Ravensdale
Page 7
Bloody Code
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries about 50 crimes carried the death penalty. Under such acts as the infamous 'Waltham Black Act' (1722) crimes punishable by death were increased to over 200 and the British penal system became known as 'The Bloody Code'.
Rookery
A crowded slum; these areas were effectively 'No Go' areas for the forces of law and order.
George
Isabella means the troops, representing King George
Front
A false fringe of curls.
You'll find me in one of them foolish Gothic novels
See 'That Scoundrel Emile Dubois' by the author.
Sapskull
A fool
Buccaneer
A form of pirate.
Mollie
A derogatory term for a gay man
Men like you end up in the pillory
The punishment for 'sodomy' in the eighteenth century was to be fastened into a pillory, where people were often blinded or killed by stones and bones hurled by the mob. The practice was only discontinued in 1816.
Hardbake
A sweetmeat made with almonds and treacle.
St. Giles
A well-known crowded 'rookery' and 'no go area' for officers of the law.
Jack be Nimble
This old nursery rhyme probably contains a reference to the sixteenth century pirate 'Black Jack' notorious for his escapes.
Beggar's Opera
The song is 'The Highwayman's Chorus' from this satirical opera, first performed in 1728. It featured highwaymen, thief takers and prostitutes and was argued by some to be a bad influence on the young, who might not see its satirical intent. It was revived several times during the century, and is sometimes still performed.
Two Gentleman of Verona
In this 1589 comedy by Shakespeare, the hero Valentine becomes outlawed and leads a group of brigands in a forest.
Heigh, Ho, the Holly
Song from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' (1599) contrasting emotional and physical suffering.
Epping Forest
A large partially wooded area in Essex designated a forest by Henry II. In the eighteenth century, a notorious haunt and refuge of outlaws.
Femme Covert
The legal notion of a married woman having no separate legal identity to that of her husband, evolved from common law over centuries, continued until the mid-nineteenth century.
Corals
These were used as teething rings.
Blow! Blow! Thou Winter Wind
See note above on 'Heigh, Ho, the Holly'
Idle
'Idle' in this time meant active misbehaviour rather than laziness. 'Idle Apprentices' such as the one in Hogarth's illustrations, who ended up hanged, were actively roguish ones.
Who Sits on the bench? The squire
The judicial system in the UK was riddled with corruption at this time.
For readers interested in pursuing this point further, two books which make this point are:
'Stand and Deliver! A History of Highway Robbery' by David Brandon, Sutton Publishing 2001 and
*A Great and Monstrous Thing: London in the Eighteenth Century' by Jerry White, Harvard Press reprinted 2013.
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this novel by Lucinda Elliot, you may also enjoy her other novels:
That Scoundrel Emile Dubois
Or, The Light of Other Days
available
https://www.amazon.com/That-Scoundrel-?mile-Dubois-ebook
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Scoundrel-?mile-Dubois-Light-ebook
and also
Alex Sager's Demon
available
https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Sagers-Demon-Pushkins-Nemesis-ebook
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alex-Sagers-Demon-Pushkins-Nemesis-ebook
Lucinda Elliots's blog on writing is on
https://sophieandemile.wordpress.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lucinda Elliot was brought up in a series of isolated great houses which her parents were renovating before this became fashionable. These would have made fine settings for Gothic tales, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why she writes Gothic.
She worked and lived in London for many years. She was once a Sportsfighter and still loves working out These days, she lives in Mid Wales with her family and writes, mainly Gothic. She loves a laugh above anything, is a classic English Literature geek, and is addicted to tea.