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The Kiss of Death and Cabal of Dons: Blackmail and Grooming in Georgian Oxford
Author(s) -
ROUSSEAU GEORGE
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of historical sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.186
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1467-6443
pISSN - 0952-1909
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6443.2008.00342.x
Subject(s) - kiss (tnc) , georgian , false accusation , appearance of impropriety , history , broadside , criminology , psychology , psychoanalysis , sociology , law , political science , literature , art , philosophy , linguistics , computer network , computer science
This article reconstructs the case of an Oxford University don accused of sexual impropriety in mid‐eighteenth century England by an adolescent boy. It recreates the biographical and historical contexts involved in the scandal, and demonstrates what the various agendas and motivations were for the accusation, as well as explains how the case played itself out. The don's actions are shown to be far less straightforward than claimed by his adversaries. The chapter adds to the growing literature about adults and children in history.