Gainsborough: Ladies luncheon club learns about the life of a Georgian gentleman

A keen and well-qualified historian, David’s talk The Essence of a Georgian Gentleman profiled the life of John Custance.

Mr Custance was an ambitious and wealthy Georgian man who married an even more wealthy wife.

He owned a large estate in Norfolk and served as a gentleman of the bed chamber at the court of King George III.

David’s information about Mr Custance was gathered from diaries written by James Custance and Parson John Woodforde.

Christine Ellis, a historian specialising in historical costume, accompanied David and showed the group examples of what would have been worn in the Georgian period.

The pieces included an elegantly embroidered silk waistcoat - similar to the type Mr Custance would himself have worn.

Using his collection of authentic Georgian artefacts David showed the group how a Georgian gentlemen would have lived - and what he would have had in his waistcoat pockets at the many functions he would have attended.

The next meeting of the luncheon club will be on Thursday 10th October at the Weston Rooms in Gainsborough.

The guest speaker will be Babs Powell from Pans People, who will be talking about sailing the seas after sailing round the world.