“ton” in the Victorian era

'Ton' can mean either 'fashion' or 'people of fashion'. It's pronounced the French way with a muted 'n'.

The American word 'toney' meaning 'fashionable' is also derived from the French word 'ton'.

I'd forgotten all about "ton"; its a long time since I read any Georgette Heyer. To add a little to what Skeeter has said, it's from the French "bon ton", and refers mainly to members of the upper classes and to the fashionable.

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bon-ton

In an article on Beau Brummel, Wikipedia says "His personal habits, such as a fastidious attention to cleaning his teeth, shaving, and daily bathing exerted an influence on the ton, upper echelons of polite society, who began to do likewise." Whether Brummel was ever accepted as a member of the ton, I don't know.

I can find only one reference in Jane Austen - "A clergyman must not be high in state or fashion. He must not head mobs, or set the ton in dress" (it seems she didn't mean mob in the way we understand)

There are three instances in Vanity Fair:

"Every visit which this leader of ton paid to her family was more unlucky for her"

"Scores of the great dandies of London squeezed and trod on each other on the little stairs, laughing to find themselves there; and many spotless and severe ladies of ton were seated in the little drawing-room"

"She wants ton sadly," said Mrs. Hollyock. "My dear creature, you never will be able to form her."

Doing a search for "bon ton" in Google Books gives quite interesting results: "Bon ton or: High Life above the Stairs" was the name of a play by David Garrick, published in 1781. A magazine called "Bon Ton" was published in 1818, although I don't know how long it lasted, and there was a novel published anonymously in 1820 - "Supreme Bon Ton: and Bon Ton by Profession". So it was obviously a well-known expression in regency times.

https://www.google.pl/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q=bon+ton&btnG=

To return to Heyer, "Georgette Heyer's Regency England", by Teresa Chris, has 31 pages with references to "ton", but we are only allowed to see one: "prying eyes of the ton in London".

re: WW's last paragraph.I meant we're only allowed to see one in Google Books.

Thank you to Warsaw Will and to Skeeter Lewis. You both enriched my understanding.
Will, I plan to reacquaint myself with Georgette Heyer including the book by Teresa Chris.
Thanks again. m/

I seem to remember my favourites as being Devil's Cub and An Infamous Army; they may have been light books, but her eye to historical detail was excellent.

"Must not head mobs?"
Will - what does that mean?

Hi Skeeter
From what I understand, simply groups of people, for example political parties. In an essay on the semantics of 'mob', one academic suggests that 'Edmund's use of head of mobs suggests the position of authority over a heterogeneous mass of people'. Just google the quote to see various discussions.

Edmund repeats both areas a clergyman should not be:
'(he) must not be high in state' - '(he) must not head mobs'
'or fashion' - 'or set the ton in dress'

I came upon this thread while verifying the French or French-styled pronunciation of ton. In discussion of mobs from the nineteenth century quotes mentioned, it would imply the same kinds of attached meanings that hangers-on or groupies or entourage would in today's America. That is, the proper and acceptable behavior is not to be a person who in any way preens himself or herself on having a horde of followers, and to not in any way encourage or court such followers. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a notable for excellence in riding skill, or fencing, or particularly distinguished mode of apparel, et cetera might well be copied by impressed admirers but should never seem to notice or want that - he or she should seem indifferent to being so much noticed and respected. Brummell is a good example - he chose to wear little jewelry and choose dark colors with white shirts during an era when most men in high society were still in bright colors and dripping with lace and jewelry. Brummell was bathed and impeccably groomed when many others just slapped on more cologne to cover up odors. Brummell doubtless was aware that he was a leader of fashion, but the point is that he didn't appear to acknowledge it nor did he solicit groupies.

I'm discovering that this may be the origin of 'panettone', from the Milanese dialect term 'pan del ton', in which 'ton' would mean the same as described here. (Christmas was the only time of year when the poor were allowed to eat the same bread as the rich.)