The Lord Cornbury Scandal: The Politics of Reputation in British America (Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture)

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. In 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.