The Six Degrees of Georgette Heyer

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I've found a wonderful new displacement activity! Those of you who read the BBC History Magazine might already be familiar with it. It's called The Six Degrees of Francis Bacon and it works on the same principle as Six Degrees of Separation, which is the idea that each person on the planet is only six steps away from anyone on earth.

To take up the History Magazine's challenge you start with any reasonably well known person from any historical period and/or country and find something that links them to another historical figure. You can be as wild and wacky as you like, with literally ANYONE eligible. Within six steps you have to link them to Francis Bacon, Queen Elizabeth I's chancellor. I have wasted (I mean spent in useful research) literally hours and hours on this conundrum. Then I thought that as a Regency author, why not devise The Six Degrees of Jane Austen? Or The Six Degrees of Georgette Heyer? I'll report back when I've worked it out. Or if you get there first, let me know...

Comments

Michelle Styles said…
Not quite sure what you mean. How many degrees between the author and Georgette Heyer?
Or how many degrees between Heyer and Austen?
With you, I would confidently say that there are no more than 3 degrees of seperation between you and Heyer as there are only 2 degrees of separation for me.
With Austen and Heyer I would have to think.
4 February 2009 at 16:37
Nicola Cornick said…
Sorry if I didn't explain it properly! Six degrees between any historical figure and Georgette Heyer. Or six degrees between any historical figure and Jane Austen... So for example I am trying to get from Anne Boleyn to Georgette Heyer in only six steps, counting only famous females in history.
4 February 2009 at 16:53
Michelle Styles said…
Ah now I understand. I can do JA to GH with one degree, but not with a woman. Jane Austen> George IV who wrote to her > Georgette Heyer who wrote about him in Regency Buck.
Anne Boleyn is harder. I would be tempted to use the Inner Temple connection.
4 February 2009 at 17:40
Michelle Styles said…
And with using males as well.
Anne Boleyn>Queen Elizabeth I> James I>Master Rougier>Georgette Heyer But I haven't done females.

Anne gives birth to Elizabeth who gives the crown to James who gives the charter to the Masters of the Inner Temple one of whom eventually was Master Rougier whom Georgette Heyer gave birth to. My daughter liked the symmetry.
4 February 2009 at 18:03
Nicola Cornick said…
Ooh, yes, I like that one, Michelle! That is excellent. That's exactly the sort of thing the BBC History Magazine are looking for. And you can use anyone, male or female, ancient history or modern, which makes is a load of fun!
4 February 2009 at 18:34
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