The “Aristocratic Imperialists” of Late Georgian and Regency Britain

This essay argues that the British Empire played a key role in the “gentry resurgence” of the late Georgian and Regency periods. It shows how colonial salaries and service helped transform the finances, reputation, and sociopolitical purpose of the aristocracy, ensuring its survival as a ruling class for another century. This essay also shows how “aristocratic imperialists” remade the culture of imperial governance by instituting aristocratic forms of sociability and ceremony, a process referred to here as the “aristocratization” of colonial power. Rather than attempting a comprehensive account, this essay focuses on case studies: Francis Rawdon Hastings and George Nugent.