James Holt (historian)
Sir James Holt Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (1981–1988) | |
---|---|
Spouse |
Alice Suley (m. 1951) |
Academic background | |
Medieval history | |
Institutions | |
Main interests | Magna Carta |
Notable works | Magna Carta (1965) |
Sir James Clarke Holt
Career
Educated at
He held the positions of Lecturer (1949–1962)[5] and then Professor of Medieval History (1962–65) at the University of Nottingham,[5] Professor of History at the University of Reading (1965–1978) and Professor of Medieval History at the University of Cambridge from 1978 until his retirement in 1988. From 1981 until 1988 he served as the Master of Fitzwilliam College.[4]
He was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1969 to 1979.[6]
Honours
Holt became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1978 and was its Vice President from 1987 to 1989,[4] was president of the Royal Historical Society (1981–1985),[7] and was knighted for his work as an historian.
Publications
Magna Carta
Holt made his name with the book Magna Carta, which came out in its original edition in 1965. In this work he treated charter in the context of the political framework of its time. The second edition was published in 1992. Holt retained the thematic structure, although he had entertained the thought of revising the work as a clause by clause commentary. New appendices were added for the second edition, and previous ones were expanded. Some parts of the main text underwent limited revision. Holt did not defend his original analysis from critics as much as aggressively restate his views.[8]
One of the most noted aspects of Holt's work on Magna Carta has been its attention to events in continental Europe. Several studies undertaken after the publication of the Second Edition have expanded on the turmoil between John and Pope
Selected works
- The Northerners: A Study in the Reign of King John, (1961)[5]
- Magna Carta, (1965)
- What's in a Name? Family Nomenclature and the Norman Conquest. (The Stenton Lecture 1981). University of Reading, 1982.
- Robin Hood, (London, 1982)
- Magna Carta and Medieval Government, (1985)
- Foundations for the Future: The University of Cambridge, (1995)
- Colonial England, 1066–1215, (1997)
- Magna Carta (Cambridge, 2015)
Personal life
Holt married Alice Suley in 1951; they had one son. Holt was "passionate about cricket".[10]
Death
He died on 9 April 2014, aged 91.[11]
References
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ "Sir James Holt - obituary". The Telegraph. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ^ "Obituaries". University of Oxford Gazette. 144 (5057): 439. 24 April 2014.
- ^ a b c British Academy Fellowship entry Archived 13 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Levens, R.G.C., ed. (1964). Merton College Register 1900-1964. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 372.
- ^ "Governors" (PDF). The Abingdonian.
- ^ "A List of Presidents" (PDF). Royal Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-107-09316-4.
- ISBN 978-0-226-82013-2.
- ^ Rosamond McKitterick and Christine Carpenter (August 2014). "Jim Holt [Obituary tribute]". The Seeley History Faculty News Letter. nbr 5/2014: 10.
- ^ Professor Sir James Holt dies Archived 13 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Fitzwilliam College News accessed 11 April 2014
External links
- Transcript of Interview with Prof Sir James Holt (interview took place in Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, 16 May 2008). Includes photograph & autobiographical details.
- MP3 audio file of the Interview with Prof Sir James Holt, 16 May 2008.