William Upcott Project
Mark Philp, Aysuda Aykan and Curtis Leung introduce their new volume in the Royal Historical Society’s Camden Series, A Collector Collected: The Journals of William Upcott, 1803-1823, published in November 2025.
Chronicling Upcott's life and activities in London and the provinces, the diaries (1803-1823) offer a detailed, non-elite account of a London life and provide insights into collecting and cataloguing in the early nineteenth century.
The Diary of William Upcott
Read more about the project here on the project website they developed:
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With the support of Warwick’s Undergraduate Research Scheme, Curtis and I joined the project, never expecting where it might lead us. From Shugborough to Brest and finally Paris, we followed Mark as we worked to better understand Upcott and his world. Aysuda
From starting as ‘just’ a small undergraduate research project, it has now become a published academic book. The experience has been phenomenal! Curtis
A Collector Collected: The Journals of William Upcott, 1803–1823 (November 2025).
Aysuda Aykan
I first encountered William Upcott during an online lecture given by Mark during the pandemic, quite possibly on Hegel, although it is hard to recall. Ironically, despite having worked on a diary for many years, I never thought to keep one myself.
The module (Individual, Polis, and Society) introduced us to historiographical sources such as diaries, including the work of Mary Prince, which initially piqued my interest in questions of authenticity and how individuals understood themselves.
Mark mentioned very early on that Upcott offered uniquely rich insight into the practices of sociability among young members of society at the lower end of the middling orders in London. In particular, Upcott’s peregrinations through the provinces which recorded detailed interactions, often involving courtship, within these less elite social circles.
With the support of Warwick’s Undergraduate Research Scheme, Curtis and I joined the project, never expecting where it might lead us. From Shugborough to Brest and finally Paris, we followed Mark as we worked to better understand Upcott and his world.
I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Mark. Mark was unfailing generous with his time and support, and the experience he gave us was invaluable.
Since graduating, I have gone on to work in public affairs at UK Finance, where the analytical and research skills I developed during this project continue to shape my work.
Aysuda Aykan - Warwick History and Politics Alumna 2022
Curtis Leung
A Collector Collected: The Journals of William Upcott, 1803-1823 first came about as a research project in my second undergraduate year, under the University of Warwick’s Undergraduate Research Support Scheme. During a lecture, Mark Philp had mentioned the opportunity to get involved with a diary transcription he was working on. Despite having little knowledge on diaries or the history of reflection, I thought it sounded like a good opportunity to undertake some work outside of my degree – partly to try and enrich my research experience in case of a future master’s application and partly because it was lockdown and I had time!
From starting as ‘just’ a small undergraduate research project, it has now become a published academic book. The experience has been phenomenal. I did, in the end, complete a master’s degree in Philosophy, where I was able to apply some of my knowledge of sociability in my thesis. I was also able to use the experience from the project as an example of my professional capability, which was useful when applying to jobs in a market which felt (and feels) so tough for recent graduates. I now work in the Chief Executive’s Office at the West Midlands Combined Authority after completing the Impact Local Government Graduate Programme.
Needless to say, without Mark, this project would not have been possible or nearly as fulfilling. Being able to pick Mark’s brain on the project and his wider views on history was invaluable – to be able to spend such vast amounts of time with a world class academic was a huge privilege. I have since kept in touch with Mark and, where our work has overlapped, he has been a fantastic mentor.
Curtis Leung - Warwick History and Philosophy Alumnus 2022
Willaim Upcott
