Cadogan: The Lives, Loves & Legacy of a Chelsea Family

Description

Celtic chieftains emerging from the mists of ancient Wales, the 'battle-keen' Cadogans play their part at Blenheim alongside Marlborough, on board Pellew's Indefatigable, with Wellington at Mondego Bay and Vittoria; at Balaklava and Sevastapol; at Ypres, Gallipoli and El Alamein. But opening the family archives - private letters, diaries and albums - we also find multilingual spies, evangelical clergymen, watercolour artists and society ladies who defy convention for love; illegitimacy, duels and gambling. There are diplomats, courtiers and confidantes. They share their stories with institutions from Chelsea Physic Garden and the British Museum to the British Olympic Association and Chelsea Football Club; from the Gaiety Theatre and the Jockey Club to the United Nations and the BBC. Woven throughout is the parallel history of Chelsea: a riverside farmland estate transformed into a visionary Georgian new town, and again into the recognisable red-brick of Pont Street Dutch, surviving riots and near-bankruptcy to become a thriving London community. Told with affection and humour, interweaving world events and private dramas over a thousand years, this book brings to life the story of one family that is also to the story of the British Isles.

Tamsin Perrett is a writer and editor with a particular interest in cultural history. She studied at the University of Exeter and Winchester School of Art; after learning her craft at Thames & Hudson and Phaidon Press, Tamsin gained additional experience at the National Portrait Gallery and Frieze Art Fairs. Since 2009 Tamsin has worked independently for renowned public institutions such as the V&A Museum and Hayward Gallery. This is her second book about the Cadogan family and estate, following Cadogan: The Heart of Chelsea (2016).