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The books in this series focus on the British Isles in the early modern period, as interpreted by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century historians, and show the shift to 'scientific' historiography. Several of them are devoted exclusively to the history of Ireland, while others cover topics including economic history, foreign and colonial policy, agriculture and the industrial revolution. There are also works in political thought and social theory, which address subjects such as human rights, the role of women, and criminal justice.

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124 results in Cambridge Library Collection - British & Irish History, 17th & 18th Centuries

Page 1 of 7

The Rural Economy of Glocestershire
  • Including its Dairy, Together with the Dairy Management of North Wiltshire, and the Management of Orchards and Fruit Liquor, in Herefordshire
  • Volume 1
  • William Marshall
  • Published online:
    05 June 2016
    Print publication:
    18 September 2015
    First published in:
    1789
  • William Marshall (1745–1818), from farming stock, became a farmer and then estate manager and land agent after several years spent conducting business in the West Indies. A pioneer of scientific methods of farming, he published widely on best practice, and was also known for his geographical surveys of agriculture. This two-volume 1789 work covers the county of Gloucestershire, but also includes dairy management in north Wiltshire and the orchards and fruit products of Herefordshire. A hands-on reporter, Marshall stayed in the vale of Gloucester to learn the art of cheese-making, and then spent a year in various locations studying local farming practice. Volume 1 describes the rural economy of the area, with the different activities suited to the different geographical locations and soil types, giving information on the types of land tenure, crops and animals, and providing a list of 'provincialisms' which offer fascinating insights into the Gloucestershire dialect.

The Rural Economy of Glocestershire
  • Including its Dairy, Together with the Dairy Management of North Wiltshire, and the Management of Orchards and Fruit Liquor, in Herefordshire
  • Volume 2
  • William Marshall
  • Published online:
    05 June 2016
    Print publication:
    18 September 2015
    First published in:
    1789
  • William Marshall (1745–1818), from farming stock, became a farmer and then estate manager and land agent after several years spent conducting business in the West Indies. A pioneer of scientific methods of farming, he published widely on best practice, and was also known for his geographical surveys of agriculture. This two-volume 1789 work covers the county of Gloucestershire, but also includes dairy management in north Wiltshire and the orchards and fruit products of Herefordshire. A hands-on reporter, Marshall stayed in the vale of Gloucester to learn the art of cheese-making, and then spent a year in various locations studying local farming practice. Volume 2 covers the Cotswold Hills and the vale of Berkeley, with detailed descriptions of dairy farming in these areas. A section is devoted to Herefordshire, its orchards, and the manufacturing processes and marketing of its famous 'fruit liquors', cider and perry.

The Diary of John Evelyn
  • With an Introduction and Notes
  • Volume 2
  • John Evelyn
  • Edited by Austin Dobson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    05 March 2015
    First published in:
    1906
  • The Stuart writer and gardener John Evelyn (1620–1706), whose two-volume Sylva is also reissued in this series, kept a diary from the age of eleven, and in the 1680s began to compile this memoir from his records. It was first published in 1818 in an edition by the antiquarian William Bray; this three-volume version of 1906 was edited by Austin Dobson (1840–1921), the author and poet who also wrote the volume on Henry Fielding in the 'English Men of Letters' series, among many other literary biographies. In an extensive preface, Dobson explains his reasons for revisiting a work which had already received much editorial attention, and his introduction gives a short biography of its author. Volume 2 covers the period 1647–76, beginning with Evelyn still in self-exile in Europe; it records his return to England, the Interregnum and Restoration, as well as the Plague and the Fire of London.

A Description of the Country from Thirty to Forty Miles round Manchester
  • John Aikin
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
    First published in:
    1795
  • The late eighteenth century saw Manchester and its surrounding areas undergo significant change as industrialisation fuelled urbanisation and population growth. In this classic 1795 account, the physician and prolific writer John Aikin (1747–1822) gathers together information on the settlements at the heart of manufacturing and trade in north-west England, covering the vital network of waterways as well as the surrounding countryside. Revealing the fundamental importance of the textile industry, this survey provides a detailed portrait of an evolving region and its human geography. It is complemented by a number of illustrations, including maps, plans, and engravings of notable landmarks. Referred to by Karl Marx in his writings, the book remains a historically valuable resource. Also reissued in this series is Aikin's Biographical Memoirs of Medicine in Great Britain from the Revival of Literature to the Time of Harvey (1780).

The Diary of John Evelyn
  • With an Introduction and Notes
  • Volume 1
  • John Evelyn
  • Edited by Austin Dobson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    05 March 2015
    First published in:
    1906
  • The Stuart writer and gardener John Evelyn (1620–1706), whose two-volume Sylva is also reissued in this series, kept a diary from the age of eleven, and in the 1680s began to compile this memoir from his records. It was first published in 1818 in an edition by the antiquarian William Bray; this three-volume version of 1906 was edited by Austin Dobson (1840–1921), the author and poet who also wrote the volume on Henry Fielding in the 'English Men of Letters' series, among many other literary biographies. In an extensive preface, Dobson explains his reasons for revisiting a work which had already received much editorial attention, and his introduction gives a short biography of its author. Volume 1 begins with Evelyn's own memoir of his early life: regular entries commence in 1637, when he was a student at Oxford, and end in France in 1646.

The Huguenots
  • Their Settlements, Churches, and Industries in England and Ireland
  • Samuel Smiles
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    05 March 2015
    First published in:
    1867
  • One of the most popular Victorian writers, Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) made his name in 1859 with the original self-improvement manual, Self-Help. His highly successful multi-volume Lives of the Engineers contained biographies of men who had, like him, achieved greatness not through privilege but through hard work. In this 1867 book, Smiles examines the part played in British society and economic life by the Protestants who either left France to escape religious persecution or were expelled after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. The appeal of the topic to Smiles probably lay in the proverbial industry and hard work of these refugees, who arrived penniless but rapidly made their way to prosperity, to social acceptance, and, in only two or three generations, to some of the highest positions in the land. This fascinating work covers the history of the Huguenots and discusses some of their famous descendants.

The Antiquities and Memoirs of the Parish of Myddle, County of Salop
  • Richard Gough
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    05 March 2015
    First published in:
    1875
  • The author of this work, written in 1700–1 but not published until the nineteenth century, is sometimes confused with his later namesake, the antiquarian Richard Gough (1735–1809), though they are not in fact related. Richard Gough of Myddle in Shropshire (baptised 1635, died 1723) was a farmer and also acted as a land steward. This book on the history of his parish and the families living in it was not apparently intended for publication. However, more than one copy was made, as a version that does not match the text presented here was privately printed in 1834: this version was published in Shrewsbury in 1875. Gough describes his parish, the great local landowners, and the castle, and then gives histories of the local families. This is one of the earliest surviving examples of a local history, and is famous for its detailed account of the minutiae of village life.

The Diary of John Evelyn
  • With an Introduction and Notes
  • Volume 3
  • John Evelyn
  • Edited by Austin Dobson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2015
    Print publication:
    05 March 2015
    First published in:
    1906
  • The Stuart writer and gardener John Evelyn (1620–1706), whose two-volume Sylva is also reissued in this series, kept a diary from the age of eleven, and in the 1680s began to compile this memoir from his records. It was first published in 1818 in an edition by the antiquarian William Bray; this three-volume version of 1906 was edited by Austin Dobson (1840–1921), the author and poet who also wrote the volume on Henry Fielding in the 'English Men of Letters' series, among many other literary biographies. In an extensive preface, Dobson explains his reasons for revisiting a work which had already received much editorial attention, and his introduction gives a short biography of its author. Volume 3 covers the period from 1677, including the death of Charles II and the Glorious Revolution, and ending with notes made a few weeks before Evelyn's death in 1706.

The History and Design of the Foundling Hospital
  • With a Memoir of the Founder
  • John Brownlow
  • Published online:
    05 April 2015
    Print publication:
    19 February 2015
    First published in:
    1858
  • Captain Coram's Foundling Hospital was opened in London in 1741 for 'the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children'. Hogarth was a governor of the hospital - he donated several pictures, including his portrait of Coram - as was Handel, whose famous performances of his oratorio Messiah were given there from 1750 to raise funds. John Brownlow (1800–73), himself a foundling, became secretary of the hospital from 1849 until his retirement. He introduced improvements to the children's education and was a staunch defender of the hospital, refuting criticisms often levelled in the nineteenth century that taking in illegitimate children simply encouraged neglect. This brief account, building on his 1847 Memoranda, or, Chronicles of the Foundling Hospital (also reissued in this series), covers Coram, early supporters, the institution's paintings - which formed the first public art gallery in London - and the care of the foundlings.

Memoir of John Aubrey
  • Embracing his Auto-Biographical Sketches, a Brief Review of his Personal and Literary Merits, and an Account of his Works
  • John Britton
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    28 August 2014
    First published in:
    1845
  • The antiquarian and topographer John Britton (1771–1857) is best remembered for his multi-volume series of The Beauties of England and Wales. A self-taught author and scholar, he was attracted by the work of John Aubrey (1626–97), who was born in the same Wiltshire village as him, and had very similar interests as an antiquarian and biographer, famous for his Brief Lives and for his surveys of and writings on Avebury and Stonehenge. Britton's research on Aubrey's life induced him to write a fresh account, using surviving manuscripts as well as printed sources, which would clear up the contradictions and errors of earlier versions. This 1845 book is a fascinating portrait of a sickly child who ended up a pauper because of family debts and lawsuits, but was a diligent and intelligent scholar, scientist and occultist, and a close friend of Thomas Hobbes and Robert Hooke.

Historical Memoirs of my Own Time
  • Volume 2, From 1781 to 1784
  • Nathaniel William Wraxall
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    24 July 2014
    First published in:
    1815
  • Sir Nathanial William Wraxall (1751–1831), traveller and writer, served as an MP from 1780 to 1794 and was made a baronet in 1813. Upon publication in 1815, his memoirs were an immediate, though controversial, success: 1,000 copies sold out within five weeks. Accused of libelling a Russian diplomat, and found guilty, Wraxall brought out this second edition later that same year, with the offending passages removed. Volume 2 comprises the majority of the second, and more controversial, part of the work, which covers 1781–4. Wraxall's early parliamentary years were a difficult period in England, the American War of Independence dominating Lord North's administration until his unexpected resignation on 20 March 1782. The 'great despondency' continued; nevertheless, Wraxall's colourful delineations of Fox and Burke, the Earl of Shelburne, Sheridan and Pitt, as well as 'the less efficient members of the cabinet', make for an entertaining read.

A Tour in Scotland, and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772
  • Thomas Pennant
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    17 July 2014
    First published in:
    1774
  • The naturalist and traveller Thomas Pennant (several of whose other works are reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection) published this account of a journey through Scotland and its islands in 1774. Pennant (1726–98) had already written one account of Scotland, in 1771. (He later claimed that by 'shewing that it might be visited with safety' he had created a tourist boom.) His great enthusiasm was for the Hebrides, and more than half of the book describes his voyage around the islands, though he was frustrated by bad weather in getting to Staffa. He transcribes instead an account by Sir Joseph Banks, who had visited in the same year, and in his preface he acknowledges the researches and notes on particular places which had been provided by friends and correspondents. This is a genial account of the history, environment and people of a region still exotic to many Britons.

The Life of Thomas Paine
  • Author of Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason, Letter to the Addressers, Etc.
  • Thomas Clio Rickman
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    24 April 2014
    First published in:
    1819
  • Best known for this 1819 biography of his friend Thomas Paine, Thomas Clio Rickman (1761–1834) is sometimes called Paine's Boswell. His sympathetic portrait follows Paine's progress from simple stay-maker to one of the most influential political activists in the age of revolutions. Although acknowledging Paine's egoism and penchant for drink, Rickman presents these flaws alongside the better qualities of a man who did not merely 'live amid great events … he created them'. Rickman weaves together personal remembrances and historical commentary, quoting liberally from Paine's works and letters, as well as from other biographers and historians. The appendix serves to soften Paine's reputation as a fiery radical by including some of his more humorous and reflective short works and poems. Avid readers of early revolutionary history will find a scholarly take on Paine's influence in Moncure Conway's two-volume Life of Thomas Paine (1892), also reissued in this series.

Diary of John Rous
  • Incumbent of Santon Downham, Suffolk, from 1625 to 1642
  • John Rous
  • Edited by Mary Anne Everett Green
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    17 July 2014
    First published in:
    1856
  • The diary of John Rous (1584–1644) was edited for the Camden Society in 1856 by Mary Anne Everett Green (1818–95). Rous kept this diary between 1625 and 1643, when he was vicar of Santon Downham in Suffolk, recording both local events and reports of momentous happenings in Britain and abroad from Charles I's accession to the outbreak of the Civil War. M. A. E. Green was educated by her father, a Methodist minister, and began research on historical topics in the British Museum Reading Room and other London archives. She was recommended to Sir John Romilly as an external editor for the Calendar of State Papers project, and was the first to be appointed: her work became the standard which later editors followed. Rous's diary is preceded by an introduction placing its author in his family and historical context, and Green's notes explicate references to the people and events described.

Historical Memoirs of my Own Time
  • Volume 1, From 1772 to 1780
  • Nathaniel William Wraxall
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    24 July 2014
    First published in:
    1815
  • Sir Nathanial William Wraxall (1751–1831), traveller and writer, served as an MP from 1780 to 1794 and was made a baronet in 1813. Upon publication in 1815, his memoirs were an immediate, though controversial, success: 1,000 copies sold out within five weeks. Accused of libelling a Russian diplomat, and found guilty, Wraxall brought out this second edition later that same year, with the offending passages removed. Volume 1 covers 1772–81, a period of extensive travel, which took him across several European countries, including Portugal, France, Germany and Italy, returning to London in 1780. The volume also contains the start of the work's controversial second part, which deals with the beginning of Wraxall's parliamentary career under Lord North's administration. The memoirs make for an entertaining read, and few from the distinguished circles in which the author moved are spared from his merciless facility for description.

A Tour in Wales, MDCCLXXIII
  • Volume 1
  • Thomas Pennant
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    22 May 2014
  • Antiquary, zoologist and traveller, Thomas Pennant (1726–98) is remembered for his work in bringing natural history to popular attention and for his engaging writing about the journeys he made. Lavishly illustrated by Moses Griffith with fine engravings of the stunning scenery, buildings and artefacts, this work appeared in two volumes between 1778 and 1781. More than a mere travelogue, this tour of his native country is full of delightful vignettes and historical background. The descriptions of locations and buildings reveal Pennant's thorough mind and tireless capacity for observation. Several of Pennant's other works, including his Tour in Scotland (second edition, 1772), are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Volume 1 begins in Pennant's birthplace, Downing in Flintshire, and follows a route around North Wales, making 'a complete tour of the tamer parts of our country'. The places visited include Chester, Oswestry, Llangollen, Mold and Caerwys.

A Tour in Wales, MDCCLXXIII
  • Volume 2, The Journey to Snowdon
  • Thomas Pennant
  • Published online:
    18 December 2014
    Print publication:
    22 May 2014
  • Antiquary, zoologist and traveller, Thomas Pennant (1726–98) is remembered for his work in bringing natural history to popular attention and for his engaging writing about the journeys he made. Lavishly illustrated by Moses Griffith with fine engravings of the stunning scenery, buildings and artefacts, this work appeared in two volumes between 1778 and 1781. More than a mere travelogue, this tour of his native country is full of delightful vignettes and historical background. The descriptions of locations and buildings reveal Pennant's thorough mind and tireless capacity for observation. Several of Pennant's other works, including his Tour in Scotland (second edition, 1772), are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. Volume 2 follows a route around the area of Snowdonia, the Llŷn Peninsula, Caernarfon, Anglesey and the north-east coast. The latter part of the volume traces a journey from Downing in Flintshire to Shrewsbury via Montgomery.

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Samuel Romilly
  • Written by Himself; with a Selection from his Correspondence
  • Volume 1
  • Samuel Romilly
  • Published online:
    05 December 2014
    Print publication:
    05 September 2013
  • A friend of Wilberforce and Bentham, Sir Samuel Romilly (1757–1818) combined considerable legal expertise with commitment to progressive political causes such as the abolition of the slave trade. During his time in Parliament - he was Solicitor General in Lord Grenville's 'Ministry of All the Talents' - he sought to lessen the archaic severity of English criminal law regarding corporal and capital punishment. Though he met with resistance, his efforts raised awareness and influenced later reforms. Compiled by his sons and published in 1840, this three-volume collection of autobiographical writings and varied correspondence illuminates the development of his outlook and the principles which guided him. Volume 1 includes Romilly's two-part narrative of his life from 1757 to 1789, letters about English affairs sent to his brother-in-law in Lausanne (1780–3), letters from eminent friends such as the French revolutionary Mirabeau (1783–7), and selected correspondence with the Genevan writer Étienne Dumont and others (1788–91).

The Journey from Chester to London
  • Thomas Pennant
  • Published online:
    05 November 2014
    Print publication:
    13 February 2014
  • In this 1782 travelogue, naturalist Thomas Pennant (1726–98) immortalised the local history, churches, homes and antiquities he encountered on his yearly trip to London. In The Literary Life of the Late Thomas Pennant, Esq. (1793), also reissued in this series, Pennant writes that he often stayed several days or more in each village to learn about its history. He hoped to rid the route of the 'calumny' of 'dulness', and although he was more interested in antiquities than contemporary innovations, he describes the impact of some developments such as a new canal system. In addition to describing places and artefacts which have since been altered or lost, Pennant's writing unconsciously reveals the workings of his thorough mind, with its seemingly tireless capacity for observation. Featuring twenty-two engravings, this book contains a full account of Pennant's 1780 journey, as well as the description of an alternative route beginning in Northamptonshire.

The History of England from the Accession of James I to that of the Brunswick Line
  • Volume 3
  • Catharine Macaulay
  • Published online:
    05 October 2014
    Print publication:
    19 September 2013
  • A landmark in female historiography, this work first appeared in eight volumes between 1763 and 1783. Notable for her radical politics and her influence on American revolutionary ideology, Catharine Macaulay (1731–91) drew diligently on untapped seventeenth-century sources to craft her skilful yet inevitably biased narrative. Seen as a Whig response to David Hume's Tory perspective on English history, the early volumes made Macaulay a literary sensation in the 1760s. Later instalments were less rapturously received by those critics who took exception to her republican views. Both the product and a portrait of tumultuous ages, the work maintains throughout a strong focus on the fortunes of political liberty. Volume 3 (1767) covers the outbreak of the English Civil War, closing with Prince Rupert's taking of Bristol in the summer of 1643.

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