What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England

a fun read loaded with history of the times and place; arrived exactly as advertised, clean, no marks, a treasure. Thank you.Especially enlightening was the explanation of three kinds of law: (1) Common Law, the custom over time; (2) Equity Law, and (3) Church (our Canon) Law, and explanation about barristers (whose wives could be presented at Court) who had their own law school. The Inns were old lodging houses (Scottish barristers had to study there too); each inn was run by senior barristers called “benchers.” They and the younger learners ate together “in Hall,” and one had to “eat your terms” as there were no exams—but you had to show up and do your time! There was a barrier that separated the learners from the senior barristers, and when they deemed you ready, you were called to the bar. Compulsory education was not established until 1880 although standards were set in 1862; at the end of the 6th standard, students could read, write, and do some arithmetic; girls had to do needlework as well. In 1871, the population in general was essential not literate: 19% of men could only make their mark (“X”) in the parish register, and 26% of women could only make their mark. In 1811, a society was formed to promote Sunday schools so that the poor could at least learn the Bible stories. In 1885, Parliament changed the age of consent for girls from 13 to 16; at the same time, homosexuality was punished by 2 years in prison. Weddings were typically held in the mornings by law and typically followed by a breakfast; once married, a wife could not sue or enter into a contract without her husband’s consent, and if he wanted to confine her against her will (as Mr. Rochester does), he was within his rights to do so—-at least until 1891. This book is a delight for ancestry buffs who have traced their ancestors to Yorkshire or the Midlands and want to better know and understand the conditions which prevailed at the time. (It even has a detailed and welcome Glossary).

I have known about this book for some time, but did not order it until now. So glad to have this as a reference as I love reading literature from the Regency and Victorian eras, and of course, there's no escaping the costume dramas which have become very popular (Bridgerton, Sanditon, Gilded Age, etc.). Much of what is written in here I was somewhat familiar with, but still quite a bit of it I did not know. The book really goes into depth with explaining the "hierarchy" of titles, how to address each person, who has precedence in a social situation...somewhat complicated by today's standards! That's just an example of what's in here. Really, the every day life of people from all classes is explained in this book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves the 18th and 19th Century. If you are studying this time frame this is an excellent reference source.

This book was fascinating! Not only because it gives a really interesting glimpse into how people lived everyday life in the 19th century, but it also can provide an understanding of some of those things one reads in 19th century literature that might leave one scratching their heads - as in, jeez, what's the difference between a "manor", "hall", "abbey", "grange"? What's "Michaelmass"? What's "The Season"? Why does the heroine/hero call some "My Lord" others, "Your Grace" and still others just "Sir"? Believe me, there are reasons and history to these nuances that occurred over time - which also provide a fascinating insight into British cultural evolution.Another thing that fascinated me - England of the 19th century was a very class centered structured culture; there were lots of rules and very particular ways in how one interacted with their "peers", "betters" or the "lower classes". The author describes the hierarchy of both the "peerage" and "gentry", but also those in "service". The book is complete in that regard, not only does it describe the manner of living & behavior of the upper class, but the middle and lower classes as well. The author does a great job of explaining why standards of behavior differed among the classes - usually for very convenient & monetary purposes, which might seem strange or mercenary to us today, but provide an understanding of the uncertainty and often times limited opportunities of those in 19th century Britain.The best part of the book is that it reads very easily; it's not overly academic or verbose. And beyond the more everyday curiosities we might have about safety, grocery shopping and education - it also deals with those very human experiences such as death, sex, marriage - how did our English ancestors view these topics, which even today can be so emotional? Some of their views will be recognizable and leaves one nodding...."Ok, that's why...." and other views will seem completely archaic, and even sad.If you like history, if you enjoy reading the British classics of the 19th century & even if you are a historical romance fan - you'll find it not just fascinating, but illuminating.

I got this for my wonderfully geeky daughter who loves to read about this time period, and she described it as “ super interesting” and “fun.”

I bought this for research, not fun, but still found it very engaging, especially the first half, and full of interesting sidelights on C19th novels. The second half is essentially the same information repeated in glossary form; it would no doubt be interesting to the American market (at whom the book is aimed) or an Eng. Lit. A Level student without much sense of history. I'd like to find a book on the same subject written for the UK market.

This is an excellent book for readers who want to find out about the nuts and bolts of daily life from 1800 to 1900. All periods seem equally well covered, with references back to the eighteenth century and before to explain why certain oddities emerged, and the information is neatly divided into logical and digestible chunks.The only downside for me was a slight lack of specific dates for changes, but the bibliography lists contemporary and current works for further reference, most of which are simple enough to track down.Clearly written for an American audience, this is still a very valuable book for Europeans/the British whether you are wanting to track down what the games/etiquette/educational world was for Austenian or Dickensian characters, or just get the feeling of what it might have been like to live in the nineteenth century as an earl or a pauper. However, if you are looking for an encyclopedia of household objects, this isn't for you.

If you want to know the details of Victorian life and earlier, this is the book.Paying a morning call lasted well into the afternoon and other delightful insights.I long to bring much back from those days of elegance. Well written, easily readable....quite fun

I have recently become more interested in reading classic novels. This book was recommended to me to get some of the necessary background to the ways and customs of the Georgian/Victorian era in order to get a better understanding of the novels. I have found the information invaluable. Divided into sections it makes searching for something easy - the Kindle version's table of contents works well. Very happy with this purchase :)

This book is stuffed full of interesting information about the details of domestic life, political history and social attitudes presented in a format that is accessible and highly readable.