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Robin Eagles

History of Parliament, The Lords 1660-1832, Department Member

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I am Editor of the House of Lords 1660-1832 Section at the History of Parliament.
My research ranges between the Restoration and the mid-to late 18th century. My interests include aspects of parliamentary history from the early modern period to the late eighteenth century - in particular those relating to the aristocracy; concepts of honour and nobility in the late-seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries; diplomacy; interaction between Britain and the continent, and expressions of 'patriotism' exemplified by the opposition to the administration of Walpole.
Alongside of these I am also one of the honorary general editors of the London Record Society, with a particular focus on our 17th and 18th-century publications.
Address: London,
United Kingdom

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Books by Robin Eagles

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, And His World: Restoration Court, Politics And Diplomacy

This book offers the first major reassessment of the life and work of Sir Henry Bennet, earl of A... more This book offers the first major reassessment of the life and work of Sir Henry Bennet, earl of Arlington, for over a century. Arlington was one of Charles II’s chief ministers and the book charts his early years through to the careers of his descendants, examining his political development as a courtier, diplomat, linguist and politician. Authored by a series of experts in the field, the book not only shines a light on his career, but also on Charles II’s reign as a whole, on the Cavalier court and on Restoration politics. Arlington was a significant player in international politics and this is reflected in the collection’s treatment of his time abroad in the 1650s, his central role as an advisor and ambassador, and his influence in Ireland.

The History of Parliament: the Lords 1660-1715, ed. R. Paley, 5 vols. (Cambridge University Press, 2016)

by Ruth Paley, Robin Eagles, and Charles Littleton

The House of Lords, 1660–1715 5 Volume Hardback Set EDITOR: Ruth Paley, History of Parliament Tr... more The House of Lords, 1660–1715
5 Volume Hardback Set

EDITOR: Ruth Paley, History of Parliament Trust
Beverly Adams, Anne Creighton, Robin Eagles, Stuart Handley, Andrew Hanham, Richard Harrison, David Hayton, Paul Hunneyball, Matthew Kilburn, Charles Littleton, Ruth Paley, Paul Seaward, Graham Townend

The Diaries of John Wilkes 1770-1797 (London Record Society, 2014)

http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14578

Francophilia in English Society 1748-1815 (Palgrave, 2000)

http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/francophilia-in-english-society-17481815-robin-eagles/?K=9780... more

Journal articles by Robin Eagles

"Frederick, Prince of Wales, the ‘Court’ of Leicester House and the ‘Patriot’ Opposition to Walpole, c.1733–1742"

The character and reputation of Frederick, prince of Wales, have long divided historians. His app... more The character and reputation of Frederick, prince of Wales, have long divided historians. His apparently piecemeal efforts at opposition have been dismissed as lacking in focus, while his mercurial character and early demise have left him difficult to assess. The aim of this article is to attempt once more to reappraise the Prince both as a man at the head of a specific political interest but also more broadly as the symbolic figurehead of a wider patriot movement within society. Through analysis of the contemporary press, and of some of the key members of the Prince's own household, this essay will argue that Prince Frederick was more than just a figurehead for the patriots, if impeded by circumstances and occasionally distracted by his own protean tendencies.

Unnatural Allies? The Oxfordshire Elite from the Exclusion Crisis to the Overthrow of James II

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-0206.2007.tb00699.x/abstract

Geoffrey Holmes and the House of Lords Reconsidered

Parliamentary History, 2009

The publication of Geoffrey Holmes's British Politics in the Age of Anne, arguably, did more than... more The publication of Geoffrey Holmes's British Politics in the Age of Anne, arguably, did more than any other volume of the period to reinvigorate interest in the house of lords in the Augustan period. The upper chamber, which had been largely overlooked by historians such as Sir Lewis Namier and Robert Walcott, had come to be regarded as a very inferior partner to the house of commons, populated by great landowners whose principal interest was to see the furtherance of their kinship networks. Holmes's work demonstrated clearly the central role of the Lords in British political life and revised radically the accepted orthodoxy that family predominated over ideology in the early 18th century. This article seeks to reassess Holmes's contribution to the study of the Lords in the light of research undertaken since the publication of British Politics and to suggest some ways in which Holmes's model, which remains broadly unassailable, might be reshaped.

No more to be said?? Reactions to the death of Frederick Lewis, prince of Wales

Historical Research, 2007

The untimely death of Frederick, prince of Wales, in 1751 has inevitably had an impact on the way... more The untimely death of Frederick, prince of Wales, in 1751 has inevitably had an impact on the way in which he has been treated by historians. While some have considered the influence his opposition grouping at Leicester House had on the policies of his son, George III, most have been happy to rely on a few well-known sources in considering the immediate repercussions of his death. This article seeks to reappraise the reaction to Prince Frederick's unexpected demise by considering the politics behind the ceremonial of his funeral, the debates in parliament over the drawing up of the Regency Bill, and the wider public response as revealed in newspapers, sermons and verse.

'If he deserves it': William of Orange's Pre-Revolution British Contacts and Gilbert Burnet's proposals for the post-revolution administration, Parliamentary History 32:1 (2013)

The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid ... more The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid much attention to the sheer depth of William of Orange's acquaintance with a broad swathe of British society. Many of the choices the prince made during the invasion and in the years leading up to it were influenced by his contacts in Britain. He knew the court well and had made some efforts to influence the timings of parliaments and the direction of policy under his uncles, Charles II and James II. The shape of the regime that emerged after his successful overthrow of James II was also informed by his knowledge of a number of senior British politicians and this is reflected in a list compiled by one of his followers, Gilbert Burnet, in the course of the revolution. This article seeks to cast new light on the preparations that lay behind the invasion and the reasons for the appointments that were made in the new administration of William and Mary.

Loyal opposition? Prince Frederick and Parliament (1729-51), Parliamentary History 33:1 (2014)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-0206.12023/abstract

'"I have neither interest nor eloquence sufficient to prevaile": The duke of Shrewsbury and the politics of succession during the reign of Anne', eBLJ (2015), article 11

Abstract On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberl... more Abstract
On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberlain and appointed in his stead Charles Talbot, duke of Shrewsbury. Many have seen in this event the opening salvo in Robert Harley's assault on the ministry of the duumvirs, Godolphin and Marlborough, which culminated in the establishment of the Harley ministry later that year. Shrewsbury's role in all of this has tended to be overlooked, in spite of his subsequent appointment as lord treasurer in Harley's place at the close of Anne's reign. This paper seeks to return the focus to Shrewsbury as a politician of real weight and to reconsider his role in the events of spring 1710 and summer 1714.

‘ "I Who Speak Always Unpremeditately": The Earl of Mulgrave’s Speeches Against Corruption and in Defence of His Honour, 1692 and 1695', eBLJ (2016), article 6

Book Chapters by Robin Eagles

'The Inkhorn Lord'? Locating Arlington's Connections

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, And His World: Restoration Court, Politics and Diplomacy, 2020

Beguiled by France? The English aristocracy, 1748-1848

In L. Brockliss and D. Eastwood, eds., A Union of Multiple identities: the British Isles c.1750-c... more

'The only disagreeable thing in the whole': the selection and experience of the British hostages for the delivery of Cape Breton in Paris, 1748-9

In K.H. Doig and D. Medlin, eds., British-French Exchanges in the Eighteenth Century (2007)

The House of Lords, 1660-1707, in Clyve Jones, ed. A Short History of Parliament

'Opening the door to truth and liberty': Bowood's French connection, in Nigel Aston and Clarissa Campbell Orr, eds, An Enlightenment Statesman in Whig Britain: Lord Shelburne in Context, 1737-1805, (Boydell, 2011)

http://universitypublishingonline.org/boydell/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9781846158537&cid=CBO97818461585... more

Conference papers and online publications by Robin Eagles

$Research paper thumbnail of ‘Vicious, scandalous, refractory or otherwise not qualified’: Lord Hatton’s mission to Guernsey 1662-5$

‘Vicious, scandalous, refractory or otherwise not qualified’: Lord Hatton’s mission to Guernsey 1662-5

Parliamentary Intoxication

While it might be too much to suggest that alcohol was the life-blood of Restoration and Augustan... more While it might be too much to suggest that alcohol was the life-blood of Restoration and Augustan parliamentary society, it seems fair enough to suggest that it was a significant element that helped sway opinion, was a source of much needed tax-raising potential and, of course, helped keep members well-lubricated during lengthy sessions. One need only perform a cursory search on British History Online to see that this is so. A search for the term “beer’ limited to Parliament and to the 17th century results in 751 hits, for the 18th century 233 hits; a similar search on “ale” results in 690 hits for the 17th century and 212 for the 18th; while “wine” in the 17th century produces 1,472 hits and for the 18th (a rather modest) 268: in all, then, 3,626 mentions – and these comprising just three varieties of alcohol. It may be a blunt instrument, but as an indicator of the time given over by Parliament to matters related to beers and wines it is at least suggestive that this was a topic that kept many a parliamentarian busy during the period.

'Open house at hell'? Honour and corruption within the House of Lords c.1688-1700

This paper reconsiders whether the House of Lords was the subject of widespread corruption during... more This paper reconsiders whether the House of Lords was the subject of widespread corruption during the reigns of William III and Mary II. Considering both the physical state of individual peers and investigations into abuses of privilege, it seeks to examine the extent to which there was a problem in the body politic in this period.

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, And His World: Restoration Court, Politics And Diplomacy

This book offers the first major reassessment of the life and work of Sir Henry Bennet, earl of A... more This book offers the first major reassessment of the life and work of Sir Henry Bennet, earl of Arlington, for over a century. Arlington was one of Charles II’s chief ministers and the book charts his early years through to the careers of his descendants, examining his political development as a courtier, diplomat, linguist and politician. Authored by a series of experts in the field, the book not only shines a light on his career, but also on Charles II’s reign as a whole, on the Cavalier court and on Restoration politics. Arlington was a significant player in international politics and this is reflected in the collection’s treatment of his time abroad in the 1650s, his central role as an advisor and ambassador, and his influence in Ireland.

The History of Parliament: the Lords 1660-1715, ed. R. Paley, 5 vols. (Cambridge University Press, 2016)

by Ruth Paley, Robin Eagles, and Charles Littleton

The House of Lords, 1660–1715 5 Volume Hardback Set EDITOR: Ruth Paley, History of Parliament Tr... more The House of Lords, 1660–1715
5 Volume Hardback Set

EDITOR: Ruth Paley, History of Parliament Trust
Beverly Adams, Anne Creighton, Robin Eagles, Stuart Handley, Andrew Hanham, Richard Harrison, David Hayton, Paul Hunneyball, Matthew Kilburn, Charles Littleton, Ruth Paley, Paul Seaward, Graham Townend

The Diaries of John Wilkes 1770-1797 (London Record Society, 2014)

http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14578

Francophilia in English Society 1748-1815 (Palgrave, 2000)

http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/francophilia-in-english-society-17481815-robin-eagles/?K=9780... more

"Frederick, Prince of Wales, the ‘Court’ of Leicester House and the ‘Patriot’ Opposition to Walpole, c.1733–1742"

The character and reputation of Frederick, prince of Wales, have long divided historians. His app... more The character and reputation of Frederick, prince of Wales, have long divided historians. His apparently piecemeal efforts at opposition have been dismissed as lacking in focus, while his mercurial character and early demise have left him difficult to assess. The aim of this article is to attempt once more to reappraise the Prince both as a man at the head of a specific political interest but also more broadly as the symbolic figurehead of a wider patriot movement within society. Through analysis of the contemporary press, and of some of the key members of the Prince's own household, this essay will argue that Prince Frederick was more than just a figurehead for the patriots, if impeded by circumstances and occasionally distracted by his own protean tendencies.

Unnatural Allies? The Oxfordshire Elite from the Exclusion Crisis to the Overthrow of James II

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-0206.2007.tb00699.x/abstract

Geoffrey Holmes and the House of Lords Reconsidered

Parliamentary History, 2009

The publication of Geoffrey Holmes's British Politics in the Age of Anne, arguably, did more than... more The publication of Geoffrey Holmes's British Politics in the Age of Anne, arguably, did more than any other volume of the period to reinvigorate interest in the house of lords in the Augustan period. The upper chamber, which had been largely overlooked by historians such as Sir Lewis Namier and Robert Walcott, had come to be regarded as a very inferior partner to the house of commons, populated by great landowners whose principal interest was to see the furtherance of their kinship networks. Holmes's work demonstrated clearly the central role of the Lords in British political life and revised radically the accepted orthodoxy that family predominated over ideology in the early 18th century. This article seeks to reassess Holmes's contribution to the study of the Lords in the light of research undertaken since the publication of British Politics and to suggest some ways in which Holmes's model, which remains broadly unassailable, might be reshaped.

No more to be said?? Reactions to the death of Frederick Lewis, prince of Wales

Historical Research, 2007

The untimely death of Frederick, prince of Wales, in 1751 has inevitably had an impact on the way... more The untimely death of Frederick, prince of Wales, in 1751 has inevitably had an impact on the way in which he has been treated by historians. While some have considered the influence his opposition grouping at Leicester House had on the policies of his son, George III, most have been happy to rely on a few well-known sources in considering the immediate repercussions of his death. This article seeks to reappraise the reaction to Prince Frederick's unexpected demise by considering the politics behind the ceremonial of his funeral, the debates in parliament over the drawing up of the Regency Bill, and the wider public response as revealed in newspapers, sermons and verse.

'If he deserves it': William of Orange's Pre-Revolution British Contacts and Gilbert Burnet's proposals for the post-revolution administration, Parliamentary History 32:1 (2013)

The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid ... more The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid much attention to the sheer depth of William of Orange's acquaintance with a broad swathe of British society. Many of the choices the prince made during the invasion and in the years leading up to it were influenced by his contacts in Britain. He knew the court well and had made some efforts to influence the timings of parliaments and the direction of policy under his uncles, Charles II and James II. The shape of the regime that emerged after his successful overthrow of James II was also informed by his knowledge of a number of senior British politicians and this is reflected in a list compiled by one of his followers, Gilbert Burnet, in the course of the revolution. This article seeks to cast new light on the preparations that lay behind the invasion and the reasons for the appointments that were made in the new administration of William and Mary.

Loyal opposition? Prince Frederick and Parliament (1729-51), Parliamentary History 33:1 (2014)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-0206.12023/abstract

'"I have neither interest nor eloquence sufficient to prevaile": The duke of Shrewsbury and the politics of succession during the reign of Anne', eBLJ (2015), article 11

Abstract On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberl... more Abstract
On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberlain and appointed in his stead Charles Talbot, duke of Shrewsbury. Many have seen in this event the opening salvo in Robert Harley's assault on the ministry of the duumvirs, Godolphin and Marlborough, which culminated in the establishment of the Harley ministry later that year. Shrewsbury's role in all of this has tended to be overlooked, in spite of his subsequent appointment as lord treasurer in Harley's place at the close of Anne's reign. This paper seeks to return the focus to Shrewsbury as a politician of real weight and to reconsider his role in the events of spring 1710 and summer 1714.

‘ "I Who Speak Always Unpremeditately": The Earl of Mulgrave’s Speeches Against Corruption and in Defence of His Honour, 1692 and 1695', eBLJ (2016), article 6

'The Inkhorn Lord'? Locating Arlington's Connections

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, And His World: Restoration Court, Politics and Diplomacy, 2020

Beguiled by France? The English aristocracy, 1748-1848

In L. Brockliss and D. Eastwood, eds., A Union of Multiple identities: the British Isles c.1750-c... more

'The only disagreeable thing in the whole': the selection and experience of the British hostages for the delivery of Cape Breton in Paris, 1748-9

In K.H. Doig and D. Medlin, eds., British-French Exchanges in the Eighteenth Century (2007)

The House of Lords, 1660-1707, in Clyve Jones, ed. A Short History of Parliament

'Opening the door to truth and liberty': Bowood's French connection, in Nigel Aston and Clarissa Campbell Orr, eds, An Enlightenment Statesman in Whig Britain: Lord Shelburne in Context, 1737-1805, (Boydell, 2011)

http://universitypublishingonline.org/boydell/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9781846158537&cid=CBO97818461585... more

$Research paper thumbnail of ‘Vicious, scandalous, refractory or otherwise not qualified’: Lord Hatton’s mission to Guernsey 1662-5$

‘Vicious, scandalous, refractory or otherwise not qualified’: Lord Hatton’s mission to Guernsey 1662-5

Parliamentary Intoxication

While it might be too much to suggest that alcohol was the life-blood of Restoration and Augustan... more While it might be too much to suggest that alcohol was the life-blood of Restoration and Augustan parliamentary society, it seems fair enough to suggest that it was a significant element that helped sway opinion, was a source of much needed tax-raising potential and, of course, helped keep members well-lubricated during lengthy sessions. One need only perform a cursory search on British History Online to see that this is so. A search for the term “beer’ limited to Parliament and to the 17th century results in 751 hits, for the 18th century 233 hits; a similar search on “ale” results in 690 hits for the 17th century and 212 for the 18th; while “wine” in the 17th century produces 1,472 hits and for the 18th (a rather modest) 268: in all, then, 3,626 mentions – and these comprising just three varieties of alcohol. It may be a blunt instrument, but as an indicator of the time given over by Parliament to matters related to beers and wines it is at least suggestive that this was a topic that kept many a parliamentarian busy during the period.

'Open house at hell'? Honour and corruption within the House of Lords c.1688-1700

This paper reconsiders whether the House of Lords was the subject of widespread corruption during... more This paper reconsiders whether the House of Lords was the subject of widespread corruption during the reigns of William III and Mary II. Considering both the physical state of individual peers and investigations into abuses of privilege, it seeks to examine the extent to which there was a problem in the body politic in this period.

Jacobites and former Jacobites: how the Griffin family learned to live with Hanover

Paper presented as part of the colloquium at the IHR on 20 August 2013, "New Directions in the st... more

"A man subject to vapours": James Bertie, earl of Abingdon, and his brothers, c.1670-1699

Paper available on the Bodleian's Rediscovering Rycote web page http://rycote.bodleian.ox.ac.u... more

Review of The Commonplace book of Sir Thomas Duppa, eds. Alasdair Hawkyard and John Sainty, Parliamentary History Texts & Studies 11 (2016)

Review published in Parliaments, Estates and Representations (2016)

Review The Hanoverian Succession: Dynastic Politics and Monarchical Culture. Edited by Andreas Gestrich and Michael Schaich. Farnham: Ashgate. 2015. xvi, 288 pp. £75.00. ISBN 9781472437655. Robin Eagles

Book review: George II - By Andrew C. Thompson

History, 2012

Book Review: The Correspondence of John Campbell MP, with His Family, Henry Fox, Sir Robert Walpole and the Duke of Newcastle, 1734–71. Edited by J.E. Davies. (Parliamentary History: Texts & Studies, 8.) Oxford: Wiley Blackwell (2013).

Review: How Bedfordshire Voted, 1735-1784, ed. James Collett-White (Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, xc), in History xcviii issue 330 (April 2013)

Book review: Annabel Patterson, The Long Parliament of Charles II, (Yale 2008), in JBS 49:2 (2010)

Review: Hannah Greig, The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London, (OUP 2013), History xcix issue 338 (December 2014)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-229X.12091_12/abstract

Snap election of 1747

In 1747 the Pelham ministry decided to hold a snap election to frustrate the plans of the new Pat... more

time-that-great-discoverer-of-truth- and-falsehood-the-calendar-change-of-1752-and-the-dating-of-easter

On 25 February 1751 Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th earl of Chesterfield, introduced into the House o... more On 25 February 1751 Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th earl of Chesterfield, introduced into the House of Lords a bill for amending the calendar after he had, as he put it, 'consulted the best lawyers, and the most skilful astronomers, and... cooked up a bill for that purpose'. At that point Britain still retained the Julian calendar, having avoided adoption of the revised calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, which was employed by the majority of western Europe. The situation was further complicated by the use of 25 March rather than 1 January in England as the beginning of the year. By 1752 dating in Britain was out of step with the continent by eleven days, an inconvenience which Chesterfield, a man who had acted as ambassador at the Hague twice and served as one of the secretaries of state dealing extensively with foreign affairs, was eager to do away with. While the two systems were in operation, correspondents in Britain and much of Europe needed to give two dates to each letter or indicate which system was being used with the addition of O.S. (Old Style for the Julian) or N.S. (New Style for the Gregorian) after their heading. While much of Chesterfield's focus was on the annoyance this caused in terms of diplomatic and commercial traffic, a further consequence of Britain's separate dating system was that the country was also out of step in the calculation of Easter. Easter, unlike Christmas, and to the intense confusion of some, is a moveable feast. Whereas 25 December was fairly early on adopted as the day of Christ's birth in the western church, thanks to the different systems of dating in operation when Jesus was alive (and ongoing uncertainty regarding the years in which he was born and died) establishing the day when Easter should be celebrated can be worked out in a number of different ways. Rules for establishing the dating of Easter were laid down in late antiquity and subsequently reformed in the 16th century by Pope Gregory XIII as part of his general reformation of both civil and ecclesiastical calendars. However, as not everyone adopted the Pope's reforms, not all churches observed the festival of Easter at the same time. The most obvious disparity lay between the western (Catholic) and eastern (Orthodox) churches, but before Easter 1753 Britain, too, was distinct from the majority of western Europe thanks to its continued use of its own system of calculating Easter based on 'golden rules' laid down in the Book of Common Prayer. The vagaries of these were such that in some years Easter in Britain did coincide with Easter as celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, but as often as not the two occurred at different times. Reform of the calendar in England proved long in coming. Within a few years of the Gregorian calendar being introduced Elizabeth I indicated her support for England adopting the new system, but although a bill was presented to the House of Lords on 16 March 1584/5 it fell after its second reading, thwarted by the bishops. Another century was to pass before discussion of reform of the dating of Easter was again raised with any degree of seriousness. In 1699 Dr John Wallis, professor of Geometry at Oxford, responded to the latter by warning:

A glorious revolution?

Parliament, patriotism and the Last Night of the Proms

https://thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com/

“Contrary to the fundamental laws of nature”? The passage of the Declaratory Act, March 1766

‘Very grievous and unconstitutional’? The repeal of the (American) Stamp Act (1766)

Two battles and a siege: Sheriffmuir and Preston, 12-14 November 1715

The 1745 rebellion, replete with romantic tales of derring-do, may be the most famous of the vari... more The 1745 rebellion, replete with romantic tales of derring-do, may be the most famous of the various Jacobite insurrections but it was far from being the most likely to succeed. In the late summer of 1715, almost exactly a year since the death of Queen Anne and the succession to the throne of Great Britain of George Ludwig of Hanover, the discontented Scots magnate, John Erskine, 22nd earl of Mar, raised the standard of the exiled Stuarts at Braemar, thereby sparking what was to prove to be the Jacobites’ last best chance at overturning the revolutionary settlement.

The ‘Poor Palatines’ – political ramifications of eighteenth century migration

The ‘White Warfare of the South’: Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition and the First World War

The Palace of Westminster and its Hostelries: the evidence of John Wilkes's Diaries

John Wilkes the Tourist: travel in 18th-century England

‘You have behaved like a man of honour’: the duel between John Wilkes and Samuel Martin

Remembering Culloden

Making 'night like day'

This blog considers celebrations of 5 November in the late 17th and early 18th century

VII Eighteenth Century

Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature, 2004

... Joanne Bailey, Unquiet lives: marriage and marriage breakdown in England, 16601800 (CUP, £40... more

VII Eighteenth Century

Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature, 2005

... Joanne Bailey, Unquiet lives: marriage and marriage breakdown in England, 16601800 (CUP, £40... more

VII�Eighteenth Century

Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature, 2006

'Robert Walpole' in Annette Landgraf and David Vickers, eds. The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia (2009)

Conference on 'The earl of Arlington and his world', Institute of Advanced Studies, UCL, Saturday 19 November 2016

I Who Speak Always Unpremeditately': The Earl of Mulgrave's Speeches Against Corruption and in Defence of His Honour, 1692 and 1695

In December 1692 John Sheffield, 3rd earl of Mulgrave, intervened in the House of Lords to speak ... more In December 1692 John Sheffield, 3rd earl of Mulgrave, intervened in the House of Lords to speak in favour of the Place Bill – a measure aimed at limiting the numbers of MPs permitted to hold offices in the armed forces and central government. At one point Mulgrave equated the practice to that of a farce, with the MPs standing for actors indulging in dialogues with themselves, first in one tone and then another. Later in the speech, he reflected on the happy condition of England and the enslaved quality of the French, who were, he posited, envious of England's traditional liberties. Just over two years later, Mulgrave was himself in the spotlight when he came under investigation for accepting douceurs from the City of London in relation to his development of his new London town house, prompting a second speech to the Lords, this time in his own defence. Both of these speeches were later printed but the second address offers useful insights into the transmission of texts thanks t...

Loyal Opposition? Prince Frederick and Parliament (1729-51)

Parliamentary History, 2014

This article seeks to reappraise the role of Prince Frederick as a parliamentarian and also to re... more This article seeks to reappraise the role of Prince Frederick as a parliamentarian and also to reconsider the size and significance of his association in both Lords and Commons. Previous studies of Prince Frederick and of the so-called Leicester House grouping have tended to emphasize the prince's limitations as a political figure of real weight, to play down the extent of his activities as a parliamentary figure in his own right and have also paid scant attention to the role of the house of lords in Leicester House's schemes. By reconsidering some of the major political dramas of the 1730s and 1740s, this article aims to redress the balance, arguing that Prince Frederick was an active member of the Lords and that his association, though fluid, was more coherent and significant than is usually acknowledged.

Memoirs of the Court of George III. General editor MichaelKassler. Vol. 1.Memoirs of Charlotte Papendiek (1765-1840). Edited by MichaelKassler. Vol. 2.Mary Delany (1700-1788) and the Court of King George III. Edited by AlainKerhervé. Vol. 3.The Diary of L

Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, 2018

Reporting Trials and Impeachments in the Reign of George I: The Evidence of the Wigtown and Wye Newsletters *

Parliamentary History, 2022

I Have Neither Interest nor Eloquence Sufficient to Prevaile': The Duke of Shrewsbury and the Politics of Succession during the Reign of Anne

On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberlain and a... more On 13 April 1710 Queen Anne deprived the marquess of Kent of the office of lord chamberlain and appointed in his stead Charles Talbot, duke of Shrewsbury. Many have seen in this event the opening salvo in Robert Harley's assault on the ministry of the duumvirs, Godolphin and Marlborough, which culminated in the establishment of the Harley ministry later that year. Shrewsbury's role in all of this has tended to be overlooked, in spite of his subsequent appointment as lord treasurer in Harley's place at the close of Anne's reign. This paper seeks to return the focus to Shrewsbury as a politician of real weight and to reconsider his role in the events of spring 1710 and summer 1714.

‘The Inkhorn Lord’?

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, and his World, 2020

Introduction : Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, and his World: Court, Politics and Diplomacy in the Restoration

Oakham Lordshold in 1787: a map and survey of Lord Winchilsea’s Oakham Estate

Midland History, 2018

Lord liverpool: a political life

Parliaments, Estates and Representation, 2019

Frederick, Prince of Wales, the ‘Court’ of Leicester House and the ‘Patriot’ Opposition to Walpole, c.1733–1742

The Court Historian, 2016

Sir Thomas Duppa’s Commonplace Book

Parliaments, Estates and Representation, 2016

The Hanoverian Succession: Dynastic Politics and Monarchical Culture. Edited by AndreasGestrich and MichaelSchaich. Farnham: Ashgate. 2015. xvi, 288 pp. £75.00. ISBN 9781472437655

Parliamentary History, 2016

Citizens of the World? English Peripatetics in France, 1748–1815

Francophilia in English Society, 1748–1815, 2000

The anonymous author of Letters concerning the present state of England (1772) wrote concerning t... more The anonymous author of Letters concerning the present state of England (1772) wrote concerning the increasing vogue for foreign travel during the eighteenth century that: ‘one Englishman travelled in the reigns of the first two Georges, ten now go on a grand tour’, an estimate that certainly reflects the realities of popular travel in the period. Even if one considers Louis XV’s own estimate that between 1763 and 1765, 40 000 Englishmen passed through the port of Calais alone,2 as somewhat exaggerated, there is every reason to believe that such a figure was not far from the truth, and one should not doubt that the peace of 1763, coinciding as it did with a debate within English society that continued unresolved into the 1790s and beyond to the Great Reform Act, heralded a wave of travellers from both sides of the Channel eager to experience English and French culture. The form of that debate could be said to be personified by the figure of John Bull, but in the middle years of the century his development into the Union Flag waistcoat-wearing champion of commercial imperialism was by no means sure, and the coarse figure of John Bull the ignorant, trounced foe of the more capable French was no less recognizeable. His allegorical trips abroad increasingly came to represent the tourist trail to France, and symbolized the cultural pilgrimage of the English to the shrine of fashion: Paris.

Corruption, Party, and Government in Britain, 1702–1713

Corruption, Party, and Government in Britain, 1702-1713 offers an innovative and original reinter... more Corruption, Party, and Government in Britain, 1702-1713 offers an innovative and original reinterpretation of state formation in eighteenth-century Britain, reconceptualising it as a political and fundamentally partisan process. Focussing on the supply of funds to the army during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13), it demonstrates that public officials faced multiple incompatible demands, but that political partisanship helped to prioritise them, and to hammer out settlements that embodied a version of the national interest. These decisions were then transmitted to agents in overseas through a mixture of personal incentives and partisan loyalties which built trust and turned these informal networks into instruments of public policy. However, the process of building trust and supplying funds laid officials and agents open to accusations of embezzlement, fraud and financial misappropriation. In particular, although successive financial officials ran entrepreneurial private financial ventures that enabled the army overseas to avoid dangerous financial shortfalls, they found it necessary to cover the costs and risks by receiving illegal 'gratifications' from the regiments. Reconstructing these transactions in detail, this book demonstrates that these corrupt payments advanced the public service, and thus that 'corruption' was as much a dispute over ends as means. Ultimately, this volume demonstrates that state formation in eighteenth-century Britain was a contested process of interest aggregation, in which common partisan aims helped to negotiate compromises between various irreconcilable public priorities and private interests, within the frameworks provided by formal institutions, and then collaboratively imposed through overlapping and intersecting networks of formal and informal agents.

‘If he Deserves it’: William of Orange's Pre-Revolution British Contacts and Gilbert Burnet's Proposals for the Post-Revolution Administration

Parliamentary History, 2013

The revolution of 1688�9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid ... more The revolution of 1688�9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid much attention to the sheer depth of William of Orange's acquaintance with a broad swathe of British society. Many of the choices the prince made during the invasion and in the years leading up to it were influenced by his contacts in Britain. He knew the court well and had made some efforts to influence the timings of parliaments and the direction of policy under his uncles, Charles II and James II. The shape of the regime that emerged after his successful overthrow of James II was also informed by his knowledge of a number of senior British politicians and this is reflected in a list compiled by one of his followers, Gilbert Burnet, in the course of the revolution. This article seeks to cast new light on the preparations that lay behind the invasion and the reasons for the appointments that were made in the new administration of William and Mary.

The Missing Official Proxy Records of the House of Lords for 1661-2

Parliamentary History, 2013

How Bedfordshire Voted, 1735-1784. Edited by JamesCollett-White. Bedfordshire Historical Record Society 90. Boydell. 2012. xvii + 305pp. £25.00

History, 2013

Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, and his World

‘A Reward for so Meritorious an Action’ ? Lord Hervey's Summons to the House of Lords and Walpole's Management of the Upper Chamber (1727–42)

Parliamentary History

‘Got together in a riotous and tumultous manner’: Crowds and the Palace of Westminster, c .1700‐1800

Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies