Vanguards of Empire: the lives of William Dawes, Watkin Tench and George Worgan
Date
2015
Authors
Clarke, Robert Michael
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Abstract
This thesis is a study of the lives of three men brought together
in one of the most significant ventures in empire building that
Britain undertook: the European settlement of New South Wales.
They came together as strangers in this new colony, and for a
brief time found common interests and experiences before
diverging on vastly different life trajectories. The thesis
represents the first in-depth biographical studies of these men.
The thesis also considers these life studies as microhistories.
They are small, particular histories during a period of
considerable change in British imperial, political, religious and
social life. Each man brought his own unique attributes to his
experiences and to that extent they are not representative, but
the commonality and diversity of their life experiences provide
case studies that allow for a close consideration of how those
who fall outside the definition of ‘great men’ contributed to
the development of Britain and its empire. The lives assist in
understanding how events help to shape individuals and how
individuals help shape events. They are prisms through which can
be seen a number of significant themes of the period: micro
examples of macro influences, movements, and social, political,
and economic developments of the period.
The value of biography as a means of better understanding history
is examined. These men spent their lives working on the margins
of empire, of power, and of society. Operating in small circles
within larger groups of powerful elites they made their own
personal contributions to the development of Britain and its
empire. They displayed a sense of inquiry and an active interest
in acquiring knowledge in the natural world as well as the human,
and were prepared to challenge authority when they thought
necessary. In this they exhibited the influences of their
eighteenth century enlightenment backgrounds.
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Keywords
Watkins Tench, William Dawes, George Worgan, biography, microhistory, slavery, evangelicals, Royal Marines, Cornwall agriculture, Sierra Leone
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Thesis (PhD)
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