The Consolidation of the Provincial Aristocracy in Lincolnshire, from the later Stuart to the early Hanoverian period

The research illuminates the distinctiveness of Lincolnshire, and the ways in which its nobility performed an important role. The thesis’ findings show that the county’s governance was more dynastic, remaining under the control of one family, a key dimension not evident in studies of other county studies.</p><p dir="ltr">Control was not ‘absolute’, as in the degree of electoral control, and related aristocratic factionalism across Lincolnshire’s constituencies.

However, there were various other prominent underpinnings and expressions of noble hegemony. Among the most striking was the level of noble influence in debates over land reclamation, and its bearing on county politics and community. Indeed, the research, forms a first-of-its-kind study.

It demonstrates the significance of complex environmental issues as a critical factor in the intersection between the nobility and county governance during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.</p>