by Lisa Prysock
In researching and developing the character of the Duke, Alexander Charles Kingston, I learned much about Windsor Castle, Eton, Cambridge and Oxford, a history of the earliest military schools in England, the history of education in England, more about the Napoleonic Wars, and how commissions for officers could be purchased during the Regency Era. In 1809, about 140 officers were of the peerage and only 20% of commissions were by purchase. Most military promotions were by seniority and a few by merit. By 1814, there were 10,000 officers. Another important point to remember, The Royal Navy never sold commissions. Of course, this is fiction, so we can write just about anything, but in reality, this is one of those tidbit facts that is interesting to consider. Only Calvary and Infantry could purchase commissions up to the rank of Colonel. The Duke of York made reforms to this situation.
I learned so much about how education needed reform during this time period that this spilled over into the character of the heroine, Miss Catherine Edwina Lyndon, or Winnie. Her character led me to study more about the Anglican Church and how the Puritan movement and the Tudors impacted the church and life in England. I learned more about poaching, muskets from the Regency Era, and widespread poverty from Jorie’s character. Poaching laws became much stricter after this time period, but it was still a serious offense to many land owners.
I brought Jorie’s character into the story so the heroine could see more about the character of her future husband and a display of mercy, the theme of this novel. Time and time again, I have felt the hand of God granting mercy throughout my life. It was my hope to share this wonderful attribute of our heavenly Father with others, and thus, the theme of this story. I wrote the first few lines of the book to reflect this theme and message.
As this is my third Regency book, I wanted to find out more about the types of food from this time period and have incorporated much from the result of my research into this story. Turteulong is a type of boiled dough they ate, often for breakfast. Sounds kind of like a bagel, doesn’t it? Along the way, I ran into more about the game of shuttlecocks they used to pass the time. This was really the precursor to badminton, hence, some of the funny lines about nets in my story during the shuttlecocks scene. The male characters in this story were being competitive when they played the game like modern day racquet ball after the ladies exit the shuttlecock tournament in the Ball Room.
I also wanted to find out more about clothing and shoes from the Regency. This was the first time I understood more fully what pattens were. They were typically very loud and noisy metal contraptions that ladies strapped on their feet during inclement weather to avoid snow and mud. Additionally, I discovered that to pass the time, people during this time period loved to make paper, wax, and wood flowers; shell ornamentations; and to make biology drawings of fish, flowers, and animals. They still spent a great deal of time reading and doing needlework and sewing. They would often make slippers and take them to the shoemaker to be finished into shoes, as slippers were actual shoes; not what we consider slippers in our day.
When I first started writing this book, I had almost zero knowledge of how shoes were made in this time period or any other. I knew I needed the shoemaker to be the catalyst in this particular story. Without him, I do not believe that Catherine would have had the understanding she needed or as vivid an example to follow. We all have those catalysts in our lives who make such a tremendous difference. I believe God sends them to us exactly when we need them. You can probably guess that there are several antagonists in this story; primarily Lady Agnes, who ends up desperately needing Miss Lyndon to be her friend, confidante, and advisor to help spare her from a potentially disastrous situation.
To create the character of the shoemaker, I had to start at the ground up since I had very little knowledge on this subject. Researching about shoemakers filled in this very interesting piece of history for me as I studied about this amazing process and how making shoes has evolved over the years. I was very surprised to discover they used wooden molds to form and shape the shoes, called lasts. One would have thought they might have come up with something less primitive; but it worked, and for hundreds of years.
Another surprise was that Northampton happens to be known for shoes and the shoemaker trade. They made leather shoes and boots for Parliament armies and had a booming shoe industry. In fact, it is estimated that one-third of the males in Northampton were shoemakers during the Napoleonic Wars. It is a city with a very rich history. I was so excited to find out about the round church, the castle, and of course, the abbey… the Kings who visited there, and that one of the most significant battles of the War of the Roses had taken place nearby. Since so many inhabitants were shoemakers, I would imagine that the industry was highly competitive and one had to be innovative to obtain new customers. Hence, readers can see from this story how unique Mr. Wilmore tried to make his shop.
The Duke of Gladdington is a completely fictional title, as is the village of Glad Crown… but there really was and may still be a Duke of Northampton. In my fictitious story, the two Dukes are ‘neighborly’ since their lands border each other. I did find some information about Jewish persecution in Northampton’s history. Jews began settling in England around the year 1100 A.D. Another interesting tidbit, I discovered The Mercury of Northampton was founded around 1720 and is considered the tenth oldest newspaper in the world of its kind.
Many thanks to readers who suggested Jorie’s name and a number of the characters throughout the book! The idea for this book started just two weeks before Christmas 2016, so it has been fun to write with Christmas and winter happening in my world at the same time. It was fun to include a little “who done it” in this story… my first story with a little mystery going on.
I look forward to visiting this part of England and especially the Abbey of St. Mary de la Pré! The beautiful prayer at the beginning of this story is a sample prayer of the Clunic nuns who lived at the Abbey. The Cluniacs were a type of Benedictine Monks and Nuns who were very dedicated to Christian living.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did the writing of it. I would love to hear from you and what your thoughts are about The Shoemaker! It took me time and experience in my walk with God to effectively understand God’s mercy as I had to see it play out in my own life over and over again in many ways and varied circumstances to comprehend, but it is a beautiful thing to grasp onto. May you and I both continue to experience, cherish, and never let go of the Lord’s everlasting kindness and mercy. I leave you with one of my favorite Scriptures about mercy from Chapter 12: What doth the Lord require of thee but that thou love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly with thy God?
Blessings,
Lisa
Author Biography
Lisa M. Prysock lives in the countryside of beautiful, rolling Kentucky just outside of the greater Louisville area near horse farms and four board fences with her husband of 19 years. She homeschools the two youngest of their five children (three grown). She and her husband live in an average, two story, Colonial style home they are continually updating-- with a funny looking Heinz 57 dog; an adorably dainty lady cat; two teenagers; a vegetable garden; numerous flower beds; and a tree house undergoing a remodel. When not in teaching or writing mode, she is teaching herself to play the piano and violin. In regards to that, she laughs: “It’s a pretty painful process, but I’m truly enjoying it!”
Lisa loves all things old-fashioned and has adopted a slogan of “The Old-Fashioned Everything Girl.” A few of her interests and passions include doll houses, long dresses and hats, gardening, reading the Classics, butterflies, swimming, walking, working out, cooking, sewing, crochet, cross stitching, arts and crafts, scrapbooking, decorating, and drawing. Recently, her husband remodeled a room in their home with a picture window overlooking a valley which contains a creek and wooded area, transforming the space into a serene and sublime writing office/sewing room. “It’s a great source of peace and inspiration for me… and pure joy not to be writing from the busy kitche
n amidst the household chaos on a laptop. Growing teenagers eating every five minutes makes for a constant stream of happenings!”
Lisa is an Amazon bestselling author of To Find a Duchess, an Inspirational Regency Romance; a Victorian Christian Romance Series which includes Hannah’s Garden: a Turn of the Century Love Story and Abigail’s Melody; and ‘The Lydia Collection,’ which includes The Redemption of Lady Georgiana (a Ruth love story of modern day Regency proportions), Protecting Miss Jenna (an Antebellum Era Christian Romance Adventure), and Persecution & Providence (a ‘Jane Austen-ish’ mail order bride story from the Pioneer Era). She is also the author of a devotional/Bible Study, Arise Princess Warrior. Lisa writes clean and wholesome literature that shares her faith in Jesus Christ. She is a member of ACFW and Louisville Christian Writers. You can find out more about Lisa at: www.LisaPrysock.com
Wait… you’re not done yet!
Please consider leaving a favorable review for the author as a way of thanking and encouraging them. You can go to Lisa’s website and find links to where her books are purchased by clicking on the book covers near the bottom of the home page at www.LisaPrysock.com or by going to the site where you purchased this book. Favorable reviews help sell more books! A generous portion of the proceeds of Lisa’s books help support missions. Also, there are numerous giveaways at my website when you sign up to be on my author mailing list!
A Small Glossary of Regency Terms
by Lisa M. Prysock
The Regency Time Period- In England/United Kingdom, the time period when King George III had been deemed unfit to rule and the Prince of Wales, his son, reigned in his stead as the Prince-Regent, from approximately 1811-1820. He became King George the IV when his father died.
Almack's- An exclusive club for both men and women of the social elite consisting of Assembly rooms for social gatherings where Wednesday night balls were held. A committee made decisions on who was admitted by granting vouchers which cost about ten guineas each.
Apothecary- Regency time period type of 'pharmacist' who dispensed herbs and powders for medicinal purposes.
Bath- Popular spa town in Somerset, England where the fashionable vacationed who enjoyed the natural springs, waters and Roman baths built there. Located in southwest England. Famous for the Royal Crescent. Many social parties, dances and theater parties were held at Bath.
Chemise- Ladies wore a thin short sleeved undergarment under their corset; sometimes called a shift.
Codicil- An addition made to a will
Conservatory- Indoor garden with a great many windows to allow sunlight
Cut- Pretending not to know or see a person was the act of giving someone the “cut.” It was a type of social disgrace.
Curricle- Small carriage usually made for only one or two people to ride in, pulled by one or two horses.
Corkbrained- Term used to describe someone as foolish, silly, light-headed, blockhead, numbskull, dunce, simpleton
Country Squire- Non-titled gentleman or owner of an estate who was accepted among the titled and landed gentry.
Dowager House- A house located on the property of some larger estates for the widow of deceased titled gentlemen. In this story, William's parents, the Duke and Duchess, have both died, but the aunt who raised him is preparing to move into the Dowager House. Had the Duchess lived and only the Duke died, she would have become, as his widow, the Dowager Duchess when her son inherited her deceased husband's title and married a bride of his own, who would then be granted the courtesy title of Duchess. The Dowager Duchess often lived in the Dowager House after these types of events, leaving the new Duchess the opportunity to learn her role in managing the household while the Dowager Duchess was able to retire in her own household, well taken care of, yet private from the main house.
Entail- During the Regency time period, an inheritance and a title could be entailed together. This was often done to preserve the family name. In this story, the Honorable Miss Alexandra Benningham's former home prior to living at the parish manse was not available for her to consider as a home of her own because it was entailed to a missing uncle who'd gone to America, the brother of her father, the vicar. Because there was hope that he might be found, Alexandra was at the mercy of Lady Dresden who allowed her to continue living at the manse after her father's death. If she had a brother, her father's former home could have been passed on to the vicar's son, even if he was second born after a daughter. A gentleman with only daughters might not have been able to will property to anyone who could not carry on the family name in the event of an entail, so the property might revert to a brother, nephew or cousin through the entail of the title or will of the deceased property owner. In this story, the William's ducal title was entailed, or attached, to two of his father's properties and his seat in the House of Lords, which indeed had passed along to him when his father died. The problem was that the other properties not entailed to the Duke's title were attached to the codicil of the will.
Footman- Servant or employee whose duties might include riding along on the back or top of the coach or carriage of the aristocracy to open carriage doors and steps, load and secure trunks and luggage, present calling cards to those his mistress called upon while she waited in the carriage. A footman ranked below the butler but above a page boy. A footman might serve food to guests at a party, be called upon to handle an errand or any other number of duties, such as trimming the wicks on lamps. It was considered proper to have footmen of tall stature or equal stature if hiring a pair. They usually dressed in fine livery uniforms.
Fortnight- Two weeks
Haberdasher- This person sells items used to sew such as thread, needles, ribbon....
In His Cups- phrase used to describe someone who had been drinking alcohol and might be drunk
Mayfair District- The most fashionable neighborhood in London.
Milliner- This person made ladies hats and sometimes other items
Pelisse- Regency ladies often wore a matching pelisse over their dresses. These were long, usually light weight outerwear, similar to a light coat.
Portmanteau- luggage satchel
Reticule- a drawstring purse for Ladies
Royal Pavilion- This famous seaside palace was transformed by the famed architect, John Nash, for the Prince Regent at the popular town of Brighton. The Prince Regent entertained his guests in the elegant assembly and dining rooms there. Young ladies liked to travel to Brighton because it was a military regiment town and many handsome officers could be found there.
Shilling- term for a British currency coin equal to one-twentieth of a pound or twelve pence; in Anglo-Saxon times, much earlier than the Regency it used to be about the amount of the cost of a cow or a sheep.
Slippers- Ladies often wore silk, satin, or kid leather slippers with their fine ball gowns and dresses during the Regency time period.
Spencer- Short waisted jacket for ladies to wear over their dresses for walking or being out of doors.
The Season- London's society season when Parliament opened from late January to early July. England's families came to London to present their daughters and debutantes in hopes of finding a favorable and profitable marriage. A whirl of social events took place during this time such as parties, balls, masquerades, theater parties, etc. It was often called the 'Marriage Mart.'
The Ton- a term used in reference to Britain's high society during the Georgian era or the Reign of King George the IV, to include the Regency time period.
Wait… you’re not done yet!
Please consider leaving a favorable review for the author as a way of thanking and encouraging them. You can go to Lisa’s website and find links to where her books are purchased by clicking on the book covers near the bottom of the home page at www.LisaPrysock.com or by going to the site where you purchased this book. Favorable reviews help sell more books! A generous portion of the proceeds of Lisa’s books help support missions. Also, there are numerous giveaways at my website when you sign up to be on my author mailin
g list!
He loves you my friend and so do I!
Do you want to experience more of the Lord’s mercy in your life? Check out the Sinner’s Prayer at my website and begin walking closer with Him today and every day! www.LisaPrysock.com
