Regency Women of Character: Women at Waterloo

During a lull in fighting at Waterloo in 1815, British solidiers found the bodies of two women.  “I saw one of them,” wrote Captain Henry Ross-Lewin of the 32nd Regiment of Foot. “She was dressed in a nankeen jacket and trousers, and had been killed by a ball which had passed through her head.”  Other … Continue reading →

Regency Women of Character: Dorothea Lieven

“It is a pity Countess Lieven wears skirts”, the Tsar Alexander wrote to his foreign minister Count Nesselrode. “She would have made an excellent diplomat.” Born in 1785 as Dorothea Benckendorff during the time of the French Revolution and subsequent treatises between Russia and England, the Countess married in 1800 Count Christopher Lieven who in … Continue reading →

Regency Women of Character: Sarah Siddons

In an age when acting was only just becoming an acceptable profession for women, and against the wishes of her parents, Sarah Siddons rose to acclaim for her captivating portrayal of Lady MacBeth. Sarah “Sally” Kemble was born in Wales in 1755 to an actor father.  After a stumble at Drury Lane, she circuited the … Continue reading →