Traveling Through Time to Regency Era England by Mary Simonsen
Time travel? Wouldn’t we all love to travel through time to an era that fascinates us? In my latest novel, Becoming Elizabeth Darcy, Beth Hannigan of Cedar Grove, New Jersey does just that. After falling into a coma, she awakes in the bed and body of Elizabeth Bennet Darcy. At first, Beth refuses to believe that such a thing can happen, but then reality sets in with her first encounter with a chamber pot. This is followed by a visit from the Darcys’ doctor who would like to bleed her and administer a draught of calomel containing the heavy metal, mercury, and she wonders if she will make it out of the Regency Era alive.
Despite the problems, Beth soon adjusts to the slower rhythms of Pemberley. Putting on Elizabeth’s dresses and sitting at table with Mr. Darcy are enough for her to overlook the shortcomings of the era, but for how long? Remember the chamber pot?
If I could travel through time, where would I go? I would like to visit Ireland where my ancestors came from, but only for a day, as they were very poor. I’d like to peek in on Caravaggio and Michelangelo and watch these masters at work, but only for a day, as both would have thrown me out of their studios. I would like to sit down for a chat with Queen Elizabeth I and ask her what it was like to hold down a man’s job, and there are so many others: General George Washington, Rosa Parks, Isaac Newton, and Madame Curie, to name a few. How about having some quality time with fictional characters and quizzing them on their actions? Mr. Rochester, whatever possessed you to keep your mad wife in the attic? Mr. Knightley, please tell me exactly what you saw in Emma? Jane Fairfax, did Mr. Churchill ever grow up? Rhett Butler, was Scarlett worth the pain?
I could go on and on, but I’d rather hear from you. If you could travel through time, where would you go and why? If you could have a conversation with a famous literary person, who would it be? I’d love to hear from you.
31 Responses to Traveling Through Time to Regency Era England by Mary Simonsen
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I would like to visit with some of the same people you mentioned and as you said, just for a visit- love my modern technology. I think I would like to visit specific times when some of histories greatest mysteries are taking place like right about the time Stonehenge was being built, the Knights Templar disappeared, the Roanoke settlers disappeared, when the ‘boys in the tower’ disappeared and stuff like that. Unsolved mysteries drive me nuts!
Thanks for the discussion question and love the premise of your book.
Sophia – Speaking of the boys in the tower, have you read The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey? I don’t think Richard had anything to do with it (and neither does the author of that book or historical fiction writers Sharon Kay Penman and Philippa Gregory).
Yeah! I don’t think he did either. I don’t know what happened, but I totally think Shakespeare’s Richard III was just Tudor propaganda.
Thanks Susan! I’ll check these books out.
I’m with you on these unsolved mysteries. On a personal level, I do a lot of genealogy research, and there are people who just disappear into the mists. Did they die? Did they just move on? I would also love to see Stonehenge going up or one of the great Gothic cathedrals.
I do genealogy research too and don’t like mysteries in my lines any more than I like them in World History.
Thanks Mary!
I’d love to talk with Queen Victoria. She was such a forward thinking female.
Just think of all the changes Victoria saw in her lifetime, including having chloroform when she delivered her children. Thanks for stopping by.
I’d travel to Chawton and cure my Jane, of course, of what ever ailed her….lead poisoning, Addison’s or Hodgin’s Lymphoma.
Visiting Jane would be a good choice. You might get her to tell you the plot of Sanditon.
On a personal level, I’d like to meet my great-great Grandma Miles, who is still reviered in my family. I have her brass bed in my guest room.
I would’ve liked to have been the reporter who interview Louis in ‘Interview with a Vampire.’
Mary – I think you & Karen cured me of wanting to go to Regency England!
Angie, I’d love to meet my father’s parents. He was orphaned by the time he was 14. I’m told that I look a lot like my Grandma Faherty.
I’m a real big fan of bathrooms, liquid soap, air conditioning, etc. I’d like to be a fly on the wall, but I don’t want to use an outhouse or even a chamber pot. I had to use one of those restrooms with holes in the floors in Italy–not pleasant (co-ed by the way).
Wow, co-ed huh? Yikes.
I’d love to meet my mother’s parents, who died before I was born. My mother’s mother died tragically, and my mother never really could speak about her. That whole side of my family is a mystery to me. My mother was an only child, I am an only child, apparently her mother was an only child as well. I did try genealogy but I couldn’t find much. I know both sets of her grandparents came over from Ireland.
Sorry, Tara. I’m sure you would like to know more about your family. Genealogy can be tough, esp. with Irish naming patterns. They used a dozen Christian names over and over and over.
I would love to visit and join the suffrage movement when it was at it’s height. I can’t imagine what some of the women endured during this time. A real eye opener and I definitely give thanks to liberties we women have today on this part of the world thanks to them. And of course I would love to see Jane and perhaps have tea and talk literature.
Margaret, That would be a fascinating thing to do. I’d also like to meet Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale.
I’d like a chat with Charles Dickens as well. But I’m reading his bio, and I’m having a hard time with the way he treated his wife.
Ok, I have been thinkng about this all day, wishing I had something profound to say. That’s not going to be the case. I will put blame on the kids for sucking any brain power I had.
Since my father passed away when I was two, I would love to meet him. I have so many questions.
A literary figure I would love to meet, Gwendolyn Brooks. I would just love to her her story and leave experiences.
Person from history I would love to meet, Doris Day and Clara Bow. I have always been curious about Bow. I would want to talk to her about being a sex symbol in her day. Doris, I just love her movies!
And finally, I would love to be a fly on the wall in any home during the 40′s and see people’s lives per and post WWII. Oh, and can I also witness the deep south from 1920-1970? I am really fascinated by that as well.
I’m with you on World War II. My mom and dad moved to D.C. during the war. They saw FDR’s funeral cortege. I understand about you wanting to meet your dad. As I said above, I’d love to meet my father’s parents. They were both gone by the time he was 13, and he was the oldest of six. I loved Doris Day’s movies. She was always perky. As for Clara Bow, I’m fascinated by her as well. I saw her bio on the History Channel. I’d love to meet Jean Harlow as well. Isn’t this fun?
I love Doris Day, as well. Her movies with Rock Hudson and Cary Grant are some of my faves.
Ok, spellcheck failed me. It should be “life experiences” and “per and post WWII”
Oh, to be Mrs Darcy for just one day…. or several. One day wouldn’t be enough, as I’d have to choose between seeing all of Pemberley and it’s grounds and being…otherwise occupied with Mr D. Or maybe not.
Hmm where to start… Of course I would want to meet Jane Austen! (If it was possible to meet fictional characters I’d pick Darcy and Lizzy, and Jamie and Claire Fraser from Outlander).
I’d like to get an inside look at past civilizations – Sumeria, Egypt, Sparta, the Mayans (and say “hey, what’s up with this whole 2012 thing?”), Rome, Jerusalem. I’d like to see the building of Stonehenge and find out if aliens built the Nazca Lines, what happened to Atlantis and Roanoke, see the Native Americans before their way of life was all but obliterated. It’s not that far back but I’d love to experience being part of a civil rights rally in the 50s/60s. I’d love to meet Dr King and JFK. I’ve always been kinda fascinated by the Kennedys. Oh, and I’d like to see Jesus and the apostles in the early days of their ministry, get the true message straight from the source.
Is that enough things? I hope I can pack a carryon bag with me if I go back too far. I am a big fan of soap and clean water.
Of course, Mrs. Darcy! I’m with you. I’d like to visit ancient civilizations. I’d be thrilled to meet the heroes of the Civil Rights b/c I was a teenager when a lot of that was happening. I was very enthusiastic about RFK’s run for the presidency. I remember JFK. Being Catholic, we felt that we had arrived with a Catholic president. Thanks for your comments.
There are so many to choose from! One era I would love to visit and person I would love to meet would be my great grandfather, who came over from Norway when he was 14 in the mid 1800s. I would actually love to meet his father and mother, as well. His father was a sea captain. I’ve been to Norway once and it’s beautiful. My first attempt at writing was to write a story based on my genealogy, but I only got 3 chapters written. Maybe some day I’ll go back to it. (I’d definitely go back to it if I went back in time to see it first hand!) Fun post, Mary!
I’m seeing a pattern here. Most of us are as curious about our own families as we are about famous people or characters. My first attempt at writing was to write a history of the family in the context of their times. That history led to Searching for Pemberley, and I was off and running.
I’m with the rest of you. I would love to go back and meet my father’s family. I’ve researched it over and over to no results. Apparently no one carried on the family history and so many died young that no one can trace it back. And with names like Williams and Hendrix, there are 9 billion possibilities. LOL
I’d love to meet some of the pioneer women that were willing to pack up everything and go west. I want to meet Clara Barton and see her passion for soldiers and their families. I want to be a fly on the wall at the signing of the Declaration of Independence…and of course I would love to meet Mr. Darcy and see exactly what we’re all missing in our husbands…
I agree with all your suggestions. I’d like to be in Philly during the debates on the Declaration. I’d like to watch the British army march out of New York. I’d give an arm and a leg for a talk with Abraham Lincoln. So many choices.
I giggled through your questions for Austen’s characters.
I would like to visit with Jane, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Agatha Christie I think.
Thanks, Alyssa.
I, too am loving the Austen character questions!
Thanks, Becky.
I love time travel idea ^__^ . as a big fan of doctor who, i already thought at that idea. I’d like to travel back in the penjab (Pakitan) to meet people one of the most oldest civilisation in teh world, see how they were, what like doing. I’m fasinated by history and i’d like to meet the tribes that were living in america before columbus came.
for the authors or persons that are part of history….they are too many..but jane austen. … arthur conan doyle ..Jesus christ ! Mahammud , roosevelt, queen victoria…so many !
If I could travel through time, I would travel back to the 1950s whose fashion I adore. I would love to wear the dresses with their femininely full skirts.
If I could have a conversation with a famous literary person, I would have it with Georgina Darcy.