The Earl and his butler in Constantinopleby Nigel and Caroline WebbIn1729,GeorgeHay,8thEarlofKinnoull,aScottisharistocratwhose behaviourinpolitical,financialandpersonalmattershadcaused somedisquietinEngland,wasappointedambassadorto Constantinople,whereheremaineduntil1737.Leavinghiswifeand familyattheirYorkshirehome,Brodsworth,hedepartedforTurkey withalargeretinue,includingacertainMr Samuel Medley,aged62, as his ever-loyal butler who kept a diary there from 1733 to 1736.Fromofficialdocumentsandprivatefamilyletters,theauthorshave builtupabriefbutvividbiographyofLordKinnoullintheyears leadinguptohisarrivalinTurkey-hisadvantageousmarriagetothe Lord High Treasurer’sdaughter;hisimprisonmentonsuspicionofJacobitesympathies;his involvementintheSouthSeaBubble;hisfallfromgraceandhisfinancialembarrassment;his unexpectedandimprobableappointmentasambassador.Fromhisdespatchesandfromthe revealingandcolourfulpagesofMedley’sdiary,theauthorshavepiecedtogetheralivelyaccountof theextraordinaryprogressofLord Kinnoull’sembassyandthemisjudgementsandintriguesleading tohisrecall.Illustrations includecontemporaryoilpaintingsbyJean-BaptisteVanmourofthe Ottoman court and the reception of ambassadors.Thefulltextofthediary,andalsoofMedley’squotationsfromhisreadingmatter,whichareof specialimportancetothosewithaninterestintheEnglishliteratureoftheAugustanageandits readership,hasbeenmadeavailabletoresearchersonthiswebsitebothasaphotographic reproduction and as a full transcription with notes. Select here to see these.Thefirstedition,publishedbyLeginiPressissoldoutbutasecondeditionisavailablefromI B Tauris (www.ibtauris.com) with ISBN numbers as follows:ISBN -10 1845117824 and ISBN -13 9781845117825.
The Earl and his butler in Constantinopleby Nigel and Caroline WebbIn1729,GeorgeHay,8thEarlofKinnoull,aScottish aristocratwhosebehaviourinpolitical,financial andpersonalmattershadcausedsomedisquietin England,wasappointedambassadorto Constantinople,whereheremaineduntil1737. LeavinghiswifeandfamilyattheirYorkshirehome, Brodsworth,hedepartedforTurkeywithalarge retinue,includingacertainMr Samuel Medley, aged62,ashisever-loyalbutlerwhokeptadiary there from 1733 to 1736.Fromofficialdocumentsandprivatefamilyletters, theauthorshavebuiltupabriefbutvivid biographyofLordKinnoullintheyearsleadingup tohisarrivalinTurkey-hisadvantageousmarriage totheLord High Treasurer’sdaughter;his imprisonmentonsuspicionofJacobitesympathies; hisinvolvementintheSouthSeaBubble;hisfall fromgraceandhisfinancialembarrassment;his unexpectedandimprobableappointmentas ambassador.Fromhisdespatchesandfromthe revealingandcolourfulpagesofMedley’sdiary,the authorshavepiecedtogetheralivelyaccountof theextraordinaryprogressofLord Kinnoull’s embassyandthemisjudgementsandintrigues leadingtohisrecall.Illustrations include contemporaryoilpaintingsbyJean-Baptiste VanmouroftheOttomancourtandthereception of ambassadors. The full text of the diary, and also of Medley’s quotations from his reading matter, which are of special importance to those with an interest in the English literature of the Augustan age and its readership, has been made available to researchers on this website both as a photographic reproduction and as a full transcription with notes. To see these, click the centre blue link above.The first edition, published by Legini Press is sold out but a second edition is available from I B Tauris (www.ibtauris.com) with ISBN numbers as follows:ISBN -10 1845117824 and ISBN -13 9781845117825.