Lark Rise To Candleford (TV Series) - Anachronisms

Anachronisms

There is uncertainty about when this story is set; most factors point to the mid-1890s, but if so there are a few anachronisms.

The original novels are set in the 1880s or shortly afterwards. In the first series Mrs. Arless was imprisoned for debt, a practice which was abolished in 1869. The second series featured Dorcas Lane standing for the Parish Council and mentioned how unusual that was; women achieved the right to vote and stand in local (but not parliamentary) elections in 1894.

In the Christmas Special, the final scene shows the villagers singing O Little Town of Bethlehem to Vaughan Williams' Forest Green, which was written for the English Hymnal in 1906. The date stamps on some envelope close-ups at the Post Office show the figures '94' quite clearly, indicating the year to be 1894. In Episode 6 of the second series, Robert Timmins is shown chiseling the year 1895 around the face of the new clock on the church tower. In Episode 9 of the second series, Miss Ellison talks about marriage on Saturday 14 October, which, during the 1890s, only occurred in 1893. In Episode 7 of the second series, Dorcas Lane is looking at her father's birth certificate and comments that he was born in 1825. However, birth certificates were only issued in England from 1837, with the start of civil registration. In the 9th episode of the first series, a newspaper page dated January 7, 1843 is said to be more than 40 years old. Another episode shows Timmins finding a coin hidden behind some mortar on the outside of the church building; the coin is stamped 1795, and later in the episode Robert remarks that the coin is 100 years old.

In the fifth episode of season three, Pearl Pratt is heard speaking of "the A-line skirt", a term coined by Christian Dior in 1955.

In the fourth series it is indicated that cricket is played with 5 balls per over, which was the case for senior matches in the 1890s only — but not at the time being discussed. In the second series a ceremony supposed to be folk magic is performed, but using material from Gerald Gardner devised in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

In Season 2, Episode 1 Cinderella Doe's grave marker read 1815 and Queenie remarks that in her fathers time 80 years earlier a body of a girl was found floating in the lake. That would put the date at 1895.