Hopefully I’m not the only nerd who has admired Georgian-era door hardware! If you’ve ever visited a historic home, you’ll know those “doorknobs” aren’t quite what they seem!

The modern turning doorknob didn’t exist during the Regency. Our heroes and heroines would never “turn” a doorknob to enter a room. The first documented patent for a turning doorknob was by Osbourn Dorsey (an American) in 1878, nearly six decades later, and at the time, called a “Door-Holding Device.” Yikes! (Don’t let a time traveling doorknob sneak into your book!)

What Regency Doors Had Instead

• Rim locks: Box-like mechanisms mounted on the door's surface. Common for their relative affordability and straightforward installation.

  
  

• Mortise locks: Built into the door and reserved for the finest rooms and wealthiest homes. Thomas Jefferson, for example, specified mortise locks for important rooms at Monticello around 1805.

  
  

• Suffolk and Norfolk latches: Popular rural hardware—simple thumb-operated levers that held doors closed, often without a keyhole. Suffolk latches (no backplate) were used into the early 19th century, while Norfolk latches (with backplate) didn't appeared until around 1800–1820.

  
  

• Keys & keyholes: Keys were common, especially for master suites or personal rooms. The actual keyhole was usually paired with an escutcheon—decorative and protective plates surrounding the keyhole.

Who Used Which Type?

Which of these was used depended on the wealth of the homeowner and property, as any sort of door locking mechanism was expensive.

• Rim locks were the most common.

• Mortise locks would only be found in the homes of the elite.

• The Suffolk/Norfolk latch was especially popular in rural homes or for less formal doors.

• Keys (paired or not with escutcheons) were common for doors that might require privacy and security, such as bedchambers (or the butler’s pantry and wine cellar).

What you’ll typically find on interior manor doors would be a heavy, fixed, decorative knob used solely for grip to aid in the pushing or pulling of a door to open it or close it. There’s not likely to be a functional latch, and there definitely won’t be any twisting or turning involved. You just might see the fixed knob in the center of the door rather than on the side near the door jamb. Let's dig in a little deeper:

How They’d Use Doors in the Regency

1. Grip and Push/Pull

Most doors had a fixed knob (not one that turned) or sometimes a simple latch bar. To enter:

• They’d grip the knob or pull ring to steady the door, then push/pull it open.

• If the door had no knob, just a rim lock, they’d push on the wood itself once unlocked.

For writers, consider these phrasing possibilities:

• “She gripped the cold brass knob and pushed the door inward.”

• “He set his hand to the iron latch, pausing before lifting it.”

2. Unlocking with Keys

For locked or private rooms, keys were essential. The key was inserted into the escutcheon and turned the rim or mortise lock.

• No “clicking handle” — it was the turn of the key that secured or released the bolt.

• Typically, there was no fixed knob paired with the keyhole rather just the keyhole. Turn the key in the keyhole, and push the door open.

For writers, phrasing options:

• “The heavy key turned with a reluctant scrape.”

• “She hesitated, the key cool against her palm, before fitting it into the lock.”

3. Thumb Latches (Rural/Common Rooms)

On less formal doors (servants’ areas, cottages), a Suffolk/Norfolk latch was common. You pressed the thumb-piece to lift a bar.

For writers, consider these options:

• “He lifted the latch and slipped inside.”

• “With the faint clink of the bar, the door yielded.”

4. In Writing

When your character pauses dramatically before entering, they would likely:

• Rest their hand on the knob, latch, or key.

• Feel the metal chill or the weight of the key in their hand.

• Hear the faint creak of hinges or scrape of the lock when they finally move.

Dramatic phrasing options:

• “Her hand rested on the brass knob, unmoving, the silence deepening around her.”

• “He held the key in place, the decision as heavy as the iron in his palm.”

Check out this fun post from author Ella Quinn:

https://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com/2018/03/29/regency-trivia-things-that-didnt-exist-during-the-regency/

Another short post on the history of door knobs:

https://www.tbks.co.uk/blog/ask-the-expert/the-history-of-door-knobs