"And how am I to lay out the three guineas for you, Ben?" said Mr. Gresham; "speak, what do you wish for first?"
"A great-coat, uncle, if you please." Gresham bought the coat; and, after it was paid for, five-and-twenty shillings of Ben's three guineas remained."
[Waste not, want not, The Parent's Assistant, by Maria Edgeworth]
This post continues the examples of prices for commodities, goods, services or admission begun in part one.
Clothing, hats and accessories
In June 1799, Jane Austen wrote about buying a black lace veil for sixteen shillings.
In 1800, Morse's Italian Corsets were selling for between 10 shillings 6 pence and 15 shillings.
In April 1800, Mr Bowman was advertising his crop perruque, or wig, to be worn unpowdered, for three guineas. His dress peruques, to be worn with powder, were between three and five guineas.
During May 1800, Collyers of the Poultry were selling Ladies and Gentlemens stout china silk stockings for 7s 6d a pair, or three pair for a guinea. Very stout black stockings were available for 8s 6d each.
In 1802, you could hire costumes from the Masquerade Warehouse for anything from 5 shillings to £2 2s each.
In 1803 you could buy a gentleman's light beaver hat for 18 shillings, duty included, and a folding cocked hat for 27 shillings, "being the most pleasant hats ever worn".
The Bath Chronicle advertised in 1805 that L. Ings, of Milsom Street, was selling velvet pelisses from £3 13 shillings 6 pence to £7 7shillings, cloth pelisses from 28 shillings to 42 shillings, and corsets and stays from 10s 6d to £1 11s 6d.
In 1806 Mr Collyer was advertising fine silk stockings, for ladies and gentlemen, from seven shillings 6 pence per pair or three pairs for a guinea. His prices were unchanged from six years earlier!
In 1809, you could buy white sarsnet fabric for 3s per yard, blue linen at 7¾d per yard, flowered satin at 14s 9d per yard, Venetian silk at 11s 8d per yard and fine broad cloth (suitable for riding dress or gentlemen's coats) for 17s and 3d per yard.
In 1810, Mr. Cowan sold gentleman's ready-made Hessian calfskin boots for £1 and 16 shillings, and jockey boots for £1 and 13 shillings.
That same year, Maria Edgeworth wrote about a "worked muslin cap, which cost sixpence, done in tambour stitch, by a steam-engine."
Also in 1810, Taylor's Company in Pall Mall were offering leather breeches for £2 14 shillings, leather pantaloons for £3 3 shillings, a superfine cloth great coat for £5 10 shillings, a best superfine cloth coat for £4 4 shillings, waistcoats from 18s to £1 1s, a suit of Regimentals for £9 9s, Naval uniforms for £8 8s and a suit of liveries (for servants) for £5 15 shillings.
In 1811, Jane Austen bought some checked muslin at seven shillings a yard. She was also "tempted by a pretty coloured muslin" for which she paid 3s 6d per yard. She bought some bugle trimming at 2s 4d, and three pair of silk stockings "for a little less than 12s a pair". She also paid 17s each for two pelisses, when the dressmaker charged "only 8s for the making, but the buttons seem expensive." She also ordered a straw hat "of the riding hat shape" for which she paid one guinea.
In 1812, Irish linen cost 5d per ell. (an "ell" length was 45 inches, or 1¼ yards) Eight ells would be enough material to make up three men's shirts, at a total cost of 2s.
The question of how many yards of material were needed to make a dress was answered in one of Jane Austen's letters from 1813, when she said: "I went the day before (Friday) to Layton's, as I proposed, and got my mother's gown -- seven yards at 6s. 6d."
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Reading the Regency
Non-FictionA guide to Regency England for readers of classic literature or historical fiction set in the early 19th century. England, as it was in the early 1800's, can sometimes be as confusing to a modern reader as travelling to a foreign country. Their clot...
