Counter memories: seeing empire through the National Trust, c. 1895 – c. 2020

Thesis

The National Trust owns hundreds of historic buildings, many of which are country houses, across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Over the past twenty years, the Trust has engaged with the colonial histories of its properties and collections through exhibitions and research collaborations, but this has often been met with controversy. Criticisms range from surprise at these historic connections, to the suggestion that the Trust is acting out of political correctness and that its houses are not appropriate spaces for discussing colonialism. Yet from its founding, the National Trust has been engaged in telling the history of the British Empire.

This thesis proposes that the disconnect between the colonial history of the country house and its role today can be better accounted for through a greater understanding of the history of the National Trust itself. Beginning with the founding of the National Trust in 1895, this thesis considers how the Trust understood its role in promoting a patriotic history across the British Empire. The thesis considers several key moments in the National Trust’s history. This includes the creation of the Country Houses Scheme in 1936, which enabled the Trust to acquire country houses systematically, and its repeated collaborations with preservationists in the US and organisations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. It also explores historic preservation in the wider context of twentieth-century British colonialism by using Lord Curzon (1859-1925), Viceroy of India 1899-1905, as a case study. Through the examples of the Trust’s Transatlantic relationships and Curzon, a pattern emerges whereby influential men are uncritically celebrated and memorialised through their former homes. The continued effects of these moments are seen in the presentation of the houses today.

This thesis is an important contribution to the growing body of research on the widespread connections between British country houses and colonialism. It ultimately contends that the Trust must comprehend and consider its own institutional history to truly address its colonial histories and make informed choices about what it continues to preserve and how.

Authors: Hodgkinson, R

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-ng90xdd8e
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: British Empire; collective memory; heritage; country houses; transatlantic
• Subjects: History, Modern; Archaeology; Heritage Studies; Historic buildings--Collection and preservation--England