The English Social Scene ~ January, 1809

It seems odd to think of January in the middle of the heat and drought that we are enduring where I live. I don't like January, but cold air and precipitation don't seem totally repulsive at the moment!

Adverse weather aside, the January of 1809 was one full of assemblies, balls, concerts and parties. At least it was according to the newspapers I have been reading.

The Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle of Monday, January 2, 1809 was particularly full of notices:

The Salisbury and Winchester Journal of the same day, advertises the Southampton Winter ball at the Dolphins Inn as did the Hampshire Telegraph, but adds other events as well.

The Bath Chronicle of the same week has, not unexpectedly, a large advertisment for its Assembly Rooms:

The Derby Assembly Rooms meanwhile were looking for sponsors to help with renovation:

It is not clear if winter balls were taking place while this process was going on.
In The Northampton Mercury there were notices of two upcoming entertainments:

And The Bury and Norwich Post was also advertising balls:

On considering the matter, I would have thought that the prospect of driving in an unheated carriage, to an ill-heated ballroom, in inadequate clothing (particularly in the case of women) would dull many people's interest in the parties and balls advertised. But perhaps Regency folk, like us, sought diversion from the dreary winter weather. There was certainly a social whirl underway in January of 1809 all across England!

'Til next time,

Lesley-Anne

N.B. Newspapers from the British Newspaper Archive

A Ball-Supper

We've all read of the lobster patties eaten at the suppers provided at balls. Sometimes it seems that the only item of food is the lobster patty. But period cookery books show that the food for the ball supper was taken very seriously, and was extensive.

The plate below is from The Housekeeper's Instructor of 1805. I am not sure why it indicates a 'ball supper for twenty people'. Certainly the amount of food shown would provide for many more people than twenty.

A few items are unfamiliar. The 'marangles' listed seem to be present day meringues; here is a recipe from the same book:

The 'galanteen' is a veal dish, a spicy savory:

 In the first plate, 'desert' is displayed in the lower part of the illustration. Below is another illustration of confectionary for the ball supper. This plate comes from The Complete Confectioner of 1819.

A book titled The Practical Confectioner, published in 1822, apparently has complete bills of fare for ball-suppers. I've not been able to locate a copy of this book; I'd love to have a look at it.

The above mention and review is from The Monthly Review for 1822.

Almost every cookery book had mentions of dishes for ball-suppers, or, how a dish might be tweaked for presentation at such an entertainment. The Complete System of Cookery from 1816 offered such an adjustment:

Of course, not everyone had a ball room. If you had to hire a venue for your ball, you might also need to hire the food preparation. An advertisement in The Cheltenham Guide of the early 1800's offers:

Next time my characters are at a ball and feeling rather peckish, they will be eating fricandeau and marangles rather than lobster patties!

'Til next time,
Lesley-Anne

Addendum, 2013/10/30:

I have just come across this menu for a ball supper for forty people. It comes from The New London Family Cook, a book from 1808: