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Glossary of Regency Terms:
Almack's:
Assembly rooms on King Street in London. Private, very exclusive, by
invitation only, balls were held there each Wednesday night of the
Season.
Apoplexy:
A stroke.
Barouche:
A four-wheeled carriage with two seats which faced each other.
Batman:
An orderly assigned to a military officer.
Bluestocking:
A woman with intellectual and literary interests, normally used in
unflattering tones of voice. Bow Street Runner: The early-day version of the metropolitan police before the time of
Chariot: A small, privately owned carriage, similar to the rented post chaise.
Curricle: A fashionable open-air two-wheeled sporting vehicle designed for a pair of horses and seating for two
Cut direct: A public snub which could socially ruin a person, if the cut came from someone important enough.
Demi-monde: Literally "half world"; a class beneath proper Society. Generally used to refer to those of questionable reputation.
Hackney: A coach for hire like a modern day taxi-cab.
Hell (ie gaming hell): A gambling establishment.
Jarvey: The driver of a hackney coach.
Jointure: A financial provision for a widow, negotiated before the marriage
Phaeton: A fashionable open-air four-wheeled sporting vehicle with seating for two, popular with young gentlemen.
Pianoforte: An early version of the piano, developed in about 1730. Keyboard instruments prior to that time could be played with precision but without variation of volume such as the harpsichord. The pianoforte allowed the player to vary the volume by striking the keys softer or harder.
Post Chaise: A carriage pulled by two to four horses, hired by those wishing to travel privately, rather than on a public conveyance like a stage coach or mail coach, and normally hired for long distances.
Rake: A young man of questionable morals, ie a womanizer or a playboy.
Rout: A big party, typically without cards, music, or dancing.
Season : The social "Season" is generally began early spring and lasted until the end of June, coinciding with sessions of Parliament.
Special License: A license obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury or his office in Doctor's Commons in London, that granted the right to marry at any convenient time or
place without
having to first post the banns.
Tiger: A liveried groom who cares for the horses when his master ascended to or descended from the seat, and sometimes exercised the horses while his master temporarily left the vehicle.
Titles: The British peerage, in order of precedence is: duke/duchess, marquess(an earlier spelling was marquis)/marchioness, earl/countess, viscount/viscountess, baron/baroness. The next two ranks, baronet and knight, are not peers.
Ton: The Fashionable Society, from the French word bon ton, meaning good form, ie 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). The peerage were always included in the ton. |