The Emotional Landscape of Sir Thomas Parkyns of Bunny, Nottinghamshire: Friendship

Abstract

Considered as one of the most significant relationships of the eighteenth century, friendship was extolled in contemporary treatises as a spiritual union of hearts and minds. The daily reality probably rarely reached these lofty heights since ‘friend’ was a term also applied to relationships where no obvious emotional connection existed. The early historiography divided friendship into two distinct types: instrumental and sentimental, on the basis of the emotional importance. More recent approaches challenge this demarcation arguing that early modern friendships combined both utility and feeling. This paper revisits this debate using personal letters, family papers and self-authored works to sketch the experience of friendship through the eyes of Sir Thomas Parkyns of Bunny in Nottinghamshire. The intention is to present a more nuanced understanding of friendship, by examining how friendship networks - even functional ones - offered emotional support.