Do you carry an umbrella when it rains, prefer a raincoat, don a hat, or simply hope for the best?

The Georgian era defined umbrella usage for the English. Prior to the Georgian era, there was no such thing as an umbrella in England. It wasn’t even until 1710 that the first umbrella light enough to carry with convenience was designed, this by a Frenchman.

There were parasols for the ladies, but these were used to stave off the sun, not to protect against rain. For rainy day weather, people walked quickly, wore a hat/bonnet, covered their head with a shawl or hooded cape, took a sedan chair or hackney, or avoided going out altogether.

During the 18th century, however, the French's use of this parasol designed to protect a lady against rain caught the attention of the English. Since this was a lady’s accessory, men would never be caught carrying one. Not until the mid-18th century, that is, when Frenchman took to using parasols with impunity. The English continued to avoid using any such item, however, considering it a testament to their manliness not to need one. By the late 18th century, the distinction of terms was introduced—parasols for the sun and umbrellas for the rain.

Jonas Hanway, a philanthropist and traveller, was the first gentleman in England to use an umbrella—and so monumental was this moment that it has been well documented and captured in art! He made his brave walk in the rain roundabout 1750.

Despite this, it was not until the Regency era when gentlemen finally admitted to the practicality of using an umbrella, and thus it became a unisex accessory, although many gentlemen still held off, such as Beau Brummel, who considered it unfashionable and unmanly.

With the increase in popularity, the design changed so that women’s umbrellas still looked like frilly parasols but with the oiled silk to protect against rain, while the gentlemen’s umbrellas were starker. Frilly or stark, the construction was similar in that the frame was wood or whalebone, which made it heavy to carry overhead and the oiled silk difficult to open and close when wet. It was expected, given the weight, that a gentleman would carry a lady’s umbrella for her if possible, or if entering a carriage, the coachman or manservant would hold it to walk the lady from shelter to the carriage or in reverse.

A not to be missed article all about these umbrellas can be found from Jane Austen’s World:

https://janeaustensworld.com/2011/05/26/18th-century-umbrellas/