The Lord Cornbury Scandal

For more than two centuries, Edward Hyde, Viscount Cornbury -- royal governor of New York and New Jersey from 1702 to 1708 -- has been a despised figure, whose alleged transgressions ranged from raiding the public treasury to scandalizing his subjects by parading through the streets of New York City dressed as a woman.Now, Patricia Bonomi offers a challenging reassessment of Cornbury. She explores his life and experiences to illuminate such topics as imperial political culture; gossip, Grub Street, and the climate of slander; early modern sexual culture; and constitutional perceptions in an era of reform. Tn a tour de force of scholarly detective work, Bonomi also reappraises the most "conclusive" piece of evidence used to indict Cornbury -- a celebrated portrait, said to represent the governor in female dress, that hangs today in the New-York Historical Society.Stripping away the many layers of "the Cornbury myth, " this innovative work brings to life a fascinating man and reveals the conflicting emotions and loyalties that shaped the politics of the First British Empire.