The aftermath and afterlives of the Napier Fizzle across the British empire, 1834–42; or, how did Lord Napier die?

Abstract

Abstract In the fall of 1834 Lord William Napier died shortly after retreating from a tense stand-off with local authorities in Canton. While Napier’s retreat and conduct during the stand-off might easily have been construed as unbecoming of a Briton in China, his death marked the beginning of his afterlife as a martyr and hero across the British empire. This article asks how and why this happened. It argues that Napier enjoyed this afterlife because his death was placed within the context of a certain reading of Britain’s relationship with China to become a stand-in for all Britons. This assessment of the aftermath and afterlives of the ‘Napier Fizzle’ ultimately suggests a longer history that prevailing understandings of these events as a ‘fizzle’ do not fully encapsulate.