Lord George Hell in "The Happy Hypocrite"

In "The Happy Hypocrite" Max Beerbohm tells about a regency rake named Lord George Hell, debauched and profligate....

I know what is a "rake", but I wonder what does "regency rake" mean in this case?

And the word "Lord" before "George Hell" is only a nobility title? or is actually part of his name?

I don't know what "regency rake" means, but "Lord" would be a title, not his first name.

"Regency" here means the period in the UK in the early 19th century when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, later George IV, ruled in his stead as Prince Regent. See this Wiki article and its links for more detail.

regency (uncountable)

1. a system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.
2. the time during which a regent is in power.
3. (Regency) in Great Britain, the time during which George, Prince of Wales, was Regent (1811-1820).

Source: Wiktionary.

I suppose that "regency" here could be linked to any or none of the above definitions. Only the context of this sentence will tell. For example, in what historical period is the story set? 👁 Smile :)

Thank you anotherSmith !
Thank you Loob !
Appreciate your help.

Thank you Cropje ! Yes, I think the story is set in the 19th century.

Regency is one of these archetypal, iconic periods in British history.

The period when a lot of historical romances is set, when the gentlemen were dashing & the ladies charming, at the very cusp of the most glorious era of the Empire, but without the taint of the Industrial Revolution (the period covers years between 1811 and 1820, but is often stretched culturally a few years back and forward as well): time of grace and civilisation, high manners and high society, minus the heavy moralising of the Victorians.

And they (the British) all looked so good then. And of course that's when the Waterloo happened.

All that is a perception, idea, I am not trying to say that things were like that then 👁 Smile :-)


Of modern authors, Georgette Heyer wrote hundreds of well-known regency romances, but the most famous authors from that period are probably Jane Austen and Walter Scott.

Thank you Madga for all this interesting information !