Regency England Research - post 13 - FAITH; hatches, matches and dispatches

Hatches, matches and dispatches; a note-so charming phrase, really. It of course, refers to marriages, births and deaths; all part of the rich tapestry of life.

I was curious as to what part religion played in the lives of the Regency elite. They were so debauched I rather wondered if they practised Christianity at all. But, naturally, they did. They just weren’t terribly devout.

Going into the clergy was considered a respectable profession for rich young men, albeit a third class occupation. Perhaps suitable for the second son whose father had no additional estate to bestow upon him. Indeed, it was the lot in life for these poor chaps to make their own way in the world. Their options were; clergy, officer, lawyer or doctor. There were a few ways to make your living in the church.

But I digress. In Great Britain we have what is called the Anglican Church, or the Church of England (CoE). Gone were the fiery tempests of the Tudor times. Although, some religious movements were murmuring, such as the Methodists. The social elite would’ve generally stuck to the CoE though, as they wanted to ensure an Oxbridge (Oxford or Cambridge University) entry for their cherubs.

Church would be attended each Sunday, generally speaking. Although, I suspect once in town for the Season this was less adhered to. I couldn’t find much on this specifically. Pews could be rented, and the wealthy would reserve box pews.

Weddings were clearly an important aspect of Regency life. Do please note the types of marriage license. A special license was very rare, despite what you may have read in novels. A common license though, now that would be more plausible. It avoided the lengthy banns process (see link for full details).

You may find an outline of wedding procedures here or here.

Funerals could be rather dangerous affairs in England during the Regency, as that link shows. Funeral processions may be attacked. Even the verbal abuse shouted may terrify the gently bred young ladies. Also, showing too much emotion in public was unseemly. So, many upper class ladies did not attend such events.

And then there were births. New mothers would end their period of confinement with a churching service. “Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth” was a special ceremony. Quite frankly, after such an ordeal, I think I’d fall on my knees and thank God for my survival too. That link takes you nicely through the whole process of bringing children into the world, including a section on christening.

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer was still in use. There’s a useful link there to wording of all church ceremonies.

So there you have it, a brief explanation on hatches, matches and dispatches the Regency way.

Go in peace.

Always in love and light,

TL

For a little flavour of all of the above do consider reading this author's book Regency Love