News in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century Britain (15)

Award

PhD Research Bursary

Supervisors/Schools:

Professor Tony Claydon (School of History, Welsh History and Archaeology)
Professor Tom Corns (School of English)

Description of Project:

This project will concentrate upon newspapers and pamphlets, along with journal, commonplace book, and letter evidence to investigate aspects of the news in late seventeenth and/or early eighteenth century Britain. It could ask such questions as what was considered news in this period, how this was distributed, and how it might have been adapted for different audiences (including those outside London); and how news was filtered and re-used by individuals for their own purposes. It therefore has the capacity to contribute to a number of live historiographic debates about the emergence of the public sphere in the late Stuart era; mass understanding of, and participation in, the heated political controversies of the day; and the formation of personal and national identity and the role of news narratives in the process. In consultation with the supervisors, the successful candidate would have considerable freedom to choose their particular area of interest; could select from a range of disciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches, and would be free – if they wished – to engage in a comparative study with areas outside Britain.

Sources could include several easily accessed from Bangor – including the online resources Early English Books Online and Eighteenth Century Collections Online; and the large collection of newsletters written from London to the Mostyn family in north Wales in the Bangor Archive.

Supervisory Team

Professor Tony Claydon is professor of early modern history and has specialised in the politics, religion and culture of late Stuart England. He is author of major studies of William III’s propaganda, and of English attitudes to international Protestantism and Christendom as reflected in print culture, 1660-1760.

Professor Tom Corns is professor of English literature, and is a world authority on the writings of John Milton, and his political, literary, religious and cultural context. He is author, with Gordon Campbell of the definitive biography of Milton, has written a series of major studies of this author, and has edited the works of Milton’s contemporary, Gerald Winstanley.

For full details of the terms and conditions of this award see.

Queries prior to a formal application concerning this research project should be addressed to:

Professor Tony Claydon (t.claydon@bangor.ac.uk)
Professor Tom Corns (t.n.corns@bangor.ac.uk)

Application:

The application deadline is noon on Friday 30 April 2010. For more information on how to apply, please visit here

Applicants will be contacted during the month of June 2010 with information relating to their submissions.