Enfilade

This October at Knowlsley Hall, with tickets available here:

Dinners of Diplomacy: Dialogue, Not Division

Online and in-person, Knowsley Hall, 29–30 October 2026

Celebrate America 250 with us at Knowsley Hall. Join us for a fascinating exploration into newly discovered details that led to American Independence and the legacy of Yorktown, hosted by The Countess of Derby. This two-day conference promises exciting new insights from a line-up of exceptional speakers. Your hostess, The Countess of Derby, is uniquely placed to bring this experience to life. As a direct descendant of British General Lord Cornwallis, speaking from Knowsley Hall—the historic seat of the Earls and Countesses of Derby—she will share her unique family links to the American Revolutionary War. The program features experts from across Great Britain, the United States, and France. In-person tickets will also include a guided tour of Knowsley Hall, a buffet lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

t h u r s d a y ,  2 9  o c t o b e r

Countess of Derby — Welcome

Stephen Conway — The British and American Revolution

Andrew O’Shaughnessy — British Leadership and the American War / Empire

Dan Robinson — European Ideas and the American Revolution

Patrick Griffin — General Lord Cornwallis

Larrie Ferreiro — Spanish Strategy, Financing, and Diplomacy in the War

Friederike Baer — German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War

Laurent Dubois — Haiti, Native Nations, and the Atlantic Revolutions

f r i d a y ,  3 0  o c t o b e r

Countess of Derby — Welcome

Douglas Bradburn — George Washington and Command Culture

Scott Stephenson — Commemorations and Washington’s Tent

David Armitage — An ‘Impudent, False and Atrocious Proclamation’?: British Responses to the Declaration of Independence in 1776

Iris de Rode — The Franco-American Alliance and the Post-Yorktown Dinners

Lady Derby — History Rhymes: Family Reflections (Burgoyne and Cornwallis)