Romancing the Research

It's been so long since I've been about.  Shameful, indeed!  Where have I been?  Cruising the information highway for answers to a thousand questions.  Like? Well, since you asked...

1.  How large is the typical country estate of a Regency noble?
2.  What did the homes look like inside?
3.  What grew in the garden?
4.  How long did it take to get from York to London by horse?  By carriage?
5.  How many servants did a typical household employ?
6.  What is the etymology of certain words like...buffoon, fop, dandy.
7.  What garden structures were likely to be in gardens/parks/lawns of the Regency nobility?
8.  What if no heirs were born to a noble?  Who inherited the title?
9.  Could the widow of a noble be left with nothing?
10. What were people naming their children in the late 1700s and early 1800s?

The list goes on and on.  I've found wonderful resources for some of the questions I must answer to make my story both accurate and worth reading.  One of the best resources I've found is Jane Austen's World, a blog that is chock full of tantalizing bits about the Regency Era.  I also found Candice Hern's website to be extremely helpful.  She offers more resources that I know will answer my questions. 

I must make a trip to the library, soon.  I'm hoping to find answers to the questions regarding the Regency time period that will enhance my book. 

Where do you go for answers to historical questions?  Do you have a go-to source?  I'd love to know!

Happy Writing!