Thoroughly English : county natural history, c.1660-1720
This thesis focuses upon the county natural history, a genre of writing unique to England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century which spanned subjects which we might now refer to as genealogy, heraldry, cartography, botany, geology, and mineralogy, among others, while retaining a focus on a single county. It situates the genre firmly as a successor to local antiquarianism and chorography in Tudor and early Stuart England. In focusing on a single genre which spans both historical and natural topics, methodologies of enquiry from several historiographic fields are utilized: particularly heavily drawn upon are historical geography, historical epistemology, as well as cultural histories of both history and religion. The thesis aims to make two specific historiographic contributions. Firstly, it demonstrates the value of integrating cultural histories of natural objects and the landscape with historical epistemology. As well as being an object of philosophical or âscientificâ knowledge, nature and the landscape held significant cultural meaning, particularly when located in historical narratives and understood as part of Godâs world. This is exposed particularly clearly in chapter fourâs
Beck, David
DA Great Britain
Thoroughly English : county natural history, c.1660-1720. This thesis focuses upon the county natural history, a genre of writing unique to England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century which spanned subjects which we might now refer to as genealogy, heraldry, cartography, botany, geology, and mineralogy, among others, while retaining a focus on a single county. It situates the genre firmly as a successor to local antiquarianism and chorography in Tudor and early Stuart England. In focusing on a single genre which spans both historical and natural topics, methodologies of enquiry from several historiographic fields are utilized: particularly heavily drawn upon are historical geography, historical epistemology, as well as cultural histories of both history and religion. The thesis aims to make two specific historiographic contributions. Firstly, it demonstrates the value of integrating cultural histories of natural objects and the landscape with historical epistemology. As well as being an object of philosophical or âscientificâ knowledge, nature and the landscape held significant cultural meaning, particularly when located in historical narratives and understood as part of Godâs world. This is exposed particularly clearly in chapter fourâs
thoroughly english county natural_history focus_upon county natural_history genre write unique england span subject might refer genealogy cartography geology mineralogy among_others retain focus_single county situates genre firmly successor local tudor early_stuart england focus_single genre span historical natural topic methodology enquiry several historiographic field utilized particularly heavily draw_upon historical_geography historical epistemology well cultural_history history religion aim_make specific historiographic contribution firstly demonstrate_value integrate cultural_history natural object landscape historical epistemology well object philosophical scientific_knowledge nature landscape hold significant_cultural meaning particularly locate historical_narrative understood part god_world expose particularly clearly