Leading the way in such a life was The Prince Regent. He illegally married a Catholic after a number of previous affairs and went on to finally marry a German Princess - solely to make Parliament clear his massive debts. On meeting his new bride for the first time he turned to an aide and whispered "Harris, I am not well, pray get me a glass of brandy!" The original Wars of the Wales' were fought very publicly between the Prince and his wife, and while she enjoyed public support, he became deeply unpopular and once again heavily in debt.

The 'Carlton House Set' was the name given to the Prince's group of intimates who would often meet at Carlton House (The Prince's house on Pall Mall). One of 'the set's' main members, Sir John Lade, who married a former maid of a brothel. She later became the mistress of the Duke of York and went on to procure (it is rumoured) whores for the Prince himself!

Other Examples

The Duke of Devonshire lived for years in a ménage a trios at Devonshire House with his wife and mistress Lady Elizabeth Foster (who was also his wife's best friend). And Lady Harley, later Countess of Oxford had so many lovers that the resultant multitude of bastards were known as 'the Harleian Miscellany'.

The Earl of Barrymore was known as 'Hellgate' in recognition of his wild behaviour, while his bother was called 'Newgate' in reference to his criminal activity and the fact that Newgate was one of the only prisons he hadn't been incarcerated in. Their lame brother was called 'Cripplegate' and his foul-mouthed sister 'Billingsgate' after the famous fish-market.

Regency Violence

With muggers and cut-throats roaming the streets of early nineteenth century London, people were at great risk, even in Mayfair, and never undertook a walk alone. Even the Duke of York and the Prince of Wales were attacked and robbed while walking near Berkeley Square. With highwaymen on the roads, 'wreckers' on the coasts and bandits in the forests, it seems that no corner of Jane Austen's England was safe!

The legitimate side of Regency violence was personified by the followers of 'the Fancy' (illegal bare-knuckle boxing championships, regularly watched by crowds numbering between 3,000 and 10,000). Marathon bouts of brute force were frequently fought in and around London, and watched by the cream of Regency male society. The competition was only over when one man lay unconscious, and this often took hours. Cock and dog fighting were illegal, although commonplace.

The regency 'rookeries' (criminal ghettos) of the East End held a fascination for the fashionable man-about-town (or Blood), and dressing down and taking lessons in street-slang, they would ride east to drink, smoke and whore into the small hours.

Alcohol, Porn and Drugs

Richard Brinsley Sheridan was one of the periods legendary drinkers, it was said that he was a "7 bottles of port a day man". However he was not the greatest drinker of his age. According to Gilbert Eliot, "all ages drank abominably", Fox a "great deal", Sheridan "excessively", Pitt "as much as any of them", but none was a match for Dr John Campbell, who – while Pitt and Sheridan were content to drink six bottles a day – "was said to get through thirteen, and they were of port!"

Porn was also a highly prized vice. The traditional route of the grand tour had been suspended as Napoleon's forces subjugated much of Italy and Western Europe. Thus travels around the Eastern Mediterranean became increasingly popular, opening up the British traveller to the eroticism of the Orient. Homo-eroticism and other explicit statuary were bought and returned to the country houses of the rich. Erotic paintings were also prized, collected and stored in a gentleman's bed-chamber, they were fitted with a drape that would hang over the frame hiding the image until it was 'required'.

With drink, sex and porn covered, that must leave drugs! And yes, we can rely on our regency forbears not to disappoint. Laudanum was the drug of choice for any self-respecting Regency 'Buck'. The dried sap from a poppy seed, massive quantities were imported into the UK from Bengal and were taken as a medical panacea and recreational drug. Either smoked for recreational purposes, or taken in water, the beau monde were hooked by the end of the Regency and the Prince Regent regularly took up to 250 drops a day.

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Next: The Role of the Chaperones