No heatwave in Orkney today, but there are some compensations.

New blog post: "The short, forgotten life of Joseph-Louis de Gonzague-Agricol-Dominique Teixeira" inneskeighren.com/williammacin...

Periodic palaeographical plea: what is this name? Fallet, Sallet, Jallet, or something else entirely? Context: Avignon, 1788. Merci! #C18

Dog of the day—Mug, ugly and remarkably fat—from The Morning Herald, 2 June 1786. #C18

Precision in place names: the problem of orthography at the Royal Geographical Society - an online exhibition by PhD student Beth Williamson. www.rgs.org/our-collecti... #RHULGeogResearch #RHULGeogPhD #RoyalHolloway #RoyalGeographicalSociety #LinguisticDiversity #Maps 1/2

New blog post: "The mysterious de Leahy and Lee" inneskeighren.com/williammacin... #C18

Periodic palaeographical plea: any thoughts on the obscured surname, a maîtresse at the Couvent de Berlaymont in Brussels in 1783. Could it be Choisy? Chossy? Or something else entirely? Merci beaucoup! #C18

For those who were kind enough to repost or make suggestions, I think it's likely that this was not, in fact, a beguinage, but was rather the priory of Klein Bijgaarden: inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjec...

Might any #C18 scholars familiar with Belgium be able to identify the beguinage mentioned in these 1783 documents? The beguinage was either in or close to Brussels. The only other clue I have is that the confessor is identified variously as "Herdies", "Herdy", and "Herdie". Thank you kindly!

New blog post: "The beginning of the end, and other wishful thoughts" inneskeighren.com/williammacin...

It's a good Friday on the Via Ferrata Carlo Giorda alla Sacra Di San Michele.

Periodic palaeographical plea: any thoughts on the underlined text in this c. 1784 notarial act? "L'an de l'??? est comparu..." Merci beaucoup! #C18

Grease is the word.

Have you ever wanted a hands-free ear trumpet that won't mess up your hair? Look no further than M. Bernard's latest innovation. #C18

New blog post for International Women's Day: "The forgotten labour of Nancy Dupont" inneskeighren.com/williammacin... #IWD2026 #C18

New blog post: "Jacque-Pierre Brissot in the Sponging House" inneskeighren.com/williammacin... #C18

Are any historians of #C18 London familiar with Thomas Phillips' lock-up house on Gray's Inn Lane? Although Phillips died in 1770, I believe this is where Jacques-Pierre Brissot was briefly imprisoned in 1784. I would love to know more about it. Thank you kindly!

New blog post: "Macintosh, Washington, and Goethe's birthday present" inneskeighren.com/williammacin...

I am, once again, asking for your palaeographical support (especially from #C18 Francophone friends). Any thoughts on the two words underlined in yellow? Merci!

When Aaron Burr met Macintosh in Eisenach in 1810, they discussed this letter. Burr recorded it in his journal as being "now in the museum at Weimar." The "museum" was, I suspect, Goethe's home on Frauenplan. I believe Macintosh came to know Goethe via the Strieber family. As ever, more to uncover!

A renewed plea to scholars of Goethe / the #C18: would "the museum at Weimar" have been understood in 1810 to be Goethe's home? Danke schön!

New blog post: "Where were the women?" inneskeighren.com/williammacin...

For those (especially scholars of 18th-century France) who might enjoy a productive distraction, any thoughts on the identity of this hotel (which has so far escaped my sleuthing)? It was located, I presume, on the Place des Carmes in Marseille in the mid 1780s. Merci! #18C

For those who could use a palaeographical distraction: any thoughts on the words underlined in yellow? My initial transcription is in the image description. Thank you kindly! #C18

New blog post: "Macintosh in the Eternal City" (or some hints on using archives in Vatican City and Rome). inneskeighren.com/williammacin... #C18

A modest proposal: the price of coffee in all archives and libraries to be pegged to that of Bar B.A.V. (shared between the Archivo Apostolico and the Bibliotheca Apostolica in Vatican City). €1.30 for a cappuccino.

@inneskeighren.bsky.social reviews ‘Sector 2: Nicosia,’ at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia: doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2025.04.005 (Vol. 89) 29/42

Dear Francophone palaeographic hive mind, any thoughts on the signature here? Possibly a Parisian banker or lawyer in 1781. Merci beaucoup!

Registration for our hybrid autumn seminar programme—"Bad Habits"—is now live! Full details and registration links here: eepurl.com/jnswZs

Calling on the great palaeographical hive mind: what is the word flagged in yellow? "Without laying claim to the faculthy [sic] of foretelling the future {exactly}, I may perhaps be permitted to [???] {claim} that {power capability} of foreseeing the consequences in operation...". Thank you kindly!

For those who might be interested, a recording of my lecture is now available: youtu.be/xD51buje-ts

Emozionato ma un po' ansioso da avere permissione da usare il Archivio Storico della Segreteria di Stato (e anche il Archivio Apostolico) quest'autunno sul sentiero di William Macintosh. Spero che il mio italiano è sufficiente, ma dubito. Ho paura!

Momentarily escaping the rude world with a pint of Schiehallion in one of my favourite Edinburgh pubs, Leslie's. Small pleasures.

🔍 Did you know that we have a searchable dataset that draws on records of Londoners of African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous heritage in our parish registers from 1561-1840? The project started in 2000 and, thanks to our staff and volunteers, now has records of 2600 Londoners! #SwitchingTheLens

New blog post: "Imaginary readers" inneskeighren.com/williammacin...

Just in: the National Library of Scotland centenary special issue of the Beano.

🚨 We’re hiring a Lecturer (FT 7.1 months) in Human Geography with particular strengths in cultural geography to support teaching until April 26 (maternity cover). 🗓 Closing date: 21 August 2025 🗓 Interviews: 26 August 2025 🔗 jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

Accidental Wes Anderson.

Terraqueous Globe: Land & Sea in the Age of Sterne University of Liverpool, 5-7 Nov 2025 CFP open until 15 Sept 2025 More info: terraqueousglobe.wordpress.com #18thC #18C #18thCentury #Sterne #LaurenceSterne @bsecs.bsky.social @cecs-york.bsky.social

Just finished Miranda Spieler's "Slaves in Paris: Hidden Lives and Fugitive Histories". Beautifully written, deeply scholarly, and quite devastating in parts. #C18

If it's Tuesday, it must be Ajaccio on the trail of Bonaparte. Despite the mixed reviews online, the Maison de Napoléon is very good, even if it does leave you with the impression that Pasquale Paoli is more deserving of commemoration than Bonaparte. #C18

Capu d’Orto.

One for history-of-astronomy and transit-of-Venus fans: the memorial to Jérôme Lalande (1733–1808) in Bourg-en-Bresse. #C18

A (successful) archival jaunt to Maidstone today to consult some material the Kent Archives. It wasn't blistering hot and I didn't get rained on, so that's a win!

Wax seal of William Hickey (1749–1830). Kent Archives, U269/O204. #C18 Don't think I've seen one of Hickey's before.

Google Photos reminded me today of what is possibly my favourite (albeit incredibly specific) bit of graffiti, spotted at an Egham building site five years ago. At the time I had to resist the temptation to append "with a quick recap". #misscillaaablaaack

Another puzzle for the Francophone palaeographic hive mind. Any thoughts on the remained of the highlighted parenthetical section: "neuf mots rayé nuls..."? Merci! Context: at the foot of an 1803 marriage act.

A commemorative two-for-one today in Mortlake: the memorial plaque to Sir Philip Francis at St Mary the Virgin, and the Burton mausoleum and memorial window (commemorating Sir Richard Francis Burton) at St Mary Magdalene. Enjoyed a fascinating chat with the parish priest at the latter church.

A periodic appeal to the palaeographic hive mind (especially #C18 historians of France). Is it possible that the word underlined in red is "Besançon", albeit an odd spelling? Context: an October 1798 letter sent from Stuttgart. Merci!

In such times,—and principally at a crisis like the present, whereon the fate of mankind in social intercourse seems to impend—in a situation extremely perilous,—it is difficult for a reflecting mind to forebear expressing its feelings, fears, & hopes. William Macintosh to George Canning 03/09/1798.