So when and what is the Georgian Period, anyway?
The full Georgian period ran from 1714-1837 and is named for four successive Kings named George (George I, George II, George III and George IV) who were also electors/princes of a region of Germany known as Hanover. Georgian England is one of my favorite settings for Historical Romance. Why? Because, one, public morality was not as strictly enforced as in the Victorian era (allowing authors to include racy shenanigans), two, the Dukes and Earls that tend to populate historical novels held great political power and yet most were educated in the ways of the enlightenment, and, three, fashion was at a flamboyant high.
Hold on a minute! How did England come to be ruled by a succession of “German Georges”?
The Journey begins in the seventeenth century with the House of Stuart. In 1649, Charles I, who believed in the divine right of kings, lost his fight against the armies of the English and Scottish Parliaments and was beheaded. Important to the succession story is Charles’ sister, Elizabeth Stuart who married Frederick V, Count Palatine of the Rhine. But back to England for a moment–following a period known as the Interregnum, Parliament restored Charles I’s son, Charles II to the throne. Charles II died without issue, and his brother James II & VII was crowned. By his first wife, English protestant Anne Hyde, James had two daughters, Mary and Anne. Then, Anne Hyde died and James II & VII married the devoutly catholic Mary of Modena. When Mary of Modena produced a male heir (James, later known as The Pretender), Parliament feared a loss of power and return to Catholicism. With the help Dutch armies loyal to Mary’s husband William III of Orange, Parliament forced James II & VII to flee to France. Parliament jointly crowned William and Mary II, but they died without issue and then the crown went to Mary’s sister Anne. None of Anne’s 17 pregnancies resulted in a surviving heir, so Parliament sorted through the remnants of the Stuart family tree in search of a protestant heir. In 1701 the Act of Settlement declared the heir presumptive to be Sophia of Hanover, daughter of Elizabeth Stuart (Remember her—sister to Charles I?). Sophia died a few weeks before Anne, and her son George became both heir presumptive to the English throne and, through his father’s line, ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover).
Got it. But what happened to James and his heirs?
Well, James and his heirs did not go gently. Their supporters, called Jacobites (from Jacobus, the Latinised form of James) believed that Parliament had no right to interfere with the line of succession. Several wars were fought, the two largest in 1715 (on behalf of James, The Pretender) and 1744 (on behalf The Pretender’s son, Charles, known as Bonny Prince Charlie). The 1744 uprising ended in April 16, 1746 at the Battle of Culloden and in the fallout, the Clan system of Scotland was abolished and the Jacobite cause was abandoned (officially anyway–I’m sure the upcoming post on Scottish post will provide a clearer picture).
Phew, that was a lot of information. How does this all apply to Georgian **Romance**?
Ah. Good point. Well, the deposition of James II & VII known as the Glorious Revolution resulted in limited monarchy an increase in Parliament’s power, specifically the power of the Whig party. The Whig party began a domination of government that lasted until George III. This may sound dry, but it is heartbeat of Georgian Romance. The constant political maneuvering among the aristocracy meant that social clout=political power. Answering the correct invitations, displaying the informed slant of your education & belief system in places such as clubs, societies and literary salons and making an important marriage of alliance became essential rungs in the ladder if influence. Love could (and did) put everything at risk.
Ooh, sounds like that could lead to some interesting plots. Did I hear you mention literary salons? What did the Georgians read?
In 1695 the Licensing Act lapsed. Government censorship before publication ended and pamphlet, newspaper and book publishing proliferated. Of special entertainment value are the ‘how to’ books that provided instruction on anything, even how to write a love letter. If you could not read, prints made from engravings allowed you to become acquainted with the hot topics of the day. For a quick education on daily life in early Georgian London, google William Hogarth, and you’ll find a visual chronicle of life in Georgian London that includes everything from political satire to warnings about the ruinous effects of Gin.
The 18th century was also the height of the period known as the enlightenment, an intellectual movement that emphasized reason and individualism. This sea-change in thought informed not only science but architecture (Robert Adam), landscaping (Lancelot “Capability” Brown) and even a “new” form of literature known as the novel. Many early novelists were influenced by an Enlightenment idea that suggested knowledge grows from sensation, leading to the conclusion that those with more highly developed senses live with greater truth & understanding. This movement known as Sensibility and was followed by a subsequent backlash (think Marianne in Sense and Sensibility). Samuel Richardson’s novels Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded (1740) and Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (1748) are examples of novels of Sensibility and would certainly have graced the library of a Georgian heroine.
But what about the important stuff, like what they wore?
The dark clothes associated with menswear didn’t come into vogue until the influence of Beau Brummell in the 1790s; the mid-Georgian hero would have been colorfully dressed, with lace and stitching to show his wealth and status. The hair powder tax didn’t come around until 1795, so both sexes powdered their hair or wore powdered wigs. As the century wore on, woman’s hair design became more elaborate as well. On one occasion, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire wore her hair so high she is said to have had to travel sitting on the floor of her carriage. Among wealthy women, panniers were in fashion. They were hoops which extended the width of a woman’s skirts while leaving the front and back flat. While a woman may not have had direct political influence, those hoops certainly meant her presence could not be ignored!
Enough! This is getting to be too much information.
I know! I’ve worn myself out before even scratching the surface of this exciting time in history (I didn’t even get to Henry Feilding and his Bow Street Runners, Dr. Samuel Johnson and his dictionary, or the Duke of Bridgewater and his Canals). So, if you have a favorite element found in Georgian Romance, I invite you to comment & share. If you are new to the era and are intrigued, my favorite Georgian romances include anything by the brilliant Elizabeth Hoyt, Jo Beverley’s Malloren Series, and Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchess series. Also, if Georgian Pirates take your fancy, I recommend debut author Allison Delaine’s A Gentleman at Midnight.