Following the outbreak of the French revolution in 1789 many British and Irish reformers flocked to Paris to experience the breaking away from tyranny of the French people and witness the second great revolution of the late eighteenth century.
One thing that always strikes me in documents like this is how fluid identity still was in the revolutionary moment. “English, Scotch, and Irish” are listed together almost as political companions rather than rigid categories.
While working on a novel about Ulster during the 1798 rising (A Heart of Oak), I’ve found that this fluidity is essential to understanding the United Irish movement. The idea that someone could claim the “common name of Irishman” wasn’t just rhetoric, it reflected a genuine attempt to imagine loyalty beyond sectarian boundaries.
Pieces like this are invaluable because they let us hear that moment before later history hardened the lines again.
Ruairí -- Be very, very careful with Olivier Blanc's work: it is mainly very bad. He uses his sources with careless freedom, picking up only what goes toward his argument and discarding the rest or even deforming what he doesn't like.
He also confounds William Jackson with another William Jackson (who was master of horses near Paris: I've checked the files at the archives). (He also pretends to believe he has identified the real Samuel Turner but never seems to have read C. J. Woods' article).
Jackson and Stone were *not* English spies. They flirted with danger about this. My upcoming book will clarify all this. I have just finished the manuscript.
Monro doesn't mention Jackson but he also doesn't mention many others from the SADH. He only mentions those he deems very important ad who lived at White's Hotel, as he did.
I did get the impression that his research and opinions were poorly developed. He was the only one to make a lot of the claims I read in his work so I took anything he said very lightly. Very grateful that you confirmed my suspicions!
I'm very excited to get my hands on a copy of your book!
Nicely put together - much appreciated. Sharon Oddie Brown. PS I suspect that the middle name of "Francis" would be a nod to his maternal grandfather, Col Francis GORE.
One thing that always strikes me in documents like this is how fluid identity still was in the revolutionary moment. “English, Scotch, and Irish” are listed together almost as political companions rather than rigid categories.
While working on a novel about Ulster during the 1798 rising (A Heart of Oak), I’ve found that this fluidity is essential to understanding the United Irish movement. The idea that someone could claim the “common name of Irishman” wasn’t just rhetoric, it reflected a genuine attempt to imagine loyalty beyond sectarian boundaries.
Pieces like this are invaluable because they let us hear that moment before later history hardened the lines again.
A lengthier version of the History Ireland article is available in French:
https://journals.openedition.org/ahrf/13560
Thank you, will take a closer look!
Ruairí -- Be very, very careful with Olivier Blanc's work: it is mainly very bad. He uses his sources with careless freedom, picking up only what goes toward his argument and discarding the rest or even deforming what he doesn't like.
He also confounds William Jackson with another William Jackson (who was master of horses near Paris: I've checked the files at the archives). (He also pretends to believe he has identified the real Samuel Turner but never seems to have read C. J. Woods' article).
Jackson and Stone were *not* English spies. They flirted with danger about this. My upcoming book will clarify all this. I have just finished the manuscript.
Monro doesn't mention Jackson but he also doesn't mention many others from the SADH. He only mentions those he deems very important ad who lived at White's Hotel, as he did.
I did get the impression that his research and opinions were poorly developed. He was the only one to make a lot of the claims I read in his work so I took anything he said very lightly. Very grateful that you confirmed my suspicions!
I'm very excited to get my hands on a copy of your book!
Nicely put together - much appreciated. Sharon Oddie Brown. PS I suspect that the middle name of "Francis" would be a nod to his maternal grandfather, Col Francis GORE.