Author: Kristine Hughes

Originally published April 2008

One of the delights of living in England is discovering how much survives from the Regency period (and in some cases before). I first came across Floris after reading an article about the men’s clothing shop Hackett. Floris is a perfumery on JermynStreet and has occupied no 89 for about 250 years at least. It remains family run and the current head, John Bodenham is an 8th generation descendant of the founder Juan Famenias Floris. Floris was founded in 1730 and the shop has a small museum full of scent bottles and combs that I go and look at every time I am in London. The shop is lovely — all glass and mirrors with wonderful scents. The Spanish mahogany cases were acquired in 1851 from the Great Exhibition. However, I was never that sure when a particular scent was created. I simply knew that I liked them. Stephanotis is beautiful and I fell in love with Malmaison earlier this year. Their Lily of the Valley is heavenly. And my dd adores Edwardian Bouquet. And to the wearer of particular scent, that is all that matters.

But when were the scents developed? And can I use them in my books? What were people in the Regency period actually wearing. Recently the Floris catalogue has been giving details about its scents and when they were developed.

Lily of the Valley was developed about 250 years ago. So say around 1758 — making it a Georgian scent. Its top notes are green and lemon with heart notes of jasmine, lily of the valley,rose and tuberose. The base note is musk. Another Georgian scent Floris does is Limes and that was developed in the late 1700s to combat the awful smells and heat of the London summer.

Stephanotis was developed in 1796 by the son of the founder — James Floris. It combines the scents of the traditional bridal bouquet and was made because James Floris noticed how many brides were getting in and around St James. So what the Regency society bride might have worn. And it is truly lovely — top note orange blossom, heart notes of carnation, coriander, lily of the valley, stenphanotis, jasmine with base notes of musk, powdery notes and sandalwood. In the flower language that was popular at the time, stephanotis means good luck. Another Regency fragrance is the Night Jasmine scent that was inspired by the jasmine scent that John Floris created in 1806. The floral design imprinted on their soaps dates from the early 19th century.

Malmaison is late 19th century by the way and is based on the Malmaison carnation, one of the more fashionable flowers of the late Victorian period. Apparently Oscar Wilde used to wear Malmaison carnations. The Malmaison scent is far heavier than the Stephanotis or Lily of the Valley. Top notes of cinnamon, cloves and lemon with heart notes of malmaison carnation, rose ,ylang and base notes of cedarwood, musk, patchoui, and vanilla. The Floris catalogue lists Malmaison under its classicfragrances — suitable for either men or women. My dad’s favourite Edwardian Bouquet dates from 1901 and was a celebration of the new era. It is a lovely floral scent.

Anyway, it goes to show that a good scent can stand the test of time. And with its wide range of scents (Ian Fleming had James Bond wear no 89 for example) , there is a good reason why Floris is thriving today. But I thought I would toss out a few of the more historic scents in case people were interested. Floris does ship worldwide, but a visit to its shop in Jermyn Street should be a must for any one interested in the Georgian or Regency periods.

Please visit Michelle Styles’s author blog here. 

POST TOUR WINDSOR: PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Not far along the High Street (toward the Great Park)from the Guildhall and Museum is the Parish Church of Windsor, St. John the Baptist. Victoria here, again, wandering the sights while Kristine languished in her sickbed.

I am always curious to get a look at pretty churches so I went in for a visit.  Built in 1822, it followed the old  Gothic Style of architecture. With enlargements, it can seat 1,000 people and is a frequent venue for weddings and other ceremonial events as well as parish functions.

Recently, author Susana Ellis ran a 23 part series about the history of Vauxhall Gardens on her blog, based upon the fabulous coffee table book she aquired, above. Chock full of historical tidbits and images, the series is not to be missed by anyone interested in the Gardens or London history. You’ll find Part One of the series here.

I’m sure we all wish that the Gardens still existed so that we could wander the grounds and buildings and imagine ourselves walking beside the notables who promenaded the lanes whilst listening to the bands and watching the magnificent illuminations. Personally, I would have loved to have been there for the Waterloo Celebrations. These days, it often takes a lot of imagination to be able  to disregard the trappings of modern London in order to envisage the past. On a prior trip to London, I stood upon Hampstead Heath and gazed down upon the City proper, imagining what the place might have looked like in the dark of night, with footpads and highwaymen laying in wait for unlucky travellers foolish enough to cross the Heath on moonless nights. I also walked the grounds of Ranelagh Gardens, now an offshoot of the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. No Rotunda, alas, nothing left but the images one carries in the mind and the heart.

Fortunately, intrepid seekers of the remnants of Vauxhall Gardens can contact London Trails, a London based company that offers walking tours using routes that follow old maps. Their Vauxhall Gardens tour is on my bucket list.