La Garde Ecossaise Book 1 Introductory Further Reading
Do you want to know more about the history behind the novel? Are you a history student taking an early modern history course at school, college or university? This section is for you, those who would like to learn more about the period but do not know where to start.
SEASON 1
Podcast Title: Introduction
The La Garde Ecossaise Novels can be purchased from the following retailers:
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OverDrive: https://www.overdrive.com/media/9333064/la-garde-ecossaise-the-life-of-john-hamilton-1620-1689-p
Also available from Apple Books.
If in France it can be purchased via Fnac and Decitre. Unfortunately the book is only en Anglais at the moment but I hope to release a French edition in the future.
Recommended Reading: An Overview (as found in the back of the novel).
Early Modern Europe
Richard Bonney, The European Dynastic States 1494-1660 (Oxford, 1991). One of the best introductions to early modern European history until 1660. The section on the French Wars of Religion is clear and concise.
Richard Mackenney, Sixteenth Century Europe: Expansion and Conflict (Basingstoke, 1993). An excellent introduction to sixteenth century history covering a huge variety of topics in a concise and informative manner.
Thomas Munck, Seventeenth Century Europe 1598-1700 (Basingstoke, 1990) An excellent introduction to seventeenth century Europe. The chapters on the Thirty Years War are particularly good if you want a clear introduction to a highly complex set of events.
Early Modern France
Robin Briggs, Early Modern France 1560-1715 (Oxford, 1998). A well written and accessible introduction to early modern France.
William Doyle, Old Regime France 1648-1788 (Oxford, 2001). A comprehensive introduction to all aspects of old regime France.
Early Modern Spain
Robert Goodwin, Spain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682 (London, 2016). The best current introduction to early modern Spain.
The Three Stuart Kingdoms – Britain and Ireland 1603-1707
David L Smith, A History of the Modern British Isles 1603-1707: The Double Crown 1603-1707 (Oxford, 1998). The best introduction to the history of the three Stuart kingdoms in the seventeenth century.
Mark Kishlansky, A Monarchy Transformed: Britain 1603-1714 (London, 1997). Anglocentric in outlook but a solid introduction to the Stuart monarchs and the key events of seventeenth century Britain and Ireland.
1641 Rebellion
Michael Perceval-Maxwell, The Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion 1641 (Kingston, 1994). There has been a lot of work on the 1641 rebellion recently but this is still the best entry point for understanding the conflict.
1641 Depositions at Trinity College Dublin, https://1641.tcd.ie/ You can search actual witness statements from the rebellion via Trinity College’s website. User registration is required.
Scottish Highlands during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Michael Newton, Warriors of the Word: The World of the Scottish Highlanders (Edinburgh, 2019). The best overview of the Scottish Gaelic world, its structures, culture, language, traditions and beliefs.
David Stevenson, Highland Warrior: Alasdair MacColla and the Civil Wars (Edinburgh, 1980). The best biography of one of Britain’s best and underrated generals.
Thirty Years War
Richard Bonney, The Thirty Years War 1618-1648 (Oxford, 2002) The best introductory overview of this large and multifaceted conflict.
Peter H Wilson, Europe’s Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War (London, 2010). A comprehensive and accessible account.
Peter H Wilson, The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook (London, 2010) A wide ranging collection of transcribed and translated primary sources.
William P. Guthrie, Battles of the Thirty Years War: From White Mountain to Nordlingen 1618-1635 (Westport, Connecticut, 2001). The best in-depth account of the military side of the wars until 1635.
William P. Guthrie, The Later Thirty Years War: From the Battle of Wittstock to the Treaty of Westphalia (Westport, Connecticut, 2003). The best in-depth account of the military side of the wars from 1635 to 1648.
Catalonia, France and Spain from 1640 to 1659
Simon Harris, Catalonia is Not Spain: A Historical Perspective (Barcelona, 2014). The best introduction to the Catalan perspective on their history.
Robert Goodwin, Spain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682 (London, 2016). The best current introduction to early modern Spain.
Peter Salins, Boundaries: The Making of France and Spain in the Pyrenees (Los Angeles, 1991). An excellent analysis of the borderlands between France and Spain.
France under Mazarin and Louis XIV
Geoffrey Treasure, Mazarin: The Crisis of Absolutism in France (London, 1995). The best English language biography of Cardinal Mazarin.
Richard Wilkinson, Louis XIV, France and Europe 1661-1715 (London, 1995). An accessible introduction to the reign of Louis XIV.
David L. Smith, Louis XIV (Cambridge, 1992). An accessible collection of primary sources from the reign of Louis XIV.
The Franco-Dutch War 1672-1678
Carl J. Ekberg, The Failure of Louis XIV’s Dutch War (Chapel Hill, 1979). The most accessible overview of the Franco-Dutch war.
Follow me on social media
Dr Kirsteen M MacKenzie
Twitter @kirsteenmm
Instagram @earlymodernkirsteenmm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Kirsteen-M-MacKenzie-Historian
But I cannot afford to purchase any of these books!!!
Don’t worry.
You can borrow the La Garde Ecossaise novels from OverDrive and Kindle Unlimited.
You can access many of these books from an online academic library called Perlego. Registration and payment is required. https://www.perlego.com/
You can access journal articles via JSTOR. Registration is required. Payment may be required depending upon the article. https://www.jstor.org/
Many of the older printed primary source materials, especially those that are no longer covered by the time restrictions around copyright can be accessed via archive.org. https://archive.org/
PODCAST: TO THE READER
1715 Rebellion
Books
Daniel Szechi, 1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion (New Haven, 2006). The most up to date and authoritative account of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion.
Daniel Szechi, The Jacobites: Britain and Europe 1688-1788 (Manchester, 1994). A good overview and introduction to the whole series of Jacobite risings between 1688 and 1746.
Jonathan Oates, Battles of the Jacobite Rebellions: Kilicrankie to Culloden (Barnsley, 2020). A good overview the significant battles of the Jacobite Rebellions from 1689-1746.
Jonathan Oates, The Last Battle on English Soil: Preston 1715 (Farnham, 2016). An in depth and academic account of the Battle of Preston in 1715.
Jonathan Oates, Crucible of the Jacobite 15: The Battle of Sherriffmuir 1715 (Solihull, 2017). A military and strategic account of the Battle of Sherrifmuir
Webpages
National Archives, the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/jacobite-1715/
An interesting collection of manuscripts and primary source documents relating to the 1715 Rising.
National Library of Scotland, The 1715 Jacobite Rising https://www.nls.uk/exhibitions/jacobites/1715/
A virtual exhibition on the 1715 Jacobite Rising.
Podcasts:
The Jacobite Podcast. It covers Jacobite history from 1688 to 1746. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Anchor FM.
Social media links:
Battle of Preston 1715 @Preston1715
Jacobite Rebellions @Jacobitesedu
History of Parliament Trust, The Georgian Lords @GeorgianLords
The Jacobite Podcast @JacobitePodcast
Jacobite re-enactors, interpretation and history. A private group with some really interesting posts. Request to join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1489001708034506/?notif_id=1670608196228220¬if_t=group_r2j_approved&ref=notif
The Jacobite Podcast @thejacobitepodcast
YouTube
Beyond Borders, ‘Jacobite Uprising 1715-2015 with Professor Murray Pittock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2tD2zR4Mhs
Whigs and Tories
Books
Tim Harris, Restoration: Charles II and his Kingdoms 1660-1685 (London, 2005). Chapters 3-5 deal with the emergence of the Whigs and Tories in the reign of Charles II. Chapters 6 and 7 give the wider Scottish and Irish experience with the emergence of party politics.
Eveline Cruickshanks, The Glorious Revolution (London, 2000). Although clearly biased towards the Jacobites, it gives a good overview of the different perspectives of the Glorious Revolution from both the Tory and Whig perspectives.
J.C.D. Clark, Revolution and Rebellion: State and Society in England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Cambridge, 1986). An academic scholarly work that bridges both the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Jacobite rebellions and traces the emergence of political parties across both conflicts.
YouTube
James Marino, ‘Whigs and Tories’. A good overview with reference to eighteenth century literature and in an American context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMb2rlfFKc
French Communities in Early Modern Britain and Ireland/British and Irish Communities in Early Modern France
Henrietta Maria and her circle
Books
Dominic Pierce, Henrietta Maria (Stroud, 2015). A fresh look at Britain and Ireland’s last French Queen.
Katie Whitaker, A Royal Passion: the turbulent marriage of Charles I and Henrietta Maria (London, 2010). In in depth examination of a marriage which impacted upon the course of British and Irish history in the seventeenth century.
Erin Giffrey ed., Henrietta Maria: Piety, Politics and Patronage (Aldershot, 2008). An academic edited collection which offers an insight into the research into the more literary and material aspects of her life and legacy. For the purpose of French communities on both sides of the channel the essay on Henrietta Maria’s inner circle and European politics is particularly fascinating.
Alison Plowden, Henrietta Maria: Charles Is indomitable Queen (Stroud, 2001). An accessible account of Henrietta Maria’s life.
Essays and Articles
Adam Morton, ‘Sanctity and Suspicion: Catholicism, Conspiracy and the representation of Henrietta Maria of France and Catherine of Braganza, Queens of Britain in Queen’s Consort, Cultural Transfer and European Politics 1500-1800 ed., by Helen Wantanbe-O’Kelly and Adam Morton (Abingdon, 2017). An essay which outlines the mixture of fascination and fear that many English people held for Queen Henrietta Maria. English culture was open to French cultural influences and the Queen was an object of fascination for her ‘foreignness’ but the Queen was also a threat to English national identity and to the Protestant nation.
Sara J Wolfson, ‘The Female Bedchamber of Queen Henrietta Maria: Politics and Familial Networks and Policy 1626-40’ in The Politics of Female Households: Ladies-In-Waiting across Early Modern Europe ed. Nadine Akkerman, and Brigit Hoben, (Leiden, 2013). Outlines the opportunities for women to influence politics through the more informal networks that surrounded Henrietta Maria’s bedchamber.
Caroline M Hibbard, ‘A cosmopolitan court in a confessional age: Henrietta Revisited’ in Catholic Culture in Early Modern England eds., Ronald Corthell, Frances E Dolan, Christopher Highley and Arthur F Marroli (Notre Dame, 2007).
Caroline M Hibbard, ‘Translating Royalty: Henrietta Maria and the Transition from Princess to Queen’, Court Historian 5:1 (2000) pp. 15-28. A journal article which outlines Henrietta Maria’s experience of moving from her native land and beloved France, leaving family and the French court to live in a foreign land, Britain. A land marked by confessional difference, the English language and culture.
Read their own words…primary source collections
Mary Anne Everitt Green, Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria, including her Private Correspondence with Charles the First (London, 1857). Link to Archive.org https://archive.org/details/lettersofqueenhe00henr/page/n3/mode/2up
Webpages
Royal Museums Greenwich, ‘Henrietta Maria’ https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/henrietta-maria A good overview of her life and legacy.
The Royal Collection Trust, ‘Henrietta Maria, Queen of Great Britain (1609-1669)’. https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/henrietta-maria-queen-of-great-britain-1609-69#/type/subject An excellent webpage with links to all the Queen Henrietta Maria related objects in the Royal Collection – well worth a look.
National Portrait Gallery, ‘Henrietta Maria’ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp02137/henrietta-maria There are 88 portraits related to the French Queen, oil paintings, prints and engravings.
Royal Academy ‘Henrietta Maria: the Queen behind Charles Is collection’ An online magazine article outlining her life written by Erin Giffrey https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/magazine-charles-i-henrietta-maria
Social Media
@RCT – Royal Collection Trust twitter feed.
17th Century Appreciation Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/129009554127905/ It has some really interesting posts on Henrietta Maria. Use the search function and the posts will appear.
#henriettamariaoffrance – there are 170 posts using this hashtag. Mainly images of portraits relating to Henrietta Maria of France.
French Diplomats in Britain and Ireland
Essays and Articles
David Buisseret, ‘An unusual episode in international diplomatic relations in the seventeenth century: Sully’s embassy to London June 1603’ Revue d’histoire diplomatique 134:3 (2020) pp. 253-262.
Michael Schainch, ‘Information Professionals: Huguenot Diplomats in Later Stuart London and their European Context’ in Viveinne Lammie ed., Huguenot Networks 1560-1780: the interactions and the impact of a Protestant minority in Europe (Routledge, 2018).
Alice Motte ‘L’ambassade du Marquis d’Effiat en Angleterre : l’education politique d’ un serviteur de l’etat (1624-1625) Revue d’histoire diplomatique 123 :3 (2009) pp. 193-214.
Paul Barrillon, ‘Ambassadeur de France en Angleterre (1677-1688) Revue d’histoire (1998) 227-249.
French Merchants and Traders in Britain and Ireland
Elizabeth Randall, ‘A Special Case? London’s French Protestants’ in Debra Kelly and Martin Cornick ed., A History of the French in London: liberty, equality, opportunity (London, 2013) pp/ 13-42.
David J Shaw, ‘French émigres in the London Book Trade until 1850’ ed., Robin Myers and Michael Harris The London Booktrade: topographies of print in the metropolis from the sixteenth century (London, 2003).
Catherine Swindelhurst, “An unruly and presumptuous rabble’: the reaction of the Spitalfeilds community to the settlement of the Huguenots 1660-90 in From Strangers to Citizens: the integration of immigration communities in Britain, Ireland and Colonial America 1550-1750 ed., Randolph Vigne and Charles Littleton (Brighton, 2001).
Greig Parker ed., Probate Inventories of French Immigrants in early modern London (Farnham, 2014).
Frank Meers, The Welcome Stranger: Dutch, Walloon and Huguenot incomers to Norwich 1550-1750 (Norwich, 2018).
Ruth Whelan, ‘Promised Land: Selling Ireland to the French Protestants’ Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland 29:1 (2008) pp. 37-50.
Ruth Whelan, ‘The Huguenots and the imaginative geography of Ireland: a planned immigration scheme in the 1680s’ Irish Historical Studies 35, 140 (2006-7) pp.477-495.
Robin D Gywnn, Huguenot Heritage: the history and contribution of the Huguenots in Britain (Brighton, 2001).
B J Cottret The Huguenots in England: Immigration and Settlement c.1550-1700 (London, 1992).
J F Hayward, Huguenot Silver in England 1688-1727 (London, 1959).
Christopher Hartop, Huguenot Legacy: English Silver 1680-1780 (London, 1999).
Websites and Online Articles
Robin Gwynn, “England’s ‘First Refugees’” History Today Volume 35, Issue 5 (May 1985) https://www.historytoday.com/archive/englands-first-refugees
Musee Protestant, ‘The Huguenot Refuge in England’ https://museeprotestant.org/en/notice/le-refuge-huguenot-en-angleterre/
Our Migration Story, ‘Huguenot Silkweavers in Spitalfeilds’ https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/oms/huguenot-silk-weavers-in-spitalfields
French Protestant Church of London ‘The Huguenot Refuge in England’ https://www.egliseprotestantelondres.org.uk/en/heritage/history-2/huguenot-refuge-england/
The Huguenots of Spitalfields, ‘The Huguenots of Spitalfields’ https://www.huguenotsofspitalfields.org/ Despite its name it is a group committed to promoting Huguenot heritage across England.
The Huguenot Museum ‘The Huguenot Museum’ https://huguenotmuseum.org/ The museum is based in Rochester, Kent.
The Huguenot Society, ‘The Huguenot Society’ https://www.huguenotsociety.org.uk/
Social Media
@HuguenotSociety – The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
@huguenotmuseum – The official Twitter feed of the Huguenot Museum in Rochester, Kent UK.
Official Facebook page of the Huguenot Museum in Rochester, Kent, UK https://www.facebook.com/huguenotmuseum
Official Facebook page of the Huguenots of Spitalfields https://www.facebook.com/HuguenotsofSpitalfields
@Huguenot_Museum – The official Instagram account of the Huguenot Museum.
YouTube
BBC London News, ‘The Legacy of the Huguenots in London’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa5-9ISYigQ
Museum of London, ‘Shaping the City: the history of the Huguenots’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INEHMnJOWAU
A series of zoom talks in several parts which discuss the Huguenots are their legacy and influence over several trades in London including the performing arts, watchmaking, and silversmiths.
French soldiers in Britain and Ireland
Murtagh Herman, ‘Schomberg, Ruivgny and the Huguenots in Ireland: William IIIs Irish War 1689-91’ in Matthew Glozier ed., War, Religion and Service: Huguenot Soldiering 1685-1713 (Aldershot, 2007). pp.95-110.
J.G. Simms, Jacobite Ireland 1685-91 (Dublin, 2000).
Websites and Online Articles
Professor David Hayton, ‘The Williamite Wars’ History Live
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/irishhistorylive/IrishHistoryResources/Articlesandlecturesbyourteachingstaff/TheWilliamiteWars/ [Accessed 10/02/2023]
Professor David Hayton, ‘The Jacobite-Williamite War 1689-91’ Armagh Robinson Library https://armaghrobinsonlibrary.co.uk/the-williamite-jacobite-war-1689-91/ [Accessed 10/02/2023].
Social Media
@En_Garde_IRL Franco Irish Historical Society. Living History Re-enactment.
@1691Aughrim Tweets about the Jacobite risings in Ireland.
@ Irish_tour_guide_genealogist ‘The Dawning of the Day’ https://www.instagram.com/p/BuBrEjkovKV/ An old Irish Jacobite song about the French arrival in Ireland.
Exiled Stuarts in France/Aristocracy
Books and Articles
Anna Keay, ‘The Shadow of a King? Charles II in exile’ History Today 58.7 (2008).
Mark Williams, The King’s Irishmen: the Irish in the exiled court of Charles II 1649-1660 (Woodbridge, 2014).
Edward Corp, A Court in Exile: the Stuarts in France 1689-1718 (Cambridge, 2004).
F.J. McLynn, France and the Jacobite Rising of 1745 (Edinburgh, 1981).
Websites and Online Articles
Professor Simon Thurley, ‘Charles II in exile’ Gresham College https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/charles-court-exile [Accessed 10/02/23]
Professor Edward Corp ‘The Jacobite Court in Exile’ Gale https://www.gale.com/intl/essays/edward-corp-jacobite-government-exile [Accessed 10/02/23].
Social Media
@RoyalStuartSoc Royal Stuart Society
Diplomacy
Books
C H Firth Notes on the diplomatic relations of England and France (Oxford, 1906). Contains a short entries on all the diplomats that served England and France during the seventeenth century.
Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers (London, 2006). Not strictly to do with diplomacy per se, but a must read of historical fiction set during the seventeenth century including secret missions between France and England.
Rodger Lockyer, Buckingham: The Life and Political Career of George Villers, First Duke of Buckingham 1592-1628 (Abingdon, 2014). The best introduction to the Duke of Buckingham’s life and career. Buckingham was an important figure under both King James I and King Charles I.
Social Media
@printdiplomacy Public Diplomacy in Early Modern Europe
@emdiplomacy. Early Modern Diplomacy: A Handbook
@bobbyatbath Dr Roberta Anderson. One of the leading academics on early modern diplomacy.
British and Irish Merchants and Traders in France
Books and Articles
Steve Murdoch, ‘The French Connection: Bordeaux’s ‘Scottish’ Networks in Context c.1670-1720 in Giles Liedyer eds., Scotland and Europe: Scotland in Europe (Newcastle, 2007) pp. 26-55
Siobhan Talbot. Conflict, Commerce and Franco-Scottish Relations 1560-1713 (London, 2015).
H F Kearney, ‘The Irish Wine Trade 1614-1615’ Irish Historical Studies 9:3 (1954-1955).
R Piajassou, ‘Le marché de Londres et la naissance des grands crus Médocains (fin 17e siècle debout 18e siècle’ Revue historique de Bordeaux et du Département de la Gironde ns 23 (1974) 139-50.
British and Irish Religious Exiles in France
Books and Articles
Robert E Scully and Angela Ellis eds., A Companion to Catholicism and Recusancy in Britain and Ireland: from Reformation to Emancipation (Leiden, 2022).
Patrick Ferte, ‘List of Superiors of the Irish College, Toulouse (1618-1793) Archivum Hibernicum (2010) 285-298;
Patrick O’Connor, ‘The Irish College in Paris: from penal days seminary to Irish cultural centre’ in Franco-Irish Connections: essays, memoirs, and poems in honour of Pierre Joannon ed., Jane Conroy and Pierre Joannon (Dublin, 2009) pp. 258-268;
Michael Sharrat, ‘Theology and Philosophy at the English College Douai: A Handlist of Sources’ History of Universities 18.2 (2003) 197-225;
Thomas M McCoog, ‘Replant the uprooted tree of faith’: the Society of Jesus and the Continental Colleges for Religious exiles’ in Robert Armstrong and Tadhg O’hAnnrachain eds., Insular Christianity: alternative models of the church in Britain and Ireland c.1570-1700 (Dublin, 2013) pp. 28-48.
Brian M Holloran, The Scots College Paris, 1603 to 1792 (Edinburgh, 1997).
Websites
English Catholic History Association – Many interesting articles on early modern English Catholicism. There is also an excellent online series of talks which can be watched via YouTube.
English Catholic History Association | English Catholic History | Page 6 (echa.org.uk)
Social Media
@EnglishCatholi2 English Catholic History Association
@ScotCathArch Scottish Catholic Archives
British and Irish Soldiers in France
Books and Articles
Matthew Glozier, Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King: Nursery for Men of Honour (Leiden, 2004).
Matthew Glozier, ‘The Scots in the Dutch and French Armies during the Thirty Years War’ in Scotland in the Thirty Years War 1618-1648 (Leiden, 2001).
Steve Murdoch, ‘The Auld Alliance and French Intervention in the Thirty Years’ War, 1633-1648’ in Neil McIntyre and Alison Cathcart (eds), Scotland and the Wider World, c.1525-1880 (Boydell & Brewer, March 2022), pp. 79-80 plus notes
Eoghan OhAnnrachain, ‘Irish Veterans at the Hotel Royal des Invalides (1692-1769)’ Irish Sword 21 (1998) 5-42.
Eamon O’Closain, ‘Irish Soldiers and Regiments in French Service before 1690’ David Murphy ed., Franco-Irish Military Connections 1590-1945 (Dublin, 2009).
Adam Marks, England and the Thirty Years War (Brill, 2023). Although looking at the war as a whole it contains some interesting material on English soldiers in the war including French service.
Steve Murdoch, ‘Nicrina ad heroas Anglos’ An Overview of the British and the Thirty Years War’ in Serena Jones ed., Serena Jones (ed.) Britain Turned Germany: The Thirty Years’ War And Its Impact On The British Isles 1638-1660 (Leiden, 2020).
Social Media
@En_Garde_IRL En Garde Franco-Irish Historical Society. Military Living History and Re-enactment celebrating Franco-Irish military relations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
@Prof_Murdoch Professor Steve Murdoch has worked on Scottish soldiers in foreign service for a number of decades.
Podcast: Religion in Early Modern Scotland
Pre-Reformation Church
Books
Gordon Donaldson, The Scottish Reformation (Cambridge, 1960). Although dated it is still the best introduction to the Scottish church before and after the Reformation.
Jane E.A. Dawson, Scotland Re-formed 1488-1587 (Edinburgh, 2007). .
The best survey of this period in recent years, particularly for putting Scottish religious history in its wider political context.
Gordon Donaldson, Scotland: James V-James VII (Edinburgh, 1965). Still one of the best introductions to early modern Scotland. See Chapter 8 ‘The Church Before and After the Reformation’.
Jenny Wormald, Court, Kirk and Community: Scotland 1470-1625 (Edinburgh, 1991) See Chapter 5 The Pre-Reformation Church.
Alex Rynie, The Origins of the Scottish Reformation (Manchester, 2010).
Websites
Scottish Catholic Historical Association Home | The Scottish Catholic Historical Association (scha.scot)
The homepage of the Scottish Catholic Historical Association which studies both the pre and post reformation Catholic Church in Scotland. It publishes the Innes Review and has a portal to the Scottish Catholic Archives.
YouTube
A Short History of the Catholic Faith in Scotland – YouTube – A good but brief overview of the history of the Catholic faith in Scotland
Social Media
@ScotCathArch Scottish Catholic Archives
The Scottish Catholic Historical Association
Scottish Catholic Historical Association | Facebook
The Scottish Reformation
Gordon Donaldson, The Scottish Reformation (Cambridge, 1960). Still the best introduction to the Scottish Reformation in Scotland.
Jane E.A. Dawson, Scotland Re-formed 1488-1587 (Edinburgh, 2007). The best survey of this period in recent years putting the Scottish reformation in its wider British and European context.
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Gordon Donaldson, Scotland: James V-James VII (Edinburgh, 1965). A solid overview of early modern Scotland including key religious developments during the Reformation. See chapter 8 the church before and after the Reformation.
Jenny Wormald, Court, Kirk and Community: Scotland 1470-1625 (Edinburgh, 1991) See chapters 6, 7, and 8.
Websites
The Scottish Reformation, c.1525-1560 (scottishhistorysociety.com) A good overview of the key events of the Scottish Reformation by the Scottish History Society.
YouTube
A set of short but interesting videos clearly aimed at practising Christians on George Wishart and John Knox
George Wishart: Scotland’s Forgotten Forerunner | Episode 32 | Lineage – YouTube
John Knox: Leading the Scottish Reformation | Episode 33 | Lineage – YouTube
John Knox: Showdown at Holyrood | Episode 34 | Lineage – YouTube
Presbyterianism and Episcopacy
George Mullan, Episcopacy in Scotland: The History of An Idea 1560-1638 (Edinburgh, 1986). The best academic introduction to the episcopal side of the debates within the Scottish church during the early years of the long Scottish Reformation.
David George Mullan, Scottish Puritanism 1590-1638 (Oxford, 2000). The best introduction to the Melville and Presbyterian side of the debates in the early years of the Scottish Reformation.
Alan MacDonald, The Jacobean Kirk 1567-1625: Sovereignty, Policy and Liturgy (Aldershot, 1998). An academic study highlighting the complexity of the opinions and debates surrounding the Scottish church during the reign of James VI of Scotland and I of Britain.
Keith Brown, Kingdom or Province? Scotland and the Regal Union, 1603-1715 (London, 1992) The best introductory text to early modern Scotland and its wider relationship with the Crown and London based political institutions.
John Morrill ed., The National Covenant in its British Context 1638-51 (Edinburgh, 1991). A set of essays which outline the significance of the Scottish National Covenant in its British and Irish contexts.
David Stevenson, The Scottish Revolution 1637-1644 (Edinburgh, 2003). The first part of a three-part history of the Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
David Stevenson, Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Scotland 1644-1651 (Edinburgh, 2021). The second part of the history of the Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
David Stevenson, ‘Cromwell, Scotland and Ireland’ in John Morrill ed., Oliver Cromwell and the English Revolution (London, 1990) A good overview and comparison of Oliver Cromwell’s attitudes towards Scotland and Ireland.
Frances D Dow, Cromwellian Scotland (Edinburgh, 1979). A comprehensive approach to the government, policies and reaction by the Scots to the Cromwellian military occupation of Scotland.
Scott Spurlock, Cromwell and Scotland: Conquest and Religion 1650-1660 (Edinburgh, 2007). Focuses on the Cromwellian army and its promotion of liberty of conscience throughout Scotland.
Ian Cowan, The Scottish Covenanters 1660-1688 (London, 1976). Compared to the earlier period of the Covenanters, the later period post Restoration is in need of a fresh history. It is still the best introduction in the field.
Websites
The National Covenant – Greyfriars Kirk A short account of Greyfriars Kirk at the time of the National Covenant in 1638.
Jardine’s Book of Martyrs | History, the Covenanters, Scotland (wordpress.com) Dr Mark Jardine’s Book of Martyrs. A blog recounting later Covenanting history, particularly during the reigns of Charles II and James II
Youtube
Scotland’s Forgotten History – The Story of Scotland’s Second Reformation, the Covenanters albeit for a Christian audience.
Scotland’s Forgotten History – YouTube
Podcasts
Scotland’s Forgotten History Podcast presented by Matthew Vogan – a podcast dedicated to Scotland’s Second Reformation and the Covenanters.
Pax Britanica Podcast – Listen to the various ScotRev episodes for various perspectives on the Covenanters. There is also an episode on the Covenanters in Restoration Scotland with Allan Kennedy.
Social Media
@scotchchurchhist Scottish Church History Society
@allandkennedy Dr Allan Kennedy’s Twitter feed.
@estatis Dr Alan R MacDonald’s Twitter feed.
@drmarkjardine Dr Mark Jardine’s Twitter feed.
A Facebook group dedicated to the History of the Covenanters The Covenanters | Facebook
Parish Life in the 1670s
Books
T.C Smout, A History of the Scottish People 1560-1830 (London, 1998). Especially Chapter III The social impact of the reformed church.
Margo Todd, The Culture of Protestantism in Early Modern Scotland (New Haven, 2002). Still the gold standard about parish life in Scotland during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Websites
National Archives of Scotland, Kirk Session Records Online, search the digitised original records of the Scottish church. Many of these records date back to the 17th century:
Kirk session records | ScotlandsPeople
Social Media
Scotland’s People ScotlandsPeople | Edinburgh | Facebook
Stuart London
Books and Articles
General Introductions
Liza Picard, Restoration London (London, 2001). An accessible introduction to London under King Charles II.
Margarette Wilson, London and the Seventeenth Century: The Making of the World’s Greatest City (New Haven, 2022). The best introduction to Stuart London that has been written in years.
Don Jordon, The King’s City: London Under Charles II – a city that transformed a nation and created modern Britain (London, 2017). A very detailed account of London under Charles II.
Industry, Commerce and Trade
Jasmine Kilburn-Toppin, Crafting Identities: artisan culture in London 1550-1640 (Manchester, 2021) An academic study exploring the world of the craftsman in early modern London.
Rapal Raj Mistra, A Business of State: Commerce, Politics, and the Birth of the East India Company (Cambridge MA, 2018). A detailed study of the origins and significance of England’s East India Company.
Cosmopolitan London
The Huguenots
Robin D Gywnn, The Huguenots in Later Stuart Britain: Volume II: settlement, churches and the role of London (Brighton, 2019). A detailed examination of the significant contributions of Huguenots to Stuart London.
The Jews
Jacob Selwood, ‘Jewish immigration, Anti-Semitism and the diversity of early modern London’ Jewish Culture and History 10:1 (2007) pp.1-22. An important article showing how previous cultural contacts with foreigners influenced Londoners perceptions of the Jewish community.
The Scots
Allan Kennedy ‘Highlanders and the City: Migration, Segmentation, and the Image of the Highlander in early modern London c.1603-1750’ Northern Scotland ns. 12: 2 (2021). Ground breaking research into Scottish communities in Stuart London.
The Irish
Toby Barnard, ‘The Irish in London and the “London Irish” ca. 1660-1780’ Eighteenth Century Life 39:1 (2015). An excellent overview of the Irish drawn from all levels of society who settled in London.
The Ottomans
Simon Mills, A Commerce of Knowledge, Trade, Religion, Commerce and the Ottoman Empire, 1600-1750 (Oxford, 2020). An academic study but is comprehensively shows the links forged between England and the Ottoman Empire.
Africans
Peter Fryer, Staying Power: the history of Black People in Britain (London, 1984).
A Place of Conspiracy and Intrigue
Royal Armouries, Torture and Punishment at the Tower of London (Leeds, 2020). A short booklet which reassesses the extent of torture and punishment at the Tower of London.
David C Hanrahan, Colonel Blood: the man who stole the Crown Jewels (Stroud, 2003). A detailed examination of Blood’s life and the complexities of his actions and personality.
Robert Hutchinson, The Audacious Crimes of Colonel Blood: the spy who stole the Crown Jewels and became the King’s secret agent (London, 2015). Written like a page turning novel this book explores Blood’s actions and why Charles II decided to pardon him.
C V Wedgewood, The Trial of Charles I (London, 1964). The classic narrative of the trial and execution of Charles I.
Graham Edwards, The Last Days of Charles I (Sutton, 1999). A personal favourite of mine. Explores all aspects of the King’s execution and those involved at all levels of society.
T W T Tatton-Brown, Lambeth Palace: a history of the Archbishops of Canterbury and their houses (London, 2000). It explores the history of Lambeth Palace and the other residences of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Websites
The History Press, ‘Colonel Blood and the Crown Jewels’ https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/colonel-blood-and-the-crown-jewels/ [Accessed 30/1/2023].
Podcasts
Margarette Lincoln, ‘17th century London, a city shaped by catastrophe’ HistoryExtra Podcast [Accessed 23/05/2023].
Rupali Mishra, ‘The Company that sparked our corporate World’ Innovation Hub https://beta.prx.org/stories/275306 [Accessed 22/05/2023].
YouTube
Pudding Lane Productions, Crytek Off The Map – YouTube – reconstructed images of 17th century London using maps from the British Library.
Tamsin Lewis and Passamezzo: Playford’s London – A musical journey through 17th Century London – YouTube – A map of 17th century London through song and dance.
Social Media
Museum of London @museumoflondon
Tower of London @TowerofLondon
Lambeth Palace @lambethpalace
History of Parliament @histparl
Medieval and Early Modern Orients @MEMOrients
Huguenots of Spitalfeilds @Huguenot_E1
Jewish Historical Society of England @JHSE England
IHR Black History Seminar @ihr_bbh
Black British History @BlackBritHist
British Association for Irish Studies @BAIrishStudies
#17thcenturyLondon – has a variety of posts relating to 17th century London. Mainly 17th buildings and finds through mudlarking.
17th Century London | Facebook There is a private Facebook group dedicated to the history of 17th century London.
Early Modern France
Geography, Borders, and Society
Books
Robin Briggs, Early Modern France 1560-1715 (London, 1998). One of the best overviews of Early Modern France including the social and economic aspects.
William Doyle, Old Regime France (Oxford, 2001). An excellent introductory volume leaning more towards political events.
William Beik, A Social and Cultural History of Early Modern France (Cambridge, 2009). An excellent volume which examines society under the old regime giving a detailed and vivid picture of everyday life under the Bourbons.
Websites
There are a number of excellent 17th century maps of France at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, including:
La France où sont les routes d’un voyage de France, par l’auteur du voyage. La Pointe sc. Lieües communes de France 30 La Pointe, François de (1640?-1699?). Graveur [A map showing all the roads across France connecting all the regions of France – dated to the middle to late 17th century].
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8491247z?rk=64378;0
Carte de la France , divisée selon l’ordre des Parlements et Cours Souveraines ou Juridictions royalles, par laquelle division se peut voir la grandeur et estandüe de chaque Parlement, qui sont les présidiaux ou sénéchaussées qui en relèvent et les baillages ressortissant à chaque présidial 16..
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84902415?rk=236052;4
Le Royaume de France avec ses acquisitions divisée en gouvernements de provinces / par I.B. Nolin 1600-1725
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53053124s?rk=343349;2
The Internet History Sourcebook has a wonderful collection of online primary materials from the early modern period. It is well worth a look.
Here is an excerpt from Jean Dormat (1625-1696) On Social Order and Absolute Monarchy:
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1687domat.asp
Social Conditions in 17th Century France from a report of the Estates of Normandy (1651) and Letters from the Abbess of Port-Royal.
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/17france-soc.asp
Jacques Begine Brousset, a member of the first estate, the clergy, (his picture is featured in the videocast) writes a treatise on the importance of respecting the King’s authority and societal order. From the Hanover Historical Texts Project:
Brousset, A Political Treatise
https://history.hanover.edu/texts/bossuet.html
YouTube
A good visual summary of the The Three Estates’ by Chantal Englert The 3 French Estates – YouTube
Social Media
@SEMFS Society for Early Modern French Studies
Seventeenth Century French Studies Group – a very friendly community of academics and non-academics
https://www.facebook.com/groups/226745001141
Season 2
2:1 Louis XIV and St Germain en Laye
Books and Literature
Philip Mansel, King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV (London, 2022).
Oliver Bernier, Louis XIV (Paris, 2018).
Josephine Wilkinson, Louis XIV: The Real King of Versailles (Stroud, 2019).
Edward Corp, A Court in Exile: The Stuarts of France 1689-1718 (Cambridge, 2004).
Geoffrey Smith, The Cavillers in Exile 1640-1660 (Basingstoke, 2004).
Matthew Glozier, Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King: Nursery for Men of Honour (Leiden, 2004).
Boulet, François, Leçon d’histoire de France : Saint-Germain-en-Laye : des antiquités nationales à une ville internationale / François Boulet,… ; préface de Patrick Périn,…. – Paris : les Presses franciliennes, 2006.
Louis XIV à Saint-Germain [Texte imprimé] : 1638-1682 : de la naissance à la gloire : exposition, 24 septembre-27 novembre 1988, chapelle du Château, Musée des antiquités nationales, Saint-Germain-en-Laye / [organisée par le Musée national du Châtau de Versailles et le Musée des antiquités nationales] Saint-Germain-en-Laye : [Ville de Saint-Germain-en-Laye], [1988] Paris.
Amis du vieux Saint-Germain (Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines André Le Nôtre, 1673-1700 [Texte imprimé] : art et science des jardins et de la terrasse de Saint-Germain-en-Laye : actes du colloque, [Château de Saint-Germains-en-Laye, Musée des antiquités nationales], 2 décembre 2000 ; suivi des conférences données aux Amis du vieux Saint-Germain au cours de l’année 2000-2001 / Amis du vieux Saint-Germain Saint-Germain-en-Laye : Amis du vieux Saint Germain, (2013).
Online Resources
St Germain en Laye 4K tour Walking around Saint Germain en Laye, France – 4K Walks (youtube.com)
The museum and the domain | Musée d’Archéologie nationale (musee-archeologienationale.fr)
Gallica at the BNF have a large selection of digitised primary sources relating to St Germain en Laye and its Chateaux in the seventeenth century. p1 – Your search – All Château de St-Germain en Laye : 899 Results – Gallica (bnf.fr)
Social Media
Facebook; official Facebook page of a group interested in St Germain en Laye chateaux as residents of the Kings of France (in French) https://www.facebook.com/chateau.Saint.Germain.en.Laye
Facebook; Association Louis XIV (in French) an association which gathers people together who are interested in Louis XIV. https://www.facebook.com/AssociationLouisXIV
Facebook; Page of Dr Josephine Wilkinson, historian of Louis XIV https://www.facebook.com/17SFemme
Instagram; Dr Josephine Wilkinson, historian of Louis XIV Dr Josephine Wilkinson (@dr_josephine_wilkinson) • Instagram photos and videos
X; Dr Josephine Wilkinson, historian of Louis XIV https://x.com/Jo_History
X; Musée d’Archéologie nationale (MAN)
@Archeonationale This museum now occupies the old chateau of St Germain en Laye.
2.2 Rules and Engagement and Codes of Conduct in Early Modern Warfare
Books and Literature
John Childs, ‘The Laws of War in Seventeenth Century Europe and their application during the Jacobite War in Ireland 1688-1691’ in David Edwards, Padraig Lenihan and Clodiagh Tait eds., Age of Atrocity: Violence and Political Conflict in Early Modern Ireland (Dublin,2007).
Geoffrey Parker, ‘Early Modern Europe’ in Michael Howard et al eds., The Laws of War: Constraints on Warfare in the Western World (London, 1994).
Richard Tuck, The Rights of War and Peace: Political Thought and the International Order from Grotius to Kant (London, 2001).
James Turner Johnson, Ideology, Reason and the Limitation of War: Religious and Secular Concepts, 1200-1740 (Princeton, 1973).
On 1641 Rebellion:
Jonathan Bardon, The Plantation of Ulster (London, 2012).
Nicholas Canny, Making Ireland British 1580-1650 (Oxford, 2001).
Eamon Darcy. The Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (London, 2015).
John Cunningham, ‘Who Framed King Charles I? The Forged Commission of the Irish 1641 rebellion revisited’, English Historical Review (2011) 61-70.
- Perceival-Maxwell, The Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion in 1641 (London, 1994)
On Magdeburg:
Peter Wilson, The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook (London, 2010) 144-146, 149, 158, 165-166.
Geoffrey Parker, The Thirty Years War (London, 1989) 88.
On the murder of Anthony Ascham:
Quentin Skinner, ‘Conquest and Consent: Thomas Hobbes and the Engagement Controversy’ in G E Alymer eds, The Interregnum: A Quest for a Settlement (London, 1972(.
Online Resources
The Thirty Years War: the first modern war? https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2017/05/23/thirty-years-war-first-modern-war/ A blogpost by Pascal Daudin
Open access to texts written by Hugo Grotius on the Laws of War: Hugo Grotius | Online Library of Liberty (libertyfund.org)
Open access to texts written by Luis de Molina Luis de Molina (1536-1600) / 57 titles, 76 vols. | PRDL (juniusinstitute.org)
Social Media
X: @NikolasFunke, (Nikolas Funke) @Prof_Murdoch (Professor Steve Murdoch), @ProfTonyPollard (Professor Tony Pollard) @alexjcraven,(Dr Alex Craven) @WondererHistory, (Wonderer’s History Podcast). @ruthcanning4 (Ruth Cannng).
Instagram: @theIrishatwar (The Irish at War podcast), stairnaneireann (Stair na Eireann – Irish history). @_thirty_years_war_solider (Thirty Years War solider),
Facebook: The Pike and Shot Society | Facebook Promotes the study of early modern warfare.
Facebook: Warlord Pike and Shot 1500-1700 | Facebook A group interested in early modern warfare.
Facebook: The Thirty Years War The Thirty Years’ War | Facebook A group with a keen interest in the Thirty Years War.
Facebook: The Thirty Years War Society The Thirty Years War Society | Facebook A private group.
Facebook: Guerre de 30 ans Guerre de 30 ans , Thirty years war (1618-1648) | Facebook A private group on the Thirty Years War.
Books and Literature
Egerton Castle, Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century (London, 2012).
Arthur Wise, The Art and History of Personal Combat (New York, 1971).
Alfred Hutton, Old Swordplay (London, 1892).
(On swordsmen in Louis XIVs army) Rene Chartrand, Louis XIVs Army (Oxford, 1988).
(On swordsmen in Louis XIVs army) Rene Chartrand, The Armies and Wars of the Sun King 1643-1715: Volume I: The Guard of Louis XIV (Warwick, 2019).
(On swordsmen in Louis XIVs army) John A Lynn, Giant of the Grand Siècle: The French Army 1610-1715 (Cambridge, 1997).
(Historical European Martial Arts), Guy Windsor, The Swordsman’s Quick Guide (8 book series)
(Historical European Martial Arts) Richard Marsden, Historical European Martial Arts in its Context: Single Combat, Duels, Tournament and Self-Defence. War, Masters and their Treatises (London, 2018).
Online Resources
The best way to access early modern swordsmanship is to try it out for yourself. Look for a local HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts Club). Here are some directories of organisations
UK:
Find A Group | The British Federation for Historical Swordplay (thebfhs.org.uk)
Home — Academy of Historical Arts
Sword Fighting HEMA Classes & Events in London & Surrey (swordfightinglondon.com)
Swordfighting North East – The Society for the Study of Swordsmanship (ssswordsmanship.co.uk)
There are many none affiliated groups in the UK. ‘Google’ for your nearest school.
USA
HEMA | Mid-Atlantic Society for Historic Swordsmanship | Maryland USA (mashs.net)
Historical Martial Arts | Los Angeles Historical Martial Arts Society (hlcoates.wixsite.com)
Long Island Historical Fencing Society – Omni Fitness Center (theomnifitnesscenter.com)
Home | The Phoenix Society (phoenixswordclub.com)
This is a small sample of the number of HEMA clubs across the States. Again, look at the international directories below to find the nearest club to you.
Canada
Ontario clubs Ontario Clubs | Dueling Weapons Academy of Renaissance Fencing (barrieswords.ca)
Toronto Toronto Historical Combatants
Vancouver Home – Academie Duello – Learn Swordplay
British Columbia Locations & Schedules (thccs.ca)
This is a small sample of the number of HEMA clubs across Canada. Look at the international directories below to find the club nearest to you.
Australia
The Historical Fencing League of Australia Home — Australian Historical Fencing League (aushistoricalfencing.com)
Historical Fencing Australia Front Page – Historical Fencing Australia
Go to the ‘find a club’ link to search for your nearest HEMA club.
France
Please note that in France HEMA is called escrime ancienne and there are many local clubs throughout France. Many of these clubs are on Instagram. Use the hashtags #escrime #ancienne or #escrime #artistique
FFAMHE – Fédération Française des Arts Martiaux Historiques Européens
Histoire de l’Escrime | Académie d’Armes de France (escrime-aaf.fr) This is the official website of the academy of arms founded in the reign of Louis XIV.
Historical Combat Guide with an International List of Clubs
Society for Creative Anachronism (sca.org)
An International Directory. HEMA ratings
International Governing Body of HEMA
Finding Swordsman Treatises Online
You will find open access copies of swordsmanship manuals on:
Google Books
Archive.org
German Medieval and Renaissance | HROARR
The mighty wikitenauer. The Wikipedia of the HEMA world. Wiktenauer, the world’s largest library of HEMA books and manuscripts ~☞ Insquequo omnes gratuiti fiant
YouTube
An excellent documentary which explores HEMA and the historical research behind it. Back to the source – Historical European Martial Arts documentary (youtube.com)
Another documentary worth watching. Deadliest Art: A documentary on Historical European Martial Arts (youtube.com)