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

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.