to exercise the horses while his master temporarily left the vehicle. An owner-driven curricle or phaeton typically had a groom’s seat between the springs on which the tiger sat. The tiger wore an orange and black striped waistcoat which is what gave them their nickname. A small, light tiger was preferred in order to maintain the proper balance. In fact, it was something of a status symbol to have the smallest possible tiger.

Ton: Fashionable Society, from the French bon ton, meaning good form, i.e. good manners, good breeding, etc. A person could be a member of the ton, attend ton events, or be said to have good ton (or bad ton).

Walking Dress: An ensemble ladies wore for walking, usually including a gown with a wider and shorter skirt for freedom of movement and a redingote or a pelisse to protect the gown from dirt and soot.