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Maurice Beresford

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Maurice Warwick Beresford
Born(1920-02-06)6 February 1920
Sutton Coldfield
Died15 December 2005(2005-12-15)(aged 85)
Leeds
NationalityBritish
EducationBishop Vesey's Grammar School[1]
Alma materJesus College, Cambridge[1]
Occupation(s)historian, archaeologist

Maurice Warwick Beresford,FBA(6 February 1920 – 15 December 2005) was an Englisheconomic historianandarchaeologistspecialising in themedieval period.He was Professor of Economic History at theUniversity of Leeds.

Early life and education

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Beresford was born on 6 February 1920 inSutton Coldfield,then inWarwickshire.[1]He was the only child of Harry Bertram Beresford and Nora Elizabeth Beresford (néeJefferies).[2]His father died in 1934, aged 46, and Maurice's mother continued to live with him until her death in 1966, aged 79.[2]

From 1930 to 1938, Beresford was educated atBishop Vesey's Grammar School,a stategrammar schoolin Sutton Coldfield.[2][3]While there, he was enthused by two teachers, one a history master and the other from geography.[2]He was successful at school, becoming aprefect,school librarian and editor of the school newspaper.[2]

In 1937, Beresford sat a joint entrance exam in history for six of theUniversity of Cambridge's colleges and was awarded anexhibitionat his fifth choice,Jesus College.[2]Hematriculatedin 1938.[2][4]He studied for the historytriposunder Bernard Manning andCharles Wilson,and took aFirstin part I.[2][5]After doing so well, he was awarded a minor scholarship for the rest of his degree.[2]He specialised in the medieval period for Part II, and took part in aneconomic historyseminar run byJohn Saltmarsh.[2]He passed part II and his degree withfirst class honours.[5]He graduated from Cambridge with aBAin 1941, later promoted to anMA.[6]

As an undergraduate, Beresford wrote a paper on parkland inSutton Coldfield,the beginning of his interest in the interaction between the physical landscape and documents such as maps:[7]this interest led to his 1957 publication,History on the Ground.

In September 1939, with the start of theSecond World War,Beresford registered as aconscientious objector.[2]He was exempted from military service in April 1940 on the condition that he continued his studies.[2]After completing his degree, he undertooksocial workin London and Birmingham.[4]

Academic career

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Beresford began his academic career not at a university but inadult education.[3]He was Sub-Warden (1942–1943) and then Warden (1943–1948) ofPercival Guildhouse,an adult education centre and charity inRugby, Warwickshire.[6]He continued his research, including studying the local area throughRAFaerial photographyand old maps to rebuild the medieval landscape.[2]His main interests were in medieval field systems and the history of settlement.[2]In 1945 he identified thedeserted medieval villageofBittesbyinLeicestershire.[3]He expanded his interests from history andhistorical geographyintoarchaeologyand was involved inexcavationsatSteetonandEast LillinginYorkshirein 1948 and 1949.

Beresford was appointed aLecturerat theUniversity of Leedsin 1948. He was promoted toReaderin 1955 and toProfessorofEconomic Historyin 1959, a post he was to hold until his retirement asEmeritusProfessor in 1985.[8][9]

Together withJohn Hursthe conducted archaeological excavations at the deserted village ofWharram PercynearMaltoninNorth Yorkshire.This work became an important impetus formedieval archaeologyin Britain and Europe.

Honours

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Beresford was elected aFellow of the British Academy(FBA) in 1985.[10]

Death

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Beresford died inLeedson 15 December 2005 at the age of 85.[1]

Bibliography

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  • Beresford, M. W. (1947).The Minute Book of a Leicestershire Enclosure.Leicester: Thornley Offprint.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1951). "The Lost Villages of Yorkshire, Parts I to IV".Yorkshire Archaeological Journal.23.Leeds:Yorkshire Archaeological Society.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1951).The Lost Villages of Yorkshire, Parts I to IV Offprint from Yorkshire Archaeological Journal.Leeds:Yorkshire Archaeological Society.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1951).The Lost Villages of Medieval England.London:Royal Geographical Society.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1951).The Leeds Chamber of Commerce. With an Epilogue by S.J. Batchelder.Leeds: Leeds Chamber of Commerce.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1954).The Lost Villages of England.London:Lutterworth Press.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1961).Time and Place.Leeds: Leeds University Press.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1957). "The Common Informer, the Penal Statutes and Economic Regulation".Economic History Review.second.10(2). Glasgow:Economic History Society:222–238.doi:10.2307/2590859.JSTOR2590859.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1957).The Common Informer, the Penal Statutes and Economic Regulation (offprint from Economic History Review).Glasgow:Economic History Society.
  • Beresford, M.W. (1963).Lay Subsidies and Poll Taxes.Chichester: Phillimore.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1967).Leeds and its Region.Leeds: Leeds local executive committee of theBritish Association for the Advancement of Science.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1967).New Towns of the Middle Ages: Town Plantation in England, Wales and Gascony.London:Lutterworth Press.ISBN0-7188-0601-8.
  • Beresford, M. W.; Hurst, J. G., eds. (1971).Deserted Medieval Villages: Studies.Woking:Lutterworth Press.ISBN0-7188-1373-1.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1971).History on the Ground: Six Studies in Maps and Landscapes.London:Methuen & Co.ISBN0-416-15130-2.
  • Beresford, M. W.; Finberg, H. P. R. (1973).English Medieval Boroughs: A Hand-List.Newton Abbot:David & Charles.ISBN0-7153-5997-5.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1979).Medieval England: An Aerial Survey.Cambridge Air Surveys. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-21961-2.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1979).West Riding County Council 1889–1974 Historical Studies.The King's England Press.ISBN0-86181-000-7.
  • Beresford, Maurice (1980).Walks Round Red Brick.Leeds University Press.ISBN0-85316-124-0.
  • Beresford, M. W. (1988).East End, West End: Face of Leeds During Urbanisation, 1684–1842.Publications of the Thoresby Society. Leeds: Thoresby Society.ISBN0-900741-23-6.
  • Beresford, M. W.; Hurst, J. G. (1990).Wharram Percy: Deserted Medieval Village.London:B.T. Batsford.ISBN0-7134-6114-4.
  • Beresford, Maurice (1998).The Lost Villages of England(revised ed.). Sutton.
  • Beresford, M. W. (2008).Leeds in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (Miscellany).Leeds: Thoresby Society.ISBN978-0-900741-66-1.

References

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  1. ^abcdGlasscock,The Independent,2006
  2. ^abcdefghijklmnGlasscock, Robin (2009)."Maurice Warwick Beresford 1920—2005"(PDF).Proceedings of the British Academy.161.The British Academy: 19–38.Retrieved7 September2021.
  3. ^abcDyer, Christopher (22 December 2005)."Obituary: Maurice Beresford".The Guardian.Retrieved7 September2021.
  4. ^abGlasscock, Robin (14 January 2006)."Professor Maurice Beresford".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2022.Retrieved7 September2021.
  5. ^ab"Professor Maurice Beresford".The Times.2 January 2006.Retrieved7 September2021.
  6. ^ab"Beresford, Prof. Maurice Warwick, (6 Feb. 1920–15 Dec. 2005), Professor of Economic History, University of Leeds, 1959–85, then Emeritus".Who Was Who.Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007.Retrieved7 September2021.
  7. ^"Professor Maurice Beresford: Historian whose painstaking work on deserted medieval communities led to his celebrated bookThe Lost Villages of England(Obituary) ".The Times.2 January 2006. p. 45.
  8. ^University of Leeds, Reporter 538, Biographical note
  9. ^The Guardian, obituary, published 22 December 2005
  10. ^British Academy, List of deceased fellowsArchived6 May 2013 at theWayback Machine

Sources

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