The study of maritime ideology is a neglected but important area. This talk will study the naval policies and ambitions of Kings Charles II and James II through this prism, examining the myths, inventions and downright lies which underpinned the notion of British monarchs’ ‘sovereignty of the seas’, and demonstrating how this shaped everything from the aggressive actions of naval captains and crews, to the decoration of the royal palaces, the Restoration theatre, the work of the era’s greatest scientists, and the music of Purcell.
Entry is free and no ticket is needed. Places are on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so latecomers may not be admitted when the lecture room is full.
Doors open for tea and coffee at 5.30pm; seminar commences 6pm.
The seminar series is supported by the Maritime History Trust.
Venue Details
BLAYDES HOUSE,
Maritime Studies Centre,
6 High Street,
Hull,
HU1 1HA
Blaydes House was built around 1740 as the home and business premises of the Blaydes family. The family included shipbuilders, shipowners, merchants and local political figures who played a leading part in the commercial and civic life of eighteenth-century Hull. The house, with its elegant panelled rooms and sweeping carved staircase, demonstrates the prosperity and self-confidence of the town’s mercantile elite. It is a typical Georgian merchant’s house, among the most impressive of several such buildings that have survived on the High Street. The house has been sympathetically restored, with period colour schemes. Since 2001 Blaydes House has been the home of the University of Hull’s Maritime Historical Studies Centre.
