Category: Former Riskies

TRIFECTA! Gambling, Football, and the Regency

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I have been working hard at what’s turning out to be a total rewrite of the WIP (Work In Progress). I hope to have it out for an outside read soon …. Nevertheless, the pages keep needing to be re-written.

It’s been fun learning about boxing in the Regency. It’s not been so fun learning about how wagers work. It’s slightly more complicated than I wanted it to be. Lay down money! Lose money/Win money! But now, I hope, I don’t have an egregiously wrong/hopelessly vague scene(s) involving money and betting and such.

My brain hurts. And no effing wonder some of these guys lost fortunes!

An Iniquitous Past

In a previous job, I ran the office football pool. I had all the games, the spread, the actual points scored by quarter etc. in a database and I used to slice and dice the results. This was long enough ago that Joe Montana was the 49ers new QB and it looked like maybe he was a better player than anyone expected… and here’s what I learned:

1. The 49ers ALWAYS beat the spread, even when they lost. There was no point EVER not taking the 49ers. Long before any of the papers were writing about the 49er defense, I could see from the mid-season numbers that there was no team even close to as good as the 49ers D. They were the #1 defense across all teams — that is, basically, almost no one scored against the 49ers D, and if they did, it usually didn’t happen in the 2nd half.

2. There were several teams that were consistently favored to win by large spreads and they almost never did. By mid-season, the numbers simply did not support ever picking those teams. The same was true of a couple of other teams, who were doing consistently better than the spreads would imply.

3. I issued a mid-season report to the office so that everyone had the same data I did. Despite the overwhelming numerical evidence, some people continued to pick teams based on their personal biases and gut feelings.

4. The people who were setting the spreads could not possibly have been looking at the same numbers I was. If they had been, they would have been setting different spreads.

5. I won the end of season pool that year. (There was a weekly pool, but a percentage went toward the end of season pool).

6. The 49ers won the Superbowl.

Yes, it’s true that on any given day, any team can win or lose, but the fact was that there was data in those numbers that predicted with a high degree of certainty the outcome of future games. There’s no question that Joe Montana was magic on the football field. But the 49er defense was completely underrated for three seasons, and the odds makers took a strangely long time to adjust to the facts/data.

The Bill Walsh era transformed football in ways that I think still aren’t entirely recognized. I could see from watching my data and from watching the games that the West Coast Offense (led by one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game) and what I will call the West Coast Defense (paid for by a very rich owner, Eddie DeBartelo) was essentially not beatable in the long run — until other teams got faster, bigger players (who were in better shape) and learned how to read offenses and defenses more quickly.

5 superbowls people. The 49ers won three superbowls pretty close together because it took about that long for other teams to understand they needed to play a different game and then acquire and train the coaching and athletic talent necessary to do that. The NFL made some rule changes that affected talent acquisition, so Walsh had to tweak his game, as it were. Boom. Two more superbowls.

Magic happens here.

Now watch me tie this into the Regency:

People gamble with their guts. And they do it in the face of mathematical evidence that their gut is wrong. Anyone who is at all interested in gathering information and looking at it over time will have an advantage, in a sport, in the long run, over someone who goes with their guts. You will take a few losses, but in the long run, you will be ahead of everyone who contaminates their picks with emotion.

The math is more like arithmetic, really. It’s not hard. You just assemble your numbers and let them tell the story. Even in the Regency, there just had to have been people who were geekish enough about some sport — like boxing –to do that sort of thing.

Interesting, no?

Posted in Former Riskies, History, Regency, Research | Tagged data, gambling, Number 16 | 4 Replies

10 Interesting Facts about Taxes During the Regency

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I was thinking I would post more about my pugilism research but I when I wasn’t writing, I was prepping documentation for taxes.

Taxes. Boy. Record keeping. ::sob::

Anyway, here’s ten interesting facts about English Taxes during the Regency.

1. 1,308,254 5s 3 1/4d: Land tax gross receipts (England) in 1811

2. 12,358,673 2s 2 1/2d: Property Tax collected in 1811

3. 3,096 7s 11d: Income Tax collected in 1811

4. 11,322 19s 11d: Income tax collected in Scotland in 1811

5. 112,937 10s 0d: Monies Ireland received from Great Britain, representing 1/3 of the profit on the 1810 lottery

6. PROPERTY TAX.
This poor tax is now become as much the object of senseless abuse as were, in 1798, those who endeavoured to prevent it from being imposed. In 1812 an unfortunate man, named Carter, was imprisoned in jaol [sic], for a year, and lined, for having published a paragraph complaining of the operation of this tax. My Lord Folkestone, who made a motion upon this subject, described this paragraph as being moderate and inoffensive. Yet, for republishing the same paragraph, Mr. Lovell of the Statesman was imprisoned a year or 18. months in Newgate, and also fined,—The selfish and, unfeeling crowds, who are now clamouring against this tax; who are abusing it; who are applying to it all sorts of vile epithets and names, because they now feel the pinch of their pockets; these persons never meet to petition against the prosecutions of the press; no, and they never would have met for that purpose, if every press in England had been demolished and the types thrown into the street, as were those of the American printers at the City of Washington, by command of our military and naval commanders. Saturday, January 18, 1815, Cobbett’s Political Register

7. XVI. And Whereas Difficulties may arise in discovering Lodgers or Inmates in Houses liable to pay the said Rates, Duties and Taxes, in respect of Carriages, Male Servants and other Male Persons, Horses, Mares, Geldings and Dogs; Be it therefore enacted, That the Owner of any House letting the same, or Owners of any Part thereof, to any Lodger or Lodgers in which any Lodger or Inmate shall reside, who shall keep, retain, employ or use any Carriage, Male Servant or other Male Person, Horse, Mare, Gelding or Dog, shall &c. kept shall deliver to any such Officer or other Person authorized as aforesaid, on Demand, or within Ten Days after by their Lodgers. Notice served by such Officer or other Person authorized as aforesaid, by leaving or causing to be left the same at the House of such Person as aforesaid, a true List or Account in Writing under the Hand of such Owner expressing the Name and Surname of every such Lodger or Inmate, with an Account of every Carriage, Male Servant or other Male Person, Horse, Mare, Gelding or Dog kept, retained, employed or used by such Lodger or Inmate, to the best of the Knowledge and Information of such Owner j and if any such Owner (hall neglect or refuse to deliver such List or Account as aforesaid, or shall wilfully omit or misrepresent any Description which ought to be contained therein, or shall make or deliver any undue or false List or Account, every such Person so offending shall for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of Twenty Pounds. Penalty. The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 24 (1816)

8. In Great Britain, the principal taxes upon the necessaries of life are those upon salt, leather, soap, and candles. Heavy taxes upon these commodities must somewhat increase the expence of the sober and industrious poor, and must, consesquently, more or less raise the wages of their labour. Such taxes, notwithstanding their immediate effect, afford a considerable revenue to government, and accordingly they are continued and multiplied.Consumable commodities, whether necessaries or luxuries, may be taxed in two different ways. The consumer may either pay an annual sum on account of his using or consuming goods of a certain kind ; or the goods may be taxed while they remain in the hands of the dealer, and before they are delivered to the consumer. The consumable goods which last a considerable time before they are consumed altogether, are most properly taxed in the one way. Those of which the consumption is either immediate or more speedy, in the other. The Cyclopædia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and …, Volume 35

9. An Act to repeal the additional Duty on British made Wine or Sweets granted by an Act of this Session of Parliament. [25th May 1815.]

WHEREAS by an Act made in this Session of Parliament, intituled An Act for granting to His Majesty, until the Fifth Day of April One thousand eight hundred and nineteen, additional Duties of Excise in Great Britain, on Sweets, Tobacco, Snuff and Excise Licences, an additional Duty of Excise Is imposed for Liquor made in Great Britain for Sale, by Infusion, Fermentation or otherwise from Fruit or ‘Sugar, or from Fruit or Sugar mixed with any other Ingredients or Materials whatsoever, commonly called « Sweets, or called or distinguished by the Name of Made Wines: And Whereas it is expedient to repeal the ‘said additional Duty;’ Be it therefore enacted by The King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That, from and aster the Eighteenth Day of February One thousand eight hundred and fifteen, the said additional Duty shall be and the same is hereby repealed. repealed.

II. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioners of Excise in England and Scotland respectively, or Entries of any Three or more of them respectively, shall and they respectively are hereby authorized and empowered to Duties to cause any Sum or Sums of Money which shall have been charged as any such additional Duty for or in respect charged of any such British-made Wine or Sweets to be discharged from and out of the Books and other Documents containing any Entry or Entries of or relating to any such Charge, or Sum or Sums of Money. The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 24 (1816)

10. Examination of Lord Henry Petty’s Plan of Finance.

We have already given an account of Lord Henry Petty’s plan of finance. It was proposed to Parliament and the public, in the year 1807, accompanied with an elaborate set of tables. Being very complex, it was not generally understood. As it promised to raise the necessary loans with little or no increase of taxes, it was favourably received, and probably would have been continued for some years if the ministry who brought it forward had remained in office.
INQUIRY CONCERNING THE RISE AND PROGRESS, THE REDEMPTI0N AND PRESENT STATE, AND THE MANAGEMENT, OF THE NATIONAL DEBT GREAT BRITAIN. (1814)

Number 10 is my favorite.

Posted in Former Riskies, History, Regency | Tagged Taxes | 2 Replies

Remedies

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I have a cold and so this post is about …. Regency Remedies from my 1815 New Family Receipt Book.

General Rules for The Preservation of Health

1. Avoid, as much as possible, living near Church Yards.

check!

2. Valuable concise Rules for preserving health in Winter.

a. Keep the feet from wet.

check!

b. avoid too plentiful meals.

uh oh…

c. drink moderately warm and generous, but not inflaming liquors.

OK, this confuses me a little but I’m going to assume that my morning coffee overdose fits the bill.

d. Go not abroad without breakfast.

Hmm. I have my cereal when I get to work…

e. Shun the night air as you would the Plague.

I am indoors right now!

f. Let your house be kept from damps by warm fires.

I’m counting the AC. Is a fire ever anything but warm? I guess he means a fire big enough to warm the room.

Preventive of autumnal Rheumatisms

For the sake of bright and polished stoves, do not, when the weather is cold, refrain from making fires. There is not a more useful document for health to the inhabitants of this climate, than “Follow your feelings.”

I was baffled by this for some time. I finally realized this means, don’t avoid making fires because you want to keep your stove bright and polished.

I always follow my feelings, so SCORE!

Does anyone one else think the author worked on this and finally said, What the hell else can I say about not getting antumnal rheumatisms? oh fuck it. Follow your feelings!

My feelings right now are, how soon before the cold meds kick in?

Posted in Former Riskies, Research | Tagged Medicine, Please Feel Sorry for Carolyn She has a Cold, Regency Health Care | 8 Replies

Closing In ….

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I am closing in on being done with my current historical project. So…. close.

And yet it feels so far away.

like this

—>> · <<—

only that dot is the planet Jupiter.

That’s how far away it feels.

It’s really far away, Even though I have 80K words which ought to be done, really, other than polishing, which always puts me at about 90-95K and it doesn’t feel done.

I have to go write.

Jupiter.

Posted in Former Riskies, Writing | Tagged Agony | 4 Replies

Flash – The Sporting Set

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

As I’m working on finishing up Lucy and Thrale’s story (Sinclair Sisters, Book 2) I’m researching boxing and the like. I came across this interesting article: Hazlitt’s Prizefight Revisted, Pierce Egan and Jon Bee’s Boxiana-Style Perspective by David Snowdon posted at Romantic Textualities. Make a note, because it’s a fascinating article.

Which is not what my post is about. My post is about this book by John Bee:

Sportsman’s Slang, a New Dictionary of Terms used in the Affairs of The Turf, The Ring, The Chase, and The Cock-Pit; with Those of the Bon-Ton and The Varieties of Life, Forming the Completest and Authentic Lexicon Balatronicum et Macaronicum, particularly Adapted to the use of The Sporting World for elucidating Words and Phrases that are Necessarily, or Purposely, Rendered cramp, mutative, and unintelligible, outside their respective Spheres. Interspersed with Anecdotes and Whimsies, With Tart Quotations, And Rum-Ones; With Examples, Proofs, And Monitory Precepts Useful and Proper for Novices, Flats, and Yokels. Editio altera.

Let’s call it Sportsman’s Slang for short, eh?

Here’s a definition that answered a long-held question of mine (In the text, this is all one paragraph, but that’s too visually dense so I have added paragraphs for readability:

Bon ton: highflier Cyprians and those who run after them; from Bon–good easy–and ton or tone; the degree of tact and tension to be employed by modish people; frequently called ‘the ton’ only. Persons taking up good portions of their hours in seeking pleasure are of the Bon-ton, as stage actors and frequenters of play houses, visitors at watering-places officers &c. &c. See Haut ton.

In Paris they are both called Le bon genre. The appellation is much oftener applied than assumed. High life, particularly of whoredom: he who does not keep a girl or part of one, cannot be of the Bon ton; when he ceases, let him cut. Bon ton is included in haut-ton, and is French for that part of society who live at their ease, as to income and pursuits, whose manners are tonish, and who, like other divisions of society, employ terms of their own, which rather sparingly they engraft on the best King’s English. Mascul. et Fem.

Terms which denote the ton: ‘The go, the mode, or pink of the mode; bang-up, the prime of life, or all prime; the thing, the dash, and a dasher; quite the Varment–a four-in-hand, a whip, a very jarvy; a swell, a diamond of the first water.’ None can expect to attain perfection in all these unless he could obtain the same assistance that Faustus had, viz. Leviathan; and then he could not begrudge to meet the same end.

OK, so the phrase I have often wondered about is “Diamond of the First Water” as applied to a person. This is the first time I’ve seen the phrase in period literature. Mind you, here it’s used with a definite note of, shall we say ironic contempt? But here, we do not see the term specifically applied to a woman, and if it were, we might be excused for thinking Bee meant to imply a whore.

At any rate, I’ve wondered if the phrase might be a Heyer-ism, but if it is, she had some period authority for it. In fact, as I’ve been scanning through this, there are so many phrases I recognize from Heyer and her successors that I began to think she must have had this book in her library.

Are there phrases you’ve often wondered about?

Edited to Add!

There are dozens of uses of “Diamond of the First Water” with respect to jewelry and many that, in the same breath, mention giving that jewelry to a mistress who expects such a gift, but also many that apply the term to things that are not diamonds– and from there it’s really not hard to imagine applying the phrase to a woman. And, there are some. In the one below, we see a rather racy application of the term from dialog in a play which I include here because it made me laugh.

From Dissipation: A Comedy in Five Acts. As it is Performed at the Theatre-Royal, by Miles Peter Andrews, 1781.

EPHRAIM: What ish impossible! There ish your friend Lady Rentless that I wash more intimate with than you are Maisher Alderman, for all you are my Lord’s captain.

ALDERMAN: You intimate with my Lady? Why she’s the very pink of the mode, makes fashions for the whole town, gives entertainments to the whole town, sits up all night. Why, drill me, but she’s a diamond of the first water.

EPHRAIM: Aye; I love the diamond of the first water and have got the possession of most of them.