Smith&Gosling World

This will be a “blogroll” of posts with useful information for you, dear Reader, about the era of Emma Smith and Mary Gosling (also known as Mrs. Austen Leigh and Lady Smith), from approximately the 1790s through the 1860s.

In the future this could include Costs of goods, in period money. Weather (be it Hampshire or London). Popular Plays & Players. Books read (by them; not necessarily me). Travel, home and abroad. Art is an important point to consider (like the snippet of drawing above). Fashion, of course, is often discussed here. I’ll hunt up some of those already discussed. Never forget the page with links to the likes of Ackermann’s Repository et al.

 

Today, it starts with:

• The London Two-Penny Post (in 1835)
• Cost of Single-Sheet letter, postage according to distance (in 1797/98)
• Some sample costs for goods and for servant wages (1794)