Thomas Frederick Tout (1855–1929)
refashioning history for the twentieth century
9781909646995
9781912702022
Distributed for University of London Press
Thomas Frederick Tout (1855–1929)
refashioning history for the twentieth century
Thomas Frederick Tout (1855–1929) was arguably the most prolific English medieval historian of the early twentieth century. The son of an unsuccessful publican, he was described at his Oxford scholarship exam as ‘uncouth and untidy’; however he went on to publish hundreds of books throughout his distinguished career with a legacy that extended well beyond the academy. Tout pioneered the use of archival research, welcomed women into academia and augmented the University of Manchester’s growing reputation for pioneering research. This book presents the first full assessment of Tout’s life and work, from his early career at Lampeter, to his work in Manchester and his wide-ranging service to the study of history. Selected essays take a fresh and critical look at Tout’s own historical writing and discuss how his research shaped, and continues to shape, our understanding of the middle ages, particularly the fourteenth century. The book concludes with a personal reflection on Tout by his grandson, Tom Sharp.
Table of Contents
Introduction Caroline M. Barron I. Tout as a teacher and university statesman 1. The early years and Wales’s history Ralph A. Griffiths 2. Thomas Frederick Tout at Lampeter: the making of a historian William Gibson 3. The Manchester School of History: Tout’s contribution to the pedagogy of academic history Peter Slee 4. Tout and Manchester University Press Dorothy J. Clayton 5. T. F. Tout and the idea of the university H. S. Jones 6. ‘Dear Professor Tout…’: letters from Tout’s students during the First World War Christopher Godden II. Tout as a political historian 7. Tout and the reign of Edward II Seymour Phillips 8. Tout and the royal favourites of Edward II J. S. Hamilton 9. Tout and the middle party Paul Dryburgh Thomas Frederick Tout (1855–1929): refashioning history for the twentieth century 10. Tout and the higher nobility under the three Edwards Matt Raven III. Tout as an administrative historian 11. Tout and the exchequer Nick Barratt 12. Tout and seals John McEwan 13. Tout’s administrators: the case of William Moulsoe Elizabeth Biggs IV. Tout’s wider influence 14. Institutionalizing history: T. F. Tout’s involvement with the Royal Historical Society and the Historical Association Ian d’Alton 15. T. F. Tout and the Dictionary of National Biography Henry Summerson 16. Tout’s work as a reviewer John D. Milner† and Dorothy J. Clayton 17. T. F. Tout and literature D. Vance Smith 18. The homage volume of 1925 – looking back and looking forward Joel T. Rosenthal V. Tout remembered 19. Reflections on my grandfather, the historian T. F. Tout Tom Sharp