Digital correspondence of Philip “Polyby” Williams project
Draft outline of the project: a georgian family & friends
I. intro — philip williams and his world (1742-1830)
- The England of George III
- Politics and national events
- The Age of Johnson ... or Garrick or Warton?
- The church
- Oxford and Cambridge
- Domestic and social life
- Georgian Winchester
- City
- Cathedral
- College
- The Williams family — a biographical sketch
- Philip Williams (1742-1830) and his family
- Early years and death of father
- The Wykehamist — achievements and friends
- Mother's remarriage
- New College and ordination
- The Scottish tour
- Winchester fellow and bursar
- Marriage and Compton
- Sarah Williams Winchester life — and death
- The St Johns and the Dysons
- The Speaker's chaplain
- Traveller and networker extraordinaire
- Patrons and patronage
- The blank years — remarriage
- The genial pater
- The Polybius disappointment
- Jane who? ... links with the Austen family
- Archpluralist or middle class survivor — his character?
- Stepfather Gordon (1724-1793) and family
- Lovelace Bigg-Wither (1741-1813) and other lifelong friends
- The 'northern' relatives
II. the williams papers — provenance, archiving and historiography
- The Williams papers
- General description
- Provenance and descent
- Archiving
- The Williams Letters
- General description
- Transcriptions — style and comparisons
- Published studies
- 18C letters — their composition, transport, nature, and functions
- Other relevant collections of letters — published and unpublished
- A synopsis of the Williams Letters
III. the letters
- Bachelor & fellow: Oxford (1760-1778)
- From his lifelong friend, Mr Lovelace Bigg-Wither (Letters 1-4)
- To Lovelace Bigg-Wither from Philip Williams (Letter 5)
- From his mother, Mrs Anne Williams, then Mrs John Gordon (Letters 6-7)
- From his sisters, the Misses Francis and Anne Williams (Letter 8)
- From his stepfather, Dr John Gordon (Letters 9-20)
- Husband & father: Winchester & Westminster (1779-1787)
- Between Philip Williams and his wife Sarah (89 letters)
- From his stepfather, Dr John Gordon (16 letters)
- Widower, father & husband again: Compton, near Winchester (1787-1830)
- Philip Williams to his daughters (85 letters)
- From his stepfather (4 letters)
- From his son, Philip (1 letter)
- From his fried Lovelace Bigg Wither (2 letters)
Barry Shurlock, 2011
Subscribers will have full access to
the Digital correspondence of Philip “Polyby” Williams project
as they become available.
