Joanne Major

As the weather is turning cooler, let's take a look at quilted petticoats. They were an item of clothing that transcended any notions of...

‘What rake is ignorant of King’s Coffee House?’ (Henry Fielding, The Covent Garden Tragedy, 1732). There are many tall tales told about...

May Day, or, Jack in the Green We'll banish Care, and all his Train Nor thought of Sadness round us play Fly distant hence, corroding...

Sir Joshua Reynolds painted the courtesan Nelly O’Brien twice, between 1762 and 1764. Both paintings were paid for by her lover,...

Mr Courtoy, who died a few days ago, was a native of France, and, when young, served in the French army. He was by trade a hairdresser,...

In All Things Georgian: Tales from the Long Eighteenth-Century, I recounted the adventures of Sarah Wilson, aka Lady Wilbrahammon…...

Etienne Daly has been researching the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle for a decade now. In that time, he has uncovered some fascinating...

This is an updated post of my original on a former blog. It reveals information about Dido Elizabeth Belle’s siblings, much of which was...

This is a fascinating story that proves fact is stranger than fiction. Grab a drink, sit back and enjoy! Elizabeth (Eliza) Frances...

I’m delighted to let you know that my latest book, Kitty Fisher: The First Female Celebrity, is now published. If you have pre-ordered a...

My biography of Kitty Fisher has a cover! It will be published in October 2022 (in the UK), and is already available for pre-order at...

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in 1761. Her mother was an African slave, Maria Bell, and her father a British aristocrat, Captain John...

Richard ‘Beau’ Nash, dandy, Bath’s Master of Ceremonies and unofficial ‘king’ of the city was born in 1674. He set the rules by which...

Welcome to my new blog! I’m so happy that you’ve stopped by. If you enjoy my ramblings, please do consider signing up for updates. Today...