I took a fascinating tour, via research books and websites, into the inner workings of gristmills during the Regency. I was also able to tour a gristmill here in Minnesota that was built about forty years after Millstone of Doubt takes place, and the docent was able to guide me through the mechanisms and processes of water-powered stone grinding. If you’re ever in southeast Minnesota, the Pickwick Mill is worth a look. https://pickwickmill.org.

Hammersmith on the Thames! I decided upon Hammersmith as the setting for the Montgomery gristmill because it met all the qualifications I needed. It is on the river, it is near London, and it even had a legendary ghost. You can read more about the Hammersmith Ghost, the tragedy, and the trial at https://londonist.com/london/features/hammersmith-ghost-story-murder.

The Dove, mentioned in the story, is a real pub, and it’s been in Hammersmith since the early eighteenth century. It is rumored that the lyrics for “Rule Britannia” were penned in The Dove in 1740. If you’re in Hammersmith, be sure to pop in! https://www.dovehammersmith.co.uk.

Many thanks to author Maria Grace, whose blog Random Bits of Fascination was so instructive and informative on the topic of Regency archery. I loved getting to use the word toxophilite in this story. https://randombitsoffascination.com/2019/07/16/regency-era-archers/.

Lockewood Hall is a fictional estate in Kent, but the house described in Millstone of Doubt is based upon the fabulous Ham House in Richmond, near London. You can learn more about Ham House at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house-and-garden.

As to the succession of titles, I was privileged to take a class given by Isobel Carr on “Inheriting an English Peerage (With a Few Notes on Scottish Ones as Well)” through the Regency Academe at The Beau Monde. If you’re a Regency fiction writer, I encourage you to check out The Beau Monde. It’s a wonderful resource and community of Regency writers. If you have a research question about the Regency era, someone there will know the answer! https://thebeaumonde.com/main/.

A conspiratorial nod to CJ for the loan of your name for my Italian anarchist and help with a few German words. You were there from the very beginning of this writing journey, and I thank you! And a thank you to Becky Cromwell Cromer for her aid in the Italian translation.

While I’m saying thank you, I’d like to say to Julie Klassen and Michelle Griep. Whether it’s your willingness to jump in on whatever my latest harebrained video venture might be, or sharing your vast knowledge of all the history things, or celebrating and commiserating this crazy writing life with me, you are simply the best.