Knowsley Hall Ticket Portal

Dinners of Diplomacy: Dialogue, Not Division
Hosted by The Countess of Derby, a direct descendant of Lord Cornwallis, this two-day conference brings together leading scholars to explore the military, political and diplomatic legacies of a defining era.

Re-examining Yorktown: Myth, Reality and Legacy
The story of Yorktown has long been told as one of British humiliation: Cornwallis absent from the surrender, citing illness, and who instead sent his deputy, General Charles O’Hara. A tense surrender ceremony ensued with O’Hara first attempting to present the sword to French Commander Rochambeau, who deferred to General Washington. It culminated in General Benjamin Lincoln receiving the surrender – the very man forced to yield his own sword to the British at Charlestown a year earlier.

But recent scholarship invites us to look closer. In the days that followed, Cornwallis emerged not as a figure of disgrace, but as a pivotal participant in diplomacy.

The Experience
Join us at the historic Knowsley Hall to explore the untold “after-action” of the battle. Through expert discussion, formal dinners, and immersive theatre, we will revisit an extraordinary turning point in world history.