- Fellow type
- UK Fellow
- Year of birth
- 1938
- Year of death
- 2021
- Year elected
- 1988
- Sections
- Medieval Studies
Read English Language and Literature at St.Hugh's College Oxford 1957-60, specialising in the medieval period; gained a first. Graduate research for a thesis on the sources, structure and dialect of Robert of Gloucester's English chronicle; doctorate granted 1964. 1961 lecturership at Lady Margaret Hall Oxford; 1963 tutorial fellow and CUF lecturer; held a British Academy readership 1983-6; in 1985 University lecturer; 1989 a personal chair. FBA 1988. Retired 2003. Since late 1960s working on the life and writings of John Wyclif and his followers (usually known as Lollards) on the manuscripts of Latin and medieval English texts, edited several long works by Lollards as well as shorter texts and published discussions of their lives. British Academy Gollancz prize in 1985 and 1991. Over many years involved with Early English Text Society, finally as Director 2007-14. The Carolinum University in Prague awarded an honorary doctorate of history in 2010, and the Czech Academy awarded two medals. Over the past six years main research has been on copies of the Wycliffite Bible, the first complete translation into English of the Vulgate text; this project has been supported first by the Leverhulme foundation and now by the AHRC.
Current post
Emeritus Professor of Medieval English, University of Oxford