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James Johnston (1655-1737) has achieved only a passing mention in the writings of historians, from Narcissus Luttrell to John Carswell. He has two geriatric entries in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and History of Parliament Online, and his portrait still hangs serendipitously in the remnant of his home in Orleans House, Twickenham. On the surface, Johnston appeared to inhabit the typical quiet life of a prudent Scottish-British gentleman at the turn of the eighteenth century, patriotic, prosperous and Protestant. But appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Johnston, the righteous gentleman of Twickenham, harboured a devilish propensity towards the arcane arts of intelligence and espionage. This study comprehensively examines the secret service of Mr Secretary Johnston throughout the age of the Glorious Revolution (1687-96). A critical study of a seventeenth century Scottish intelligence officer of this size may well be the first ever accomplished, harnessing the whole of his surviving archival correspondence.This dissertation explores the ‘missing dimension’ of intelligence during the era of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 through the prism of Johnston’s ‘spycraft.’ A biographical study on Johnston casts light on why secret intelligence was so pivotal in the revolution, telling us much about the functions of knowledge curation in policy formulation and gentlemanliness. It will be argued that intelligence in the seventeenth century was entirely subject to human sensibilities, and by observing Johnston’s career, this research seeks to lay bare a myriad of intersections between intelligence, statecraft, masculinity, and politics. Such an overlap converges on a materialising honour tradition that equipped statesmen to unpick the truth hidden from highly politicised secret knowledge. By exploring the gentlemanly sensibilities of Johnston, this dissertation suggests that concepts of honour, truth and secrecy were some of the driving characteristics of an emerging custom of British intelligence.
| Dyddiad Dyfarnu | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Iaith wreiddiol | Saesneg |
| Sefydliad Dyfarnu |
|
| Goruchwyliwr | David Jones (Goruchwylydd) |
Dyfynnu hyn
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