A guide to Regency England for readers of classic literature or historical fiction set in the early 19th century.
England, as it was in the early 1800's, can sometimes be as confusing to a modern reader as travelling to a foreign country. Their clot...
"but again was Catherine disappointed in her hope of re-seeing her partner. He was nowhere to be met with; every search for him was equally unsuccessful, in morning lounges or evening assemblies; neither at the Upper nor Lower Rooms, at dressed or undressed balls, was he perceivable; nor among the walkers, the horsemen, or the curricle-drivers of the morning." [Chapter 5, Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen]
Fashionable parties and entertainments formed a large part of a lady or gentleman's social life and allowed them the opportunity to meet suitable candidates for matrimony. In London there was always a lot of interest in the events arranged by the upper classes for "The Season", but balls, parties and dinners were held throughout the year, all over the country.
In London, during the season, parties held by the ton were listed in the Fashionable World column of the Morning Post, which advertised upcoming events for the following week, as this example shows from 2nd May 1814.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Fashionable parties were just as popular in the rest of the country as they were in London. Society hostesses in town often sent hundreds of invitations, but in the country, the wives of the gentry and clergy lived in a much smaller social circle, and were limited in who they could invite, as Mrs Bennet highlighted in Pride and Prejudice:
"as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four and twenty families.'' Nothing but concern for Elizabeth could enable Bingley to keep his countenance. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eye towards Mr. Darcy with a very expressive smile." [Chapter 9, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen]
Mr Bingley and his sister thought Mrs Bennet's boast was funny because they were used to mixing with much larger groups of people.
Only those of the highest social standing could attend court and present their children to the King or Queen. Instead, many gentry families living in the countryside would mark their son or daughter's entry into society with a ball, to which all their neighbours would be invited.
During the winter, country dances or assemblies would be held on a night close to the full moon, allowing guests to travel in greater safety to and from the event. This was because the majority of the countryside had no street lighting of any kind.
Detailed below, and in the next post, are examples of the different types of fashionable entertainment where the host or hostess might send out invitations, or you could buy tickets to attend.
Assembly
"He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful!" [Chapter three, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen]
