I am particularly interested in the agency and impact of women in the Napoleonic wars, but passionate about the long 18th century too. How was female influence manifested and remembered in the context of French and English patriarchy focussed on ‘The Great Men’ and tales of ‘derring-do’ in male-centric ‘theatres of war’.  

In addition to a starting point of the work of Dr Jean Baker “Sarah Baker and her Kentish Theatres 1737-1816 Challenging the Status Quo”, I am exploring playscripts of French provincial theatre, plus will be looking at works like Antoine Lilti “The World of the Salons, Sociability and Worldliness in Eighteenth-Century Paris”, Rahul Markovits ‘Civilising Europe: French theatre policies in the 18^th century’ (2014), , Joan Scott in Only Paradoxes to Offer: Chapter 2: Olympe de Gouges plus as many newspapers, passenger lists with evidence around a range of Anglo-French exchanges, as I can discover. 

Considering a range of women across the social classes, also leads me to a book in the law department: “Women in Business, 1700-1850” by Nicola Phillips. 

The partnership gives me access to the archives of English Heritage – and study will particularly focus on the properties of the Cinque Ports along the English southeast coast. 

 The memoirs of Lady Hester Stanhope, and Lucien Bonaparte (brother to the emperor) and works on Francophilia (eg: Francophilia in English Society 1748 – 1815 by Robin Eagles, and work on the subject by Gillian Russell will give further insight into both the perceived and actual exchanges between France and England during this time of war. 

With French Napoleonic POW officers-on parole, pre-revolutionary emigre’s and others noticeably numerous in the UK population, I will be referring to the works of Paul Chamberlain around French POW’s and looking at the records of female-led exchanges. 

Questions of expressions of national identity will be explored. There may be 3 avenues to consider: i) were cultural engagements attempting to return to the principles of the ancien regime or ii) were the ideals of revolutionary governance being supported instead? Or iii) was it really a new monarchical system which was seen as the most stable ground demonstrated by Bonaparte’s new imperialism?

I’m sure this will evolve as my study continues, but this is what I am looking at to begin with!