The family of ‘radical traitor’ Henry Redhead Yorke

Abstract

Although the political views of Henry Redhead Yorke have received attention since he first emerged as a radical in the early 1790s, his origins have always been regarded as somewhat obscure. Nor has attention been paid to his family and descendants. Using genealogical techniques, this article explores not Henry Redhead Yorke the radical, but his family origins, his upbringing and education, his marriage and the ‘what happened afterwards’ to his descendants. It also discusses his change of name and proposes a new explanation.