A new perspective on British identity : the travel journals of John Byng, 1781-1794
The Honourable John Byng (1743-1813; later fifth Viscount Torrington) was a British soldier, civil servant, and diarist who wrote fifteen accounts of his series of pleasure tours between 1781 and 1794. Unpublished in his lifetime, these accounts were re-discovered in the twentieth century and have been in print ever since. Despite their scope (Byng visited two thirds of all English and Welsh counties) and detail (he filled twenty seven manuscript volumes totalling over 2,500 hand-written pages) his writings have been used only sporadically and anecdotally by historians. This dissertation, therefore, seeks to re-position Byng as an historical actor and his writings as a complex historical source that requires detailed re-examination and reevaluation. Doing so reveals that Byngâs journals can inform the historigraphical discussion that surrounds the creation of a âBritishâ national identity and consciousness in the late eighteenth century. Prevailing models stress top down dynamics and external forces that caused the English, Welsh, and Scottish to band together as a Protestant elect in order to survive the onslaught of the large, Catholic, Continental powers of the time. Whilst Byngâs observations do
Rupp, William H.
DA Great Britain ; PR English literature
A new perspective on British identity : the travel journals of John Byng, 1781-1794. The Honourable John Byng (1743-1813; later fifth Viscount Torrington) was a British soldier, civil servant, and diarist who wrote fifteen accounts of his series of pleasure tours between 1781 and 1794. Unpublished in his lifetime, these accounts were re-discovered in the twentieth century and have been in print ever since. Despite their scope (Byng visited two thirds of all English and Welsh counties) and detail (he filled twenty seven manuscript volumes totalling over 2,500 hand-written pages) his writings have been used only sporadically and anecdotally by historians. This dissertation, therefore, seeks to re-position Byng as an historical actor and his writings as a complex historical source that requires detailed re-examination and reevaluation. Doing so reveals that Byngâs journals can inform the historigraphical discussion that surrounds the creation of a âBritishâ national identity and consciousness in the late eighteenth century. Prevailing models stress top down dynamics and external forces that caused the English, Welsh, and Scottish to band together as a Protestant elect in order to survive the onslaught of the large, Catholic, Continental powers of the time. Whilst Byngâs observations do
new_perspective british identity travel journal john john later fifth british soldier civil_servant write fifteen account series pleasure tour unpublished lifetime account discovered print ever_since despite scope visit english_welsh county detail fill manuscript volume total hand written page writing use historian therefore_seek position historical actor writing complex historical_source require detailed re_examination reveals journal inform discussion surround creation british national_identity consciousness prevailing model stress top dynamic external force cause english_welsh scottish band together protestant elect order survive large catholic continental power time whilst observation