The National Register 1808-1823

 The National Register--it was first published in January of 1808--was a weekly newspaper, released on Sundays by John Browne Bell. He was the estranged son of famous publisher John Bell, and had some involvement in the popular, well-known magazine La Belle Assemblee, until his estrangement. The National Register was his first solo endeavour.

On February 17 of 1808, the Bury and Norwich Post carried an advertisement for The National Register that laid out it aims and goals.

The first issue of the new journal appeared on January 3, 1808, and carried some interesting articles, besides the requisite war, business, and political news.

These items from the Sunday, February 14 edition, show the breadth of stories.

There was also regular news of the king and his family. A week after its inception, The National Register carried these items:

J. B. Bell’s connection with The National Register ended in 1810 when he was declared bankrupt. Though he failed with The National Register, he later went on to found the very successful and scandalous—often scurrilous—The News of the World (it ran from 1843 to 2011).

But ultimately, The National Register was neither different enough, or notable enough, to survive. The lack of advertisements may have had something to do with its demise. Though it is noble to do without such commerce, there can be no doubt that advertisements attract readers, and buyers, of any newspaper or journal.

The National Register, after 1810, passed through a variety of hands until it ceased publication in 1823.

 'Til  next time,

Lesley-Anne

A tantalizing paragraph from the London Chronicle

On January the 4th, 1811 The London Chronicle printed the following news item:

 

This newspaper clipping raises more questions than it answers:

If she is in the boxes, isn’t she a lady of some status, not just a ‘female’?

In 1811, a thirty pound bank note is worth a substantial amount of money  (over $100); where did she get it?

How well did the lady know the 'dashing buck' and what was he doing at the lady’s lodgings the preceding evening?

Where were her 'lodgings' and did she live alone?

With whom was she in attendance at the theatre; what did her companions do when she raised the alarm?

How dramatic was the scene that the alarm caused  and who took the supposed thief into custody?

Could this have been a revenge type of entrapment? Did she have a grudge against the 'buck'?

If it was a false accusation, why did he run?

This short newspaper paragraph is a gold mine for a writer. It offers a story line that could be taken in several different directions.

Perhaps 'the female' is a lady of easy virtue, in the box of a lover who has given her her congée. Perhaps she was followed home or became acquainted with the 'dashing buck' the evening before, and she invited him in because she liked his looks. Perhaps the thirty pounds had been a parting gift from the lover.

Perhaps she was a partner of the thief and the thirty pound note was ill-gotten gains. The dashing buck might have been double-crossing her, or, visiting her lodgings with romance on his mind, he took the note without her knowledge when he left after being rejected.

I am trying to think of a scenario where she is a lady of the ton, and not having much success. She wouldn’t be in ‘lodgings’ without staff or protectors if she is a lady of status. She wouldn’t have opened the door to the ‘dashing buck’ or invited him in. She wouldn’t leave thirty pound notes lying around. And she wouldn’t risk making a scene at the theatre where questions would be asked that she might not want to answer.

I am not certain where I would go with this story, but you can see why I like to read historical newspapers!

 'Til next time,

 Lesley-Anne

 

The London Chronicle is available on Google Books

The Revels of Christmas -- and the place of Mistletoe in the celebrations

Christmas has always been a time of revelry and merriment. The degree of gaiety and carousing seems to have varied by social class and, of course, economic circumstance.

Entertainments for the upper classes seemed to include grand dinners, great balls, and charitable giving. Little illustration is extant from these activities.

Among the lower classes, uninhibited romps have been illustrated of the activities of servants and retainers, generally around the fireplace, in a comfortable hall or kitchen.

Mistletoe is rarely mentioned in the activities of the upper classes, but it features prominently in the illustrations of lower class gatherings.

from the book "Popular Pastimes" of 1816

 The following item from the Oxford University and City Herald - Saturday 06 December 1817 indicates that mistletoe was typically hung in kitchens.

The above picture, published in 1800, shows yet another kitchen with a mistletoe bough.

There was a fear that there might be a mistletoe shortage in Bath in 1818.

Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 24 December 1818

The final statement on mistletoe's place in Christmas celebrations must go to Washington Irving. His "Old Christmas" with its illustrations by Randolph Caldecott is the quintessential commentary on the Regency Christmas, although it was written in about 1875.

 The note to the illustration is particularly telling...

 Real mistletoe is hard to obtain where I live. I have a sad, artificial version which is almost an insult to this fascinating piece of Christmas history!

I wish you all the blessings of the festive season no matter what you celebrate, or how...

'Til next time,

Lesley-Anne