In The Earl's Revelation, La Duchesse uses a hearing trumpet. She would have used something like the selection below.
How aides were used
When we picture 1817, we often imagine elegant drawing rooms, horse‑drawn carriages, and the social rituals of the Regency era. What we picture far less often is disability, and yet physical impairments were a common part of life. War injuries, industrial accidents, congenital conditions, illness, and the lingering effects of childhood diseases such as smallpox or polio meant that many people lived with mobility, sensory, or chronic physical limitations. As historian David Turner notes, physical impairment was woven into everyday Georgian life far more visibly than modern assumptions suggest (Turner, 2012).
So how did society in 1817 respond? What aids existed? And what support (formal or informal) could a person with a disability expect?
The answers reveal a world in transition: part ingenuity, part charity, part neglect, and part quiet resilience.
Support for Sensory Disabilities
Blindness
Formal education for blind people was still rare, but raised‑letter books and tactile teaching tools were emerging. The Liverpool School for the Blind, founded in 1791, was one of the earliest institutions of its kind in Britain (Borsay, 2005).
Deafness
Manual sign systems existed in Britain, though not yet standardised. Ear trumpets and speaking tubes were available for those with partial hearing. Wealthier families sometimes hired tutors skilled in lip‑reading or articulation training, a practice documented in early British deaf‑education records.
Various types of hearing aids illustrated in the 2nd edition of Frederik Dekkers' 'Exercitiones' from 1694.
The early 19th century held contradictory views. Disability was often seen as a personal tragedy or divine trial, yet many disabled people worked, married, travelled, and lived full lives. War heroes with amputations were publicly celebrated, and craftsmen adapted tools and techniques to continue their trades. Turner (2012) emphasises that impairment did not automatically equate to social exclusion in Georgian Britain.
References
Anderson, J. (2011). War, disability and rehabilitation in Britain: ‘Soul of a nation’. Manchester University Press.
Borsay, A. (2005). Disability and social policy in Britain since 1750: A history of exclusion. Palgrave Macmillan.
Porter, R. (1997). The greatest benefit to mankind: A medical history of humanity. HarperCollins UK.
Turner, D. M. (2012). Disability in eighteenth‑century England: Imagining physical impairment. Routledge.
Mobility Aids
The most common mobility aids were simple:
- Wooden crutches
- Walking sticks or canes
- Early tripod canes
These were widely available and often made by local craftsmen. As Porter (1997) observes, everyday medical aids in the Georgian period were typically practical, homemade, and unregulated.
Bath Chairs
By 1817, the Bath chair, invented in the mid‑18th century, was the most recognisable wheeled mobility device. These chairs were pushed by an attendant or pulled by a small horse and were especially common in spa towns such as Bath and Cheltenham, where invalid tourism flourished (Anderson, 2011).
Early Wheelchairs
Early wheelchairs existed but were heavy, wooden, and mostly used indoors in hospitals or wealthy homes. They represented the earliest attempts at personal mobility technology in Britain.
Carriages
People with mobility impairments might:
- Ride in low step‑in carriages
- Use Bath chairs for short distances
- Hire sedan chairs in cities
Buildings
Accessibility was minimal. Steep stairs, narrow doorways, and uneven floors were common. Some churches and theatres offered front‑row seating as a courtesy, not a policy.
Orthopaedic Supports and Prosthetics
Prosthetic Limbs
The Napoleonic Wars (ending in 1815) created a surge in amputees, accelerating innovation in prosthetics. Peg legs remained common, but articulated wooden legs with knee joints were available to those who could afford them. British limb‑makers, often trained as carpenters or blacksmiths, produced devices that were functional if not always comfortable (Anderson, 2011).
Braces and Supports
People with spinal curvature, limb weakness, or joint instability might use:
- Leather‑and‑metal braces
- Corsets designed for spinal support
- Splints for long‑term injuries
These were typically custom‑made and expensive.
I can imagine the Duchesse using something like this below (provided it had a French provenance, that is!). Of course, she is much more elegant than the lady in this picture!
Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1985-0119-133, Public Domain
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