Mark Ormrod (historian) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Mark Ormrod
FRHistS FSA
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1 November 1957 Neath, Wales
|
| Died | 2 August 2020 (aged 62) York, England
|
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Edward III's government of England, c.1346–1356 (1984) |
William Mark Ormrod (born November 1, 1957 – died August 2, 2020) was a famous Welsh historian. He was an expert on the Later Middle Ages in England. This period was roughly from the 13th to the 15th century. Mark Ormrod was born in South Wales. He studied at King's College London and University of Oxford. Later, he became a professor at the University of York. He wrote many books and articles about history. He retired in 2017 and passed away in 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mark Ormrod was born in Neath, South Wales, in 1957. His parents were David and Margaret Ormrod. He had two younger brothers. As a student, he attended the local grammar school. He was even the head boy there. Mark also enjoyed playing and singing music.
University Studies
In 1979, he earned a top-level degree from King's College London. After that, he went to University of Oxford for more studies. He worked on his Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) degree at Worcester College, Oxford. His research focused on Edward III of England's government. He studied the years between 1346 and 1356. He received his D.Phil. degree in 1984.
A Career in History
After finishing his doctorate, Mark Ormrod worked at several universities. These included the University of Sheffield and Queen's University Belfast. He also spent time at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. In 1990, he joined the University of York as a lecturer.
Becoming a Professor
The University of York recognized his talent. They made him a full Professor of History in 1995. He took on important leadership roles there. From 1998 to 2001, and again from 2002 to 2003, he directed the Centre for Medieval Studies. He also led the Department of History from 2003 to 2007. Later, he became the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He held this position from 2009 until he retired in 2017.
Important Contributions
Mark Ormrod was part of many important historical groups. He was a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He was also a trustee for the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust. He helped edit books for the York Medieval Press. He also worked on the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (PROME) project.
He often worked with the Borthwick Institute for Archives. He really wanted to make old historical records available online. One of his big projects was "England's Immigrants, 1350–1550." This project found 70,000 immigrants who came to England during that time. This work even helped shape the national curriculum for schools.
Major Works and Recognition
Mark Ormrod wrote a lot. He published at least nine books. He also edited fourteen collections of writings. Plus, he wrote over eighty book chapters and articles. He led nineteen big research projects. These projects received more than £4 million in funding. He also guided twenty-eight students through their doctoral studies.
One of his last books was about Edward III for the Yale English Monarchs series. Experts called it an "exceptionally complex project." They said it was a "first rate example of historical investigation." In July 2020, a special book called Monarchy, State, and Political Culture was published in his honor. His colleagues, Gwilym Dodd and Craig Taylor, put it together. They also created the Mark Ormrod Prize. This award is given each year for the best doctoral study on any medieval topic at the University of York.
Passing Away
Mark Ormrod passed away on August 2, 2020. He was 62 years old. He died from bowel cancer. Just ten days before he died, he sent the final versions of his last book, Winner and Waster, to his publisher.
