The Good Sharps - The Eighteenth-Century Family that Changed Britain

The enthralling story of an eighteenth-century family and their extraordinary achievements.

Four brothers, three sisters. Brought up in a Northumberland rectory and in the close of Durham Cathedral, the Sharps would achieve exalted positions at the heart of British society. In 1781, the celebrated painter Johan Zoffany put the final brush strokes on the luminous portrait that immortalised the siblings- rise, and their remarkable unity and passion for life.

Ambitious, free-thinking and courageous, the Sharps were pioneers in the major movements that defined the eighteenth century - from political reform and philanthropy to medicine and industry. John, an eminent priest, established a model welfare state at Bamburgh Castle and commissioned the world-s first lifeboat; William became surgeon to George III; while James was a visionary inventor, canal promoter and engineer. Most famously of all, Granville, the youngest son, battled tirelessly as Britain-s first great