John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute: Image and Counter Image in Hanoverian Studies

This article aims to explore the shifting historical perceptions of John Stuart 3rd Earl of Bute, one of 18th century Britain's most controversial statesmen, from his own day to the present. It will show how and why partisan distortions have persistently militated against an objective assessment of his actions and abilities, until well after Namier and explain why only recent historiography has begun to project a more balanced picture. The essay is based on both extensive secondary manuscript sources, official and private.