York was the centre of northern polite sociability in the eighteenth century. Then as now, the York races drew crowds from all over the north in the summer months. The Assembly Rooms provided a place for genteel gatherings and dances. On the opposite side of the coin, York Castle was the scene of very popular public hangings. Pull open this drawer and step back in time to Georgian York…
In the autumn of 1745 the city of York faced the threat of Jacobite attack, as Bonnie Prince Charlie’s invading army crossed the Scottish border. With its long historical memory of invasion, York readied itself to face this new danger.
With its numerous churches and public buildings, the telling of the time must have been highly visible and audible throughout the city of York.