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Prof. Jane Hamlett, Professor of Modern British History, Royal Holloway, University of London. Today, Britain is known as a nation of animal lovers, but our deep emotional bond with domestic pets is a surprisingly modern phenomenon. Professor Jane Hamlett, a specialist in Modern British History at Royal Holloway, University of London, will take us on…

Prof. Helena Hamerow, Professor of Early Medieval Archaeology, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford. How did a medieval society feed itself through changing climates, plagues, and shifting political landscapes? Professor Helena Hamerow, an expert in Early Medieval Archaeology at the University of Oxford, reconstructs the daily realities of medieval agriculture. By analyzing fascinating archaeological breakthroughs,…

Dr. Elizabeth Drayson, Emerita Fellow in Spanish, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. Western civilization is frequently described as having purely Judeo-Christian roots, but this narrative completely ignores the profound impact of Islamic culture on the European continent. Dr. Elizabeth Drayson, an Emerita Fellow in Spanish at the University of Cambridge, illuminates the vibrant history…

Prof. Benedetta Rossi, Professor of History, University College London. While global histories of abolition frequently focus on Western activists, a vital and distinct history of anti-slavery emerged from within Africa itself. Professor Benedetta Rossi, a scholar of African history and emancipation at University College London, will guide us through this crucial, overlooked narrative. Her extensive…

Prof. Lucy Wooding, Professor of History, Lincoln College, University of Oxford. Henry VIII’s break with Rome is one of the most famous turning points in British history, yet its religious reality was far messier than traditional narratives suggest. For the annual Graham Searle Lecture, in memory of our former branch Chair and President, Professor Lucy…

Prof. John Watts, Professor of Later Medieval History, Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford. The Wars of the Roses are sometimes romanticized as a dramatic, blood-soaked Shakespearean soap opera, but their historical reality runs much deeper. John Watts, Professor of Later Medieval History at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, will unpack why this brutal 15th-century dynastic…

Prof. Mike Braddick, Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford. For centuries, the local miller was one of the most vital and deeply distrusted figures in English village life. Accused of everything from inflating prices to mixing chalk into flour, millers occupied a unique and scandalous space in the popular imagination. Professor Mike…