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[Zahir]

Not sure if this is the right venue, but here's hoping...

I'm in the planning stages of a story that will be a kind of Victorian metafiction--not unlike Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series or Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (albeit on nowhere near that scale).

The story takes place circa 1830 on an island off the coast of England, near Scotland. I'm seriously considering making it one of a small archipelago whose other members may hint at some famous fictional isles. The squire of the island is named Usher (a la Mr. Poe) and his wife is the daughter of the main characters in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (her maiden name--Tilney--will most certainly come up). Likewise somebody in the story will end up with the name Grice-Patterson (a reference to one of Sherlock Holmes' untold adventures). Three ships form part of the plot or are mentioned--HMS Wessex (for Thomas Hardy's fictional English County), HMS Indomitable (from Herman Melville's Billy Budd) and the "lumber ship" Grace of God (this is much more obscure--a pivotal location in a novel by Wilkie Collins). The central character, a Governess from Cloisterham (from Dickens' Mystery of Edwin Drood) is named Catherine Reed (based on one of the unused characters from Bram Stoker's original notes for Dracula).

Maybe this all sounds too precious for words? Maybe. But I'm looking for ideas regarding other references, preferably fun ones. Names of the servants at the manor house for instance, and a name for the manor house itself.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[sgt.null]

HP Lovecraft had many a servant in his stories.
check Rats in the Walls first.

Robert E Howard also had stories set around the era.

let me know if that helps.

[Zahir]

Been looking through Lovecraft and have found a few useful details. Unfortunately (or my purposes) most of his stories deal with America and specifically America of the early 20th century.

Still, I found a reference to a fictional lunatic asylum as well as a family name I can give to a naval officer (who can share a 'local legend' based on the very story you recommended).

Thanks!

[aliantha]

If you can get a Bertha Mason in there somewhere, that was the maiden name of Rochester's first wife in Jane Eyre.

The only servants I can think of off the top of my head are Mrs. Fairfax, also from Jane Eyre, and Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca (which is too late for your purposes, I think).

[Menolly]

For some reason, when I think "servant" I think major domo. And the only major domo that pops in to mind is "Higgins" from Magnum, P.I. Definitely too late for you.

[sgt.null]

Been looking through Lovecraft and have found a few useful details. Unfortunately (or my purposes) most of his stories deal with America and specifically America of the early 20th century.

Still, I found a reference to a fictional lunatic asylum as well as a family name I can give to a naval officer (who can share a 'local legend' based on the very story you recommended).

Thanks!

you are welcome.

[Zahir]

As a matter of fact, the Kitchen Maid in my story went to Lowood, i.e. the same school as Jane Eyre.

And that perhaps gives a better notion of what I'm looking for--not so much specific characters as connections. The butler for example is a Mr. Lovatt, who abandoned his wife in London because (among other things) she was a terrible cook, especially when it came to meat pies.