Gentility in Early Modern Wales: The Salesbury Family, 14501720

(Paperback)

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An overview of Welsh and British history from 14501720 providing a new assessment of Welsh gentility.

The first full-length published study of the Salesburys of Rhug and Bachymbyd, Gentility in Early Modern Wales significantly extends the existing knowledge and understanding of this well-known early modern Welsh gentry family while correcting several errors and misinformation established by nineteenth-century antiquarians. Early modern Wales was a place of opportunity and transition for the gentry as they navigated a complex relationship with their English neighbors and found themselves cultivating a new identity as Cambro-Britons. From this in-depth analysis, the book finds that the Welsh gentry were status-conscious and opportunistic, but Welshness remained fundamental to their sense of self. This is further enhanced by considering the early modern Welsh gentry within a wider global context for the first time, through their participation in colonial activity in the Americas, as well as trade and war with continental Europe.

Reviews

"In this acute and engaging study, the author casts revealing new light on a Welsh ruling class whose horizons extended from Wales to the British Atlantic world. Exploring a wide range of themes through the experiences of one gentry family, this book makes a significant contribution to the social history of early modern Wales."-- "Huw Pryce, Professor Emeritus of Welsh History, Bangor University, and Honorary Professor, Cardiff University"
"Sadie Jarrett has produced a deeply researched and impressively wide-ranging study of the Salesbury family across the early modern period. This important book not only enriches and extends our knowledge of one of north Wales's leading dynasties, it also contributes substantially to the scholarship on gentility, politics, family and elite culture in this transformative period of Welsh history."-- "Lloyd Bowen, Reader in Early Modern and Welsh History, Cardiff University"

Author Bio

Sadie Jarrett is a career development fellow in early modern history at The Queen's College, Oxford.