Named after the Regency Act of 1811, which saw the ailing King George III appoint his son, George, Prince of Wales to act as Prince Regent, the Regency period is commonly said to have lasted in Britain from 1795 until 1837, ending with Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne.

It is widely remembered as a time of classical style, and the era is also the backdrop of Bridgerton, the extremely popular television show. Nailing period detail in historical dramas is an art in itself, and you may well have spotted many items on this list in Bridgerton. Others, however, might just surprise you.

1. A Broom
2. A Teapot
3. A Dining Table
4. A Larder
5. Candles
6. Roasting Jacks
7. Sand

A Broom

The Regency Period was a dusty time. Roads and paths were unpaved, and one of the chief modes of transport was the horse-drawn cart. Cattle were a regular sight in the centers of towns and villages. Animal waste and dry dirt blew inside every house. Add in coal residue from indoor fireplaces, and we can begin to imagine the daily struggle to keep a home clean. 

Brooms constructed of birch wood were the weapon of choice for the wise Regency homeowner. If you were wealthy enough to employ servants, sweeping would take up a large portion of their duties.

A Teapot

By the time of the Regency period, tea had been in Britain for over one hundred and fifty years, and although it was still relatively expensive, it was firmly ensconced as the drink of choice for the rich and the working classes alike. In an age before cafes and coffee shops, tea drinking was a home-centered affair and a regular ritual. In more affluent households, tea would be drunk twice a day, after breakfast and dinner, usually in the drawing room—the room in the house where visitors would be entertained. 

A Dining Table

Family dining formed the center of Regency life, with breakfast served around 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., and dinner around 5 p.m., although the timing of the latter could vary widely. With no ready-made meals and everything prepared and cooked by hand, families all ate together when possible, and this was an important social ritual across the monetary divides. Richer families, of course, would often hold lavish dinner parties with multiple courses and entertainments. 

Regency dining tables were influenced by classical designs, and were generally clean and stylish. The more expensive examples worked on a pedestal system, whereby extra sections could be added to accommodate any number of guests.

A Larder

In Regency times, kitchen cupboards were yet to come into their own. Most food and kitchen implements would be stored in a larder—a special room designed to be kept cool and well-ventilated. Stone larders were ideal for keeping perishables, including bread, meat, fish, and vegetables, relatively cold during hot weather. Food would be laid directly onto shelves made of slate or marble and perhaps covered with muslin cloth. 

Candles

Oil-burning lamps did not become staples in England until the beginning of the Victorian era. Before then, candles were the go-to light source for every home. Poorer families would use rush-lights—stripped rushes dipped into animal fat and clipped to the wall. Rush-lights had a burn time of approximately one hour, so it’s easy to imagine what a tedious process this must have been.

Middle-class homes would use tallow candles, made from mutton fat. The main drawbacks of tallow candles were an unpleasant odor and their need to be carefully watched, lest a burned-out wick fall into the tallow and cause disaster. Beeswax candles were employed by the wealthy as they burned more cleanly, and were perfect for lighting chandeliers!

Roasting Jacks

Ovens or stoves that completely enclosed fires were not yet common during the Regency period. The easiest and most widely used method to cook meat at this time was to simply hold food in place over an open flame. 

Every kitchen would have had an open fireplace, and the chef would have to manually turn the meat to ensure it was evenly cooked throughout. Roasting jacks were invented to ease this process, saving valuable time in rotating the meat. These came in many varieties, from hand-powered and dog-powered (yes, dog-powered!) to ingenious clockwork models.

Sand

This may sound surprising, but sand was a common element found in every home. Indoor plumbing was still decades away from becoming a standard feature, and therefore in most homes, every drop of water would have to be carried from a nearby well, river, or stream. 

This precious liquid was seldom used for cleaning, and because of this, in the kitchen at least, sand came into its own. Sand was routinely spread over kitchen floors to absorb fats and other spillages. In poorer homes, it would also be employed in other rooms to prevent dirt from sticking to surfaces. This sand would generally be swept out weekly as part of the general cleaning process.