In April, I’m posting 26 blogs, one for every letter of the alphabet. I write historical romance set in Regency England, and I’m offering a brief lexicon of words to help you understand the story world of my Regency characters. Follow the links for more in depth information.

F is for Four Horse Club:

The Four Horse Club was also known as the Four-in-Hand, the Whip Club, or the Barouche Club.

The Four in Hand Club, Hyde Park, by James Pollard

The Four-in-Hands in Central Park, 1889

These illustrations are later than the Regency, but they depict the driving technique, four horses with the reins rigged to be handled by one driver. The club was formed in 1808, from “a wild group of young men who enjoyed bribing coachmen to give them the reins to the vehicles and then driving them at break-neck speeds along the very poor British roads.”

The club had strict requirements for the color and appearance of a member’s barouche and dress. Twice a month they took their individual teams and carriages out and drove themselves in a long parade…to lunch!

Questions? Comments? Visit tomorrow for the letter G!

Images: badge, a-to-zchallenge.com; carriage, Wikimedia