Kristine Hughes's Blog, page 11

GUNSMITHS OF REGENCY LONDON – THE EGG BROTHERS

By Louisa Cornell   Durs Egg St. James, Piccadilly (1778) Coventry Street (1786) 132 Strand 1 Pall Mall In 1770 Durs Egg appeared in London “with 3 shillings and 6 pence in his pocket” and found work with the then famous British gunsmith Henry Nock. By 1772 he had his own business with rented premises … Continue reading "GUNSMITHS OF REGENCY LONDON – THE EGG BROTHERS"

GUNSMITHS OF REGENCY LONDON – MANTON’S

By Louisa Cornell   Manton’s 25 Davies Street, Berkeley Square Established 1792 Joseph Manton was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1766, and at the age of 14 was apprenticed to a local gunmaker. In 1781, he began working under his brother, John Manton, a gunmaker of 6 Dover Street, London. In 1789, at the age … Continue reading "GUNSMITHS OF REGENCY LONDON – MANTON’S"

GUEST POST – Consanguinity and Affinity by Janna MacGregor

Consanguinity and Affinity – Brother, Sisters, and Cousins—One of These Things is Not Like the Others by Janna MacGregor   In the first book of my Widow Rules series, A Duke in Time, a war hero duke falls in love with his stepbrother’s wife. Could he legally marry her? Under the Church of England’s rules … Continue reading "GUEST POST – Consanguinity and Affinity by Janna MacGregor"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Prospect of Whitby

THE PROSPECT OF WHITBY WAPPING / TOWER HAMLETS                                                                    57 Wapping Wall, London LOUISA CORNELL     The Prospect of Whitby is one of London’s oldest pubs and it is believed to be the oldest riverside pub on the Thames. There has been a pub on this site since 1520 which means it existed during the … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Prospect of Whitby"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Grenadier – aka The Most Haunted Pub in London

THE GRENADIER BELGRAVIA / KNIGHTSBRIDGE 18 Wilton Row, London LOUISA CORNELL     The building that houses The Grenadier was originally built in 1720. It served as the officers’ mess for the senior infantry regiment of his His Majesty’s Army, the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. The building was, in fact, located in the courtyard … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Grenadier – aka The Most Haunted Pub in London"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Lamb and Flag

THE LAMB AND FLAG                                                            COVENT GARDEN 33 Rose Street, London LOUISA CORNELL     The name of this pub is derived from the Bible verse John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The flag is the flag of St. George. … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Lamb and Flag"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – Town of Ramsgate

TOWN OF RAMSGATE WAPPING 62 Wapping High Street, London LOUISA CORNELL     The first pub on this site was established during the War of the Roses (1460’s.) It was called The Hostel. The street numbers changed over the years, but the site was always home to a pub under various monikers. In 1533 it … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – Town of Ramsgate"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Cock Pit

THE COCKPIT                                                                                  BLACKFRIARS 7 St. Andrew’s Hill LOUISA CORNELL       The first thing one might notice about The Cockpit is the odd shape of the building. It looks rather like the prow of a ship sailing up the alleyways at the juncture of Ireland Yard and St. Andrew’s Hill.      There has been … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – The Cock Pit"

The Wellington Connection: Shoes, Rather Than Boots

The French, the Prince of Wales, gunfire, political upheaval . . . really, you’d have thought the Duke of Wellington had enough on his plate, but more often than not it was left to His Grace to attend to a hundred myriad details each week regarding the military, politics, his social and his family life. … Continue reading "The Wellington Connection: Shoes, Rather Than Boots"

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – I Am the Only Running Footman

                                                            I AM THE ONLY RUNNING FOOTMAN MAYFAIR 5 Charles Street LOUISA CORNELL   And the award for the longest name for a pub goes to… These days it is known as The Running Footman or simply The Footman. One of the oldest pubs in London, it was originally called The Running Horse. … Continue reading "HISTORIC PUB CRAWL – I Am the Only Running Footman"