A snippet into the History of Utensils in Europe

Ever wonder the origin of what you’re

sticking in your mouth?

The likelihood is that you haven’t and I can’t blame you in your ignorance – it’s truthfully not the most fascinating subject, but I think it’s still rather interesting.

The first fork was brought back to England by a fellow called Thomas Coryate from his travels to Italy in 1608. The English laughed off the fork at first, rumoured to have claimed, "Why should a person need a fork when God had given him hands?".  Still, the reluctant-towards-change English upper-class soon adopted the fork into their dinning ritual. They actually became prized possessions made of expensive materials intended to impress guests. They quickly became dining luxuries and thus markers of social status and sophistication among nobles.

“I say, what a grand device you have here, Lord Pettlebottom. I must acquire one! I will be envy of every gentleman in the district to hold one made of gold!”

The English to me have always liked to show off; grander is better, appeared to be the case in most instances. It looked as if their cutlery was no exception.

Small, slender-handled forks with two tines were generally used for desserts or sweet, sticky foods. Like the foods with berries and such which were likely to stain ones fingers.

Dinner or meat forks were modelled after general kitchen forks with two fairly long and widely spaced tines ensuring that meat would not twist while being cut. However it became rather annoying as small pieces of food regularly fell through the tines and could land in ones lap. Hardly classy, no matter how pretty the fork. Therefore later that century, larger forks with four curved tines were developed. The additional tines made diners less likely to drop food, and the curved tines served as a scoop so people didn’t have to constantly switch to a spoon while eating. What a bother that would have been!

Knives, as I am sure will be little surprise to most of you, had been used as weapons, tools, and eating utensils since prehistoric times. However, it was only in fairly recent times that knives have been designed specifically for table use. Apparently, hosts did not provide cutlery for their guests during the Middle Ages in Europe. Most people carried their own knives in sheaths attached to their belts. These knives were long and narrow with sharply pointed ends used to spear food and then raise it to one's mouth. Yum, yum!

However, long after knives were adopted for table use, they continued to be used as weapons. In other words, the multi-purpose nature of the knife always posed the conceivable threat of danger at the dinner table. I’m sure all of us can attest to sitting at a business dinner and feeling a knife or two etched with our names in it.

Nevertheless, once forks began to gain popular acceptance, (forks being more efficient for spearing food), there was no longer any need for a pointed tip at the end of a dinner knife. In my research it made me chuckle to read that in 1669, King Louis XIV of France decreed all pointed knives on the street or the dinner table illegal, and he had all knife points ground down like those to the right in order to reduce violence. I wonder how many knives had his name on them?

While the above is only a small snippet into the shiny things beside our dinner plates, I wonder how many of you will peer around your dinner table tonight. Hopefully your guests or family don’t hold any ill will your way.

Be kind to each other....

Danielle. XXOO

Danielle can be contacted on her Facebook and Twitter accounts or alternatively comment below.

References: The History of Eating Utensils

The Society of Thames Mudlarks

 

A few years ago...okay twelve years ago I married my high-school sweetheart. And after much begging, cajoling and in the end telling, we went to London England for our honeymoon. I’d always wanted to go, because who wouldn’t (my husband for one) and enjoyed every second while we were there. I’ve now created a monster (said husband) who’s the one always saying ‘we should go...’ and it’s me who now has to say ‘no!' All very funny but not really relevant to my post today...or is it?

While in England we did a tour with Trafalgar. Wonderful company and great tour guides. As they bussed us around the capital our noses plastered to the windows a story of a group of people made my ears prick up and take note. Not that I wasn’t already listening to the tour guide beacuae I was. During our stay there I soaked up every aspect of London and imprinted it on my brain permanently. I just love the place.

But, back to the tour guide who was explaining a group of people called Mudlarks who once searched the banks of the Thames at low tide. Just another name which means a beachcomber who searches the mud at low tide for anything of value. I wanted to be one of them. Just the thought of digging in mud and maybe finding some lost treasure hundreds of years old sent my blood to...okay I’m starting to sound like a romance writer. But let’s just say I was excited. The tour guide went on to say that only a few permits were allowed each year and that they were a well sought after article. I could only agree, as I now wanted one, even though I lived in Australia.

 

 

Eventually we went home and continued on with our lives until one day only four years ago I started to write. Then I started to write romance novels with a twist - time travel. And what a better way than to send my heroine catapulting through the ages but by having her find a piece of jewellery long buried in the banks of the Thames which does exactly that. You’ve guessed it; my heroine is a Thames Mudlark. In fact they are actually called The Society of Thames Mudlarks today. Anything they find they have a month before they must forward it to the Museum of London for cataloguing. After that time the item is returned to them, to either sell, (to the museum or elsewhere) or keep. The Port of London Authority issue the permits for them to fossick the ancient shores.

 

 

Although being a Mudlark today is for hobbyists and history lovers alike, back in the Industrial Revolution it was all that stood between starvation and food for some families. Should they find something, anything, a button even, it could be sold for food for them to eat. Most Mudlarks were widowed women and children. These poor souls had to deal with raw sewage and corpses of humans and animals that often washed up with the tide. Take the tower of London’s moat, need I say more on what a mess that was for a while. Not a very nice working environment for them, even if necessary.

 

 

So, a story told offhandedly years ago stuck a cord with me, and was the basis of a major turning point for my heroine in my manuscript. It’s true I suppose, that stories evolve by events in our own lives. That, when we hear tales of the past we writers see a plot somewhere between the words. I certainly did and will continue to do so.

Perhaps one day if I’m lucky, The Society of Thames Mudlarks will make me an honorary member. I can only dream.

 

Tamara Gill

 

 

 

This post originally featured on my blog http://tamaragill.blogspot.com 2010

 

 

Courtship Throughout History - Regency England

By Danielle Lisle

Over my next few posts, I plan to take us all on a ride through time and witness some of the differences society standards and geological distance played in regards to young lovers and their courtship. You might be surprised to learn it was not as you thought it to be.

Regency England (early 1800’s)

 

Have flowers and candy always been the way to a woman’s heart?

Seemingly not.

I often wonder while I sit in my comfy recliner, watching regency movies or reading a new and exciting historical novel; Are the happy ever afters truly accurate? Do they really happen like we dream, watch or read about?

It turns out that fiction is simply fiction and majority of the time love has very little to do with a couple’s courtship. How sad.

Now this is not always the case, but it sadly occurred with some regularity among noble houses in the Regency period. People married for money and station in the past, with love having little or anything to do with the union. I guess I can see why it was so accepted to have a mistress back then. It makes me want to weep at the idea of a woman never finding her true love or happy ever after in life. Am I alone in this thought?

I guess there is an ideal example of the hardships woman faced back in the Regency in regards to marriage. The truth is, a woman had very little choice in the matter of her husband-to-be. Fathers ‘owned’ their daughters in a sense and contracts were drawn up once a settlement was agreed upon by the future groom and the bride’s father. But first, a woman needed to be chosen. And how was that done? *very big grin*

House parties and balls were a good opportunity for fathers and eager mothers to parade their young daughters around like horses up for sale at the stockyards. The young women (around seventeen years old) would be dressed in the latest fashion, jewelled in extravagant pieces and educated in the art of snagging a husband. After all, it was a woman’s goal in life to marry and run their own household. *can you hear me snorting people?*

The girls would be introduced to the men in attendance either by the host, their mother or a friend. It wasn’t like today, where you (okay, like me) would sashay up to a fella in a nightclub or bar and wink, ‘Hey stud, wanna dance?’ He would in turn give you a saucy grin and pull you onto the dance floor where you would bump and grind to the latest song on the pop charts. *snort* Hardly. A lady could never appear eager (I clearly wouldn’t have survived back then) or approach a man, especially if she had never been formally introduced to him before. There was a format that needed to be followed and strict unwritten rules that governed everyone, from the royalty to the labouring poor.

It wasn’t always peaches and cream for the men either, they were ‘expected’ to dance with all the girls making their come out, if not for the prospect of finding a bride but to appease their mothers, whether because they felt sorry for the wall flower sitting by the sideline or because they were a friend of a friend of a friend etcetera, it was still the expected thing to do. It was in these moments that a lady needed to shine. Her dancing needed to be precise and angelic, her manner needed to be demure and educated and her appearance needed to capture the man’s attention. Low necklines exposing the ‘girls’ was not unheard of either. But snagging a young buck was not always the easiest thing to manage.

A Regency Brothel

Men or boys (depending on your point of view) were ‘expected’ to sow some ‘wild oats’ before settling down and choosing a bride, likely because their father before them had done the same thing. College, at either Oxford or Cambridge, had little to do with education (in their mind anyway) and more to do with exploring life away from under their mother’s hand. Gaming Hells and Brothels catering to high society gentleman were a lucrative establishment to run, with regular visits from young gentlemen to their favourite courtesan or card table.

As a result, gentlemen did not generally marry at a young age and the men who were truly available to a debutant was likely quite older than she.

But what happened once a young lady actually caught a gentlemen’s eye?

Well, the idea of flowers and candy was not at all a reality back then. ‘Feel sorry for em now, huh?’ It was prohibited (not by a law, but simply society standards) that a man and woman could not correspond or exchange gifts. It was only into the Victorian era that flowers and candy became acceptable gifts, but that was all. The first gift a man would generally give his wife was her wedding ring and oddly they were not always expected or common.

So how did they get to know each other then? Well, in my opinion they didn’t, but I’m sure that’s debatable. A young lady’s most precious asset was her ‘virginity’ and it was not wise to call that into question or unmarried you would stay. It was therefore important that an unmarried woman was chaperoned at all times when outside of her home. She was accompanied by her mother, a member of the family or maid at every moment, whether it be a carriage ride in the park, a shopping trip or making a call to a friend, ensuring her ‘maiden state’ was never called into question. She was never, ever, left alone in the company of a man, courting or otherwise. Can you imagine trying to date a bloke with your mother listening to your every word? *shudders* I, for one, am glad times have changed.

I like thinking back to the Pride and Prejudice movies, either the early miniseries or the recent movie to explain this next point. Do you ever see Mr Darcy and Miss Bennett touch? Do you see them kiss? Well, they do kiss, but only AFTER they’re married. They never hold hands, or show any affection towards each other in any form of physical contact, simply because it just wasn’t done back then. Nor do they address each other by their given names, as that would appear far too ‘vulgar’ and call the poor woman’s virtue into question. *sigh* So, how did they truly do it? It was trying, to say the least.

While there is just something romantic about the Regency period, I think it is fascinating to learn that the idea of sending flowers and candy was not a reality in any way, shape, or form. But then again, there was always the opportunity to go riding with the handsome gentlemen, just sadly with your mother in tow. 

WIN ME!

Comment below for your chance to win a copy of Regency Pleasures by Louise Allan.

Danielle can be contacted via her website, Twitter or Facebook accounts.

THE IDEAL GEORGIAN WOMAN by Maggi Andersen

Advice to a Lady

Seek to be good, but aim not to be great,

A woman’s noblest station is retreat,

Her fairest virtues fly from public sight,

Domestic worth, that shuns too strong a light.
Lord Lyttelton

The feminine ideal of Georgian womanhood may best be defined as a combination of moral perfection and intellectual deficiency. She was required to be above all things a ‘womanly woman’ meek, timid, trustful, clinging, yielding, unselfish, helpless and dependent, and robust in neither body nor mind. She was also expected to be a thoroughly practical domestic sort of person, not educated except in how to run a domestic establishment with good sense of judgment. Her tombstone might say she was born a woman and died a housekeeper. She was also a model wife and mother. The only career open to her was marriage, and she would have considered a loveless marriage infinitely more respectable than the pursuit of a profession. If a suitor presented himself it was her duty to love him, or at any rate marry him. Because masculine idealists of the time felt ‘The soul of the true woman finds its supreme satisfaction in self-sacrifice’ the woman who rejected this must renounce all claims to womanliness.
The kitchen and the nursery were her sole spheres of action. She must treat her men-folk with respectful admiration and accept their judgments in a spirit of childlike faith and obey them with unquestioning submission.  

The education and training of the ideal woman was completely subordinated to the tastes and demands of men. In the words of Jean Jacques, “Woman was created to give way to man, and to suffer his injustice …. To please us, to be useful to us, to make us love and esteem them, to educate us when young and take care of us when grown up, to admire and console us, to render our lives easy and agreeable.”

Jane Austen made mention of the prejudice with sweet-tempered sarcasm in a passage in Northanger Abbey. "... in justice to men, that though to the larger and more trifling part of the sex imbecility in females is a great enhancement of their natural charms, there is a portion of them too reasonable and too well-informed themselves to desire anything more in a woman than-ignorance." 

Top: Shellwork vase 1779-81 

Below: A shell-encrusted surround to a window in the Shell Gallery at A La Ronde, Devon made by the spinster cousins Jane and Mary Parminter, 1790c/

The doctrine that it was unfeminine for a ‘female’ to pursue any exact study, led in the course of time to the curious notion that it was unfeminine for her to do anything well. Unable to execute anything with professional skill, during the reigns of the third and fourth Georges, they were forced to they deliberately invented a kind of ‘mock art’. Modeling in clay was unfeminine but modeling in wax or bread a feminine occupation. Filigree and mosaic work was copied in coloured paper, medals were made of cardboard and bold-leaf, Dresden china of rice paper, cottages of paste-board, flowers of lambswool, coral of blackthorn twigs painted vermilion and ‘Grecian Tintos’ were painted –or plastered-with black lead mixed with pomatum, the lights being scratched out with a penknife. This medium was considered particularly adapted for sea and moonlight pieces.

In my novel, The Reluctant Marquess, which is to be released in March, Lord Robert expects as a Georgian member of the aristocracy that his wife will make the necessary adjustments to fit in with his way of life. He is shocked to find that his country-bred wife, Charity, the daughter of an academic, has a mind of her own. Her small rebellion against the strictures of society is sculpting in wood, which she learned from her grandfather. Thrown into a marriage of convenience, Charity wishes to be more than just decorative adjunct to her husband. Determined to live on her own terms, she fights for true intimacy with the handsome, moody and complex man she married.

AMAZON BUY LINK:

References:

Side-Lights On The Georgian Period by George Paston

Behind Closed Doors At Home in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery

AUTHOR WEBSITE

Historical Hearts Launch Party - Day 1

Hi and welcome to the Historical Hearts Blog Launch Party!

We're all very excited to announce a blog for Australian Historical Romance Writers. Over the next five days we'll be giving away books, critiques, bookmarks, wonderful prizes of all kinds to celebrate the launch of this fabulous blog.

I'm Tamara Gill and will be kicking off the celebrations by telling you a little about myself. Country born and bred I started reading historical romances while on maternity leave with my first child but didn't start to write them until my second son was a year old. To this day I blame Stephanie Laurens who made me fall in love with the Regency era and the beautiful 'Empire Style' gowns. What can I say, those dresses are divine.

Jump ahead four years and I'm now published with Noble Romance Publishing. I have two Regency (ebooks) for a randomly picked guest who can answer my Regency trivia question correctly. I'll also be giving away bookmarks to the first five guests who leave a comment. Just remember to leave your email address so I can contact you about the prizes.

Question: "Where did the ton like to promenade, ride and gossip in the afternoon?"

Okay, I'll admit, my question isn't very hard, and any loyal reader of Regency historicals will know the answer immediately, but...we're here to have fun, not to tax our loyal followers too much.

So, two books up for grabs, To Sin with Scandal and A Captain's Order - A Duke's Command. Both I should warn you, are a little naughty. *grin*

Good Luck!

Tam.

  

I’m Suzi Love and I’m so glad you’ve joined us for the Historical Hearts Launch Day.

I’ve always loved reading historical romances, so I’m very excited to now be writing them. My books are set in England around the end of the Regency and the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. The true Regency era is admired for its glittering ballroom scenes, gorgeous fashions, and its often ridiculous adherence to social manners and class distinctions while the Victorian era began with drastic changes to those rigid social structure as inventors, scientists, and tradesmen became more important and wealthier than those who held titles and land. These years of upheaval offered amazing opportunities for adventurous women and men of all classes to break free from convention and follow their own paths.

I’m very grateful that those rapidly changing times allow me to write about heroines who devote time to scientific pursuits rather than embroidering. Heroes who ignore old rules and welcome inventions on their estates or in everyday life, openly use their talents, and participate in money-making ventures rather than watch their inheritance become worthless.

If you’d like to read more weird and wacky things I find fascinating in history, pop over to my other blogs. I’m at Suzi Love and also at The Beau Monde World.

Now, for the exciting bit! I have three wonderful historical books for one lucky commenter, though I’m not going to make it too easy for you. Whoever answers the most questions correctly will win the prize.

1. Around 1810, an open-air owner-driven two-wheeled vehicle came into use but only reached its peak of popularity during the early Victorian years. It was designed for a single horse and with only a small platform at the back for the ‘Tiger’ to stand. What was it called? 
2. In 1822, the word ‘tranquilizer’ was invented to describe the effect of opium. The book was called Confessions of an English Opium Eater and the author was….Who?
3. In 1822, Charles Babbage proposed a difference engine. This was an early version of ….. What?
4. In 1840, the earliest adhesive postage stamps in the world were placed on sale in the United Kingdom. They carried the head of Queen Victoria and were called….What? 
5. During Napoleon’s military campaigns, he reportedly always carried something with him which he ate when he needed a boost of energy. What did he carry?

Good Luck!

Suzi.

Welcome to Historical Hearts. My name is Sheridan Kent and I’m on a quest to become a historical romance author. I started with reading and progressed to writing when storylines and characters started running through my head at the most inopportune times. I’m currently dipping my fingers into the Victorian era, plucking out the juicy bits to bring my adventures to life!

My heroes are heart-stopping, tortured souls, while the women who love them are bewitching and bold. I’d love you to join my characters as they fight to overcome all obstacles on the way to love. Also, check back regularly to catch my post on some of the wacky laws of Old England, some you will not believe! To celebrate the launch of Historical Hearts, I have a copy of ‘The Perfect Rake’ by Anne Gracie to give away. Just mention the first name of the hero within your comments to go into the draw.

Good Luck!

Sheridan.

Note: For your chance to win today's prizes, when answering the trivia questions or replying, please leave your name, email address and what draw you'd like to enter. Of course, you are more than welcome to enter all prize draws up for grabs. Good Luck!