Queer Georgians

The real people that inspired Gentleman Jack and the gay romances in Bridgerton, long written out of the nation’s story and now lovingly restored. Based on original archival research by History Hit podcast presenter Dr Anthony Delaney, Queer Georgians transforms our conventional understanding of history.

Mother Clap’s Holborn coffee house is open to all comers, a place of companionship and community, until a tip-off leads to a midnight raid.

Two women, exiled from their families, set up a utopian homestead in a remote Welsh cottage, inspiring a generation of Romantic poets.

The celebrated Chevalier d’Eon, soldier, diplomat and spy, challenges a rival to a fencing match. The sweepstake is not over who will win, but whether the Chevalier is a man or a woman.

In this dazzling work of restorative history, Dr Anthony Delaney has traced the stories of people daring to challenge society’s expectations, unearthing archives and court records to reveal the tragedies and the joys of queer life three centuries ago. Breathing new life into the forgotten and offering radical new interpretations of celebrated figures such as Anne Lister, Queer Georgians is an invitation to view our shared history in a whole new light.

Author Biography

Dr Anthony Delaney has a PhD in history from the University of Exeter, where he is an Honorary Fellow, and presents the History Hit podcast After Dark. Queer Georgians is his first book.