Friday 12th September 2014
“ A country which ignores its legal history is like the captain of a vessel at sea who neglects periodically to take his latitudinal and longitudinal position in order to be sure that he is on his true course.”
Led by naval historian Dr Chris Ware, a frequent contributor to the ever-popular Who Do You Think You Are? TV series, this course will focus on 1688 when the Dutch, under William III mounted the most useful invasion of Britain since the Normans in 1066. At the same time as the Royal Navy was becoming one of the most powerful in Western Europe, how was it that the Dutch Fleet could land unopposed with more than 40,000 troops? Was the Royal Navy split by conflict or was it the just the weather, the wind in the wrong direction, stopping the Royal Navy from sailing in time to intercept the Dutch, and why were there so many British officers aboard the Dutch fleet? This course will explore and explain one of the greatest humiliations the Royal Navy suffered and explain how it ended up co-operating with the Dutch against the French less than a year later.
What will you study? The key topics covered will be:
•The English Fleet in 1688
•The Dutch Fleet in 1688
•The Principal Conspirators
•The Invasion in Art and Literature
•Where were the Dutch supposed to land, do we really know?
•The consequences of 1688 for the navies, the English and Dutch Fleets operating together in the wake of 1688 against the French. Grand design or happy accident?
Location and Duration of the Course
This course will take place from 9.30am – 4.30pm on Friday 12th September 2014 at
University of Greenwich, Queen Anne Court, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, SE10 9LS. Part of the day will also be spent across the road at the Caird Library of the National Maritime Museum.
How to Apply
The cost of the course is £90 per person and will include course materials, lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance.
All places must be booked in advance by Sunday 31st August 2014. Please use our booking website http://tinyurl.com/nq8mxdg