Georgian

Black Equestrians

Africans in Georgian Britain have often been portrayed as victims of slavery, unfortunates at the bottom of the social heap. The reality was far more fluid and varied, with many African gentlemen sharing the same cultural and social aspirations as their fellow Englishmen.

Thomas Creevey: A Later Appraisal

“How came it that so many important contemporaries took this ‘social butterfly’ so seriously?” John Gore, Creevey’s editor and biographer, re-examines the Whig memorialist’s contribution to late Georgian history.

Lysons’ Greater London

When the celebrated antiquarian nicknamed “Stumpity Stump” toured the rustic neighbourhoods that then surrounded London, writes Meyrick H. Carré, the metropolis was on the verge of a period of ruthless expansion and development.

Georgian John Bull

Before he was tamed by respectable Victorians, the archetypal, bibulous Briton, beloved of cartoonists and satirists, embodied all the virtues and vices of the late 18th century and the scandal-rocked Regency.

Fox as Orator

In 18th-century British politics, eloquence might change votes on the spot. Loren Reid describes how the voice of Whig politician Charles James Fox often did exactly that.

Above and Under Hatches

James Anthony Gardner’s recollections of his service with the Royal Navy from 1782 to 1814, writes Christopher Lloyd, give a stimulating picture of life below decks.