Thursday, August 29, 2013

Biographical wanderings - introducing Archibald Clunes Innes

450px-Archibald_Clunes_Innes_(Captain)

This is Archibald Clunes Innes, then a Captain in the English 3rd Regiment or Buffs. Study him, for you will be hearing more about him.

I have been sadly remiss in my writing on my main history project. I don't want to give up writing on politics or MOOCs or any of the many things that interest me. Indeed, I have an economics column due that must be written before the Australian election but won't be published until some time after, but must be current. That's kind of a challenge in itself! But I must move forward on my main projects.

I have decided to try an experiment. While still writing on other things, over the next week or so and across my blogs, I am going to focus on one man. 

Archibald Innes was, to my mind, a rather nice man, kind and courteous. These are qualities I value. He went bankrupt in 1852. But before he did, he built a business empire. The world of Archibald Innes is a world that few Australians know. It is a world that I find appealing in, at one level, for the same reason that I find Jane Austin appealing. It is about manners and style.

I am not going to say more tonight. I wish to write my Armidale Express column on one element of the life that surrounded that man. You will see that column much later. Now I am just staking the ground. I will use this post as an entry post for all my posts.Think of them as an experiment in biography, the way that a man or women can illumine their world.      

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a coincidence- I've just started reading a book called 'Wellington's Men in Australia' by Christine Wright. Last night I stopped reading JUST as she went on to Alexander Innes. I'll look forward to reading your posts on him.

Jim Belshaw said...

Hi Janine, Innes served in Spain. I have allocated the next week or so to tell the story in bits.