flemmings | (no subject)

My weekend reading is the first of Charles Finch's historical mysteries. Finch is American so when his Victorian Londoners exit a house they stand on the stoop, and a housekeeper refers to herself as Miss Harrison. Unmarried people engaging in sexual relationships say they're having an affair, which could be Victorian usage for all I know to the contrary, but it sounds odd to my ear. And there's an earl who was a military man and is called Captain Lord James Grey, Earl of Deere, and I'm not even going to try to guess if that's kosher because the usage of British titles is a one-way ticket to madness or migraine or both.

My other book was The Gates, a kids' book about a, well, kid called Samuel Johnson and his dog Boswell, which was nicely Pratchetty with footnotes and all, until chapter two introduces some unlikable adults who are henpecked if male and domineering if female and fat, whatever. Ah yes, nasty fat people, a staple of children's literature. Pfui, as that other fat man used to say.

What I want more of is Clark's fairy tales, particularly Tom Brightwind's Jewish physician friend Montefiore. I thought there were two stories with Montefiore but there's only one.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

For what little it's worth, affair sounds odd to my ear too. The guy's title rings truer except for that I'd expect an earl to be higher than captain unless they inherited young.

I think it would be - if he bothered with the military title - Captain James Grey, Earl of Deere - the 'Lord' is redundant in that context, but he would be referred to as 'Lord Deere' - ?'Captain Lord Deere'.

I assume he was not the eldest son and his brother died, if he was even pursuing a military career, a thing I have ranted about before. There might be some honorary rank in the country regiment but God forbid the actual heir might be risked on the field of battle. The Army, like the Church, was what you did with younger sons.

I'm not 100% sure and can't be bothered to google, but I think officially that the only military title one should continue to use after leaving the army is major or higher. Having said that, Poirot's friend is Captain Hastings and Agatha Christie presumably knew what was in common usage. However, I agree with you that Captain Lord James Grey, Earl of Deere just sounds wrong.

Ah, so that's why General Tilney is still a general? But no, I can't explain Hastings either. We must assume Dame Agatha had reasons why he kept the title.

No, we don't risk our heirs if we can help it. Surely a younger son come untimely to the title. Or else, of course, Finch is as bad at noble titles as I am.

Yeah, I'd accept liaison at a pinch, but affair seems too modern. As oursin notes below, Captain Lord sounds redundant.