Research interests

RESEARCH and TEACHING

Medieval and Renaissance English history, including social, religious, educational, literary, and cultural topics. The history of the Church in England, from early times to the present day. The South West of England.

Major Lectures and Conference Papers (last ten years)

United Kingdom

2009 Medium Aevum conference, University of Oxford

2009 Medieval childhood conference, University of Sheffield

2009 Celtic seminar, University of Oxford

2009 Medieval culture seminar, University of Oxford

2009 North Devon History Society, Barnstaple

2009 Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Bristol

2008 Early British swimming, British Library, London

2008 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium (paper to be published)

2008 Medieval Education Symposium, Bangor University

2008 Journeys in the Middle Ages Symposium, Balliol College, Oxford

2008 Commemorative history series, King’s Norton, Birmingham

2008 Medieval History Seminar, University of Oxford

2008 Augustinian Canons, University of Wales, Gregynog Hall

2008 750th Anniversary Conference, Salisbury Cathedral

2007 Two lectures, Medieval Childhood, University of Oxford, Rewley House

2006 Medieval Monasticism, University of Wales, Gregynog Hall

2006 Medieval Childhood, University of Kent

2004 Presidential Lecture, Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Bristol

2004 Medieval Manuscript Seminar, University of London

2004 Institute of Education, University of London

2004 Conference on the Reformation, Kellogg College, University of Oxford

2004 Anglo-American Historical Conference, University of London

2003 History of Medicine Seminar, University of Oxford

2003 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium (paper published)

2003 Cornwall Heritage Trust, Bodmin

2002 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium (paper published)

2001 Symposium on Rites of Passage, University of York

2000 Script and Print Symposium at Exeter University (material published)

2000 Medieval Seminar, University of London

1999 Leeds Medieval Congress

1999 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium (material published)

Overseas

2009 University of Tampere, Finland

2009 University of Helsinki, Collegium of Advanced Studies, Finland

2008 University of Victoria, British Columbia

2008 Medieval Academy of America Annual Meeting, Vancouver

2008 Georgetown University, Washington DC

2005 University of British Columbia, Vancouver

2004 Osborne Library, University of Toronto

2004 Laval University, Quebec

2004 Concordia University, Montreal

2004 Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto

2002 Two graduate seminars, University of Arizona, Tucson

2002 Medieval Academy of America, New York

2002 Holy Faith Church, Sante Fe, New Mexico

2002 Hill Monastic Library St John’s University, Minnesota

2002 Graduate Seminar, City University of New York

2002 Dept. of English, Arizona State University

2002 Center for Medieval Studies, University of Minnesota

2002 Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Arizona State University, Phoenix

2002 Center for Early Modern Studies, University of Minnesota

Biography

PERSONAL HISTORY AND ACADEMIC CAREER

Degrees

Magdalen College, Oxford, open exhibitioner, 1959. School of Modern History, Distinction in the Preliminary Examination, 1960. College prizes, 1961 and 1962. First class, final honours school, 1962. BA, 1962. MA, 1966. DPhil, 1969. DLitt, 1986. DD, 2008.

University Posts

University of Exeter, Department of History, tutor 1964, lecturer 1965, senior lecturer 1977, reader 1980, professor 1988. Emeritus professor, 2007–.

Visiting Posts, Fellowships, and Awards

Visiting research fellow, Merton College, Oxford, 1982. Research fellow, Nuffield Foundation, academic year 1991-2. Research fellow, Leverhulme Trust, academic year 1993-4. Visiting scholar, St John’s College, Oxford, 1997. Union-Pacific Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota, 1998. Research leave fellowship, British Academy, academic year 1998-9. Distinguished visiting lecturer, University of Arizona, autumn 2002. Lansdowne Visiting Scholar, University of Victoria BC, 2005.

Hon. Canon, Truro Cathedral, 2006.

Learned Societies

National

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, 1973. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, 1982. Member, Institute of Learning and Teaching, 2000. Member, Ecclesiastical History Society, 1994.

Overseas

Corresponding fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, by election, 2003.

Regional

Member of Council, Devonshire Association, 1985-96. Hon. Editor, Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 1988-1999. Chair of Council and Vice-President, Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 1996-2000; remaining Vice-President, Member of Council, and Member of the Editorial Committee. Member of Council, Somerset Record Society, 1995-. President, Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1997-8. President, Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 2003-4. President, Devon History Society, 2003-6. President-elect, The Devonshire Association, 2011-12.