Regency Timeline

Here you will find a chronology of the years of the extended Regency period, beginning with the first Regency Crisis in 1788 through the death of George III in 1820. This timeline is not intended to be a comprehensive history, but rather a brief summary of key events in the areas of politics, society, arts, literature, etc. All names are linked to Wikipedia entries. Each of Candice's books is set in a specific time. Readers may use this timeline to place the stories in the context of real events.

1788

George III's first bout of madness brings about the first Regency crisis. Cricket rules are codified. The Time of London begins...

1789

A Regency Bill is introduced in Parliament. Fletcher Christian lead a mutiny on the Bounty. William Blake publishes Songs of...

1790

Louis XVI accepts a constitutional monarchy. J.M.W. Turner is accepted into the Royal Academy at age 15. Mozart's opera "Cosi Fan Tutte" premiers in...

1791

The Priestly Riots take place in Birmingham. Society of United Irishmen is founded. Boswell's Life of Johnson is published....

1792

Louis XVI and his family are arrested and held as prisoners. Mary Wollstonecraft publishes Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Gas lighting is...

1793

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are executed. The Louvre Palace is opened to the public as a museum. A Scot is the first to...

1794

Lord Howe defeats the French fleet on the Glorious First of June. Mrs. Radcliffe publishes The Mysteries of Udolpho. Drurary Lane Theatre...

1795

Famine in England. The infamous "Gagging Acts" are introduced. The Prince of Wales gets married. A meteorite strikes Yorkshire....

1796

Princess Charlotte is born to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Fanny Burney publishes Camilla. First vaccinations against smallpox take...

1797

Nelson knighted after Battle of St. Vincent. The Bank of England issues the first £1 note. The silk top hat makes its first...

1798

Nelson is victorious at the Battle of the Nile. Irish rebel leader Wolfe Tone is captured. Lyrical Ballads is published by Wordsworth and...

1799

World's first income tax. Wellesley defeats Tipu Sultan in India. The Royal Institution is...

1800

Napoleon invades Italy. Maria Edgeworth published Castle Rackrent. The Royal College of Surgeons is founded....

1801

The Act of Union creates the United Kingdom. The London Stock Exchange is founded. Beethoven completes the Moonlight...

1802

Peace with France. Madame Tussaud arrives in London. Debrett's Peerage begins...

1803

Napoleon negotiates the Louisiana Purchase with the United States. The first public railway in England opens....

1804

Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of France. The Royal Horticultural Society is founded. The Lewis and Clark expedition...

1805

The Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson. The British Institution is founded. The London Docks...

1806

Lord Grenville becomes Prime Minister. Watier's Club is founded. La Belle Assemblée begins...

1807

Lisbon is captured by the French. Lord Byron publishes his first volume of poetry. Pall Mall is the first street to be lit by...

1808

Napoleon invades Spain. British forces land in Portugal. Covent Garden Theatre burns down. Read more ...

1809

The Duke of York involved in scandal. Wellesley victories earn him the title Viscount Wellington. A new theatre opens and an old one burns...

1810

More victories for Wellington in the Peninsula. Two cabinet ministers duel over troop deployments. London gets its first Indian restaurant. Read more...

1811

The Regency Act is passed. The Luddite Movement begins. Jane Austen's first book is published. Read more...

1812

The Prime Minister is assassinated. Wellington's star continues to rise. The Brothers Grimm publish their first collection of fairy tales. Read more...

1813

British forces are busy in the wars on the Spanish Peninsula and in America. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is published. Westminster Bridge is...

1814

Napoleon is defeated and exiled to Elba. The Thames freezes and the last Frost Fair is held. Edmund Kean storms the London stage. Read...

1815

Two major wars come to an end. The Corn Laws are introduced. Lord Byron gets married. Dental floss is invented. Read more...

1816

It's the "Year Without a Summer." Byron and Brummell each leave England never to return. Princess Charlotte gets married. Read more...

1817

Post-war economic depression and mass unemployment stir riots and protests throughout England. Jane Austen dies. The first public picture gallery opens. Read more...

1818

The king's sons race to marry and sire legitimate heirs. Queen Charlotte dies. The first blood transfusion takes place. Read more...

1819

The Peterloo Massacre inspires political protest and government restraints. A big year for the Romantic poets. Edible chocolate is introduced! Read more...

1820

George IV becomes king. The Queen goes on trial. Sir Thomas Lawrence becomes president of the Royal Academy. Read more...