Nicholas Brooks (historian) facts for kids
Nicholas Peter Brooks (born January 14, 1941 – died February 2, 2014) was an English historian who studied the Middle Ages. He was known for his important work on old English documents called Anglo-Saxon charters. He was also a Fellow of the British Academy, which is a big honor for scholars.
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About His Life
Nicholas Brooks was a very respected historian. He spent his life studying the early history of England, especially the time when Anglo-Saxons lived there.
Early Life and Education
Nicholas Brooks went to school at Winchester College. After that, he studied history at Magdalen College, Oxford, and finished his degree in 1961. He then continued his studies at Oxford. He focused on old documents called Anglo-Saxon charters from the archives of Canterbury Cathedral. His teacher, Dorothy Whitelock, helped him a lot with this work. This research later became a book called The Early History of the Church of Canterbury, published in 1984.
A Career in History
Nicholas Brooks started his teaching career at the University of St Andrews in 1964. He taught medieval history there for many years. In 1985, he became a professor of medieval history at the University of Birmingham. In 1989, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the British Academy. This is a special group of experts in the humanities and social sciences.
Important Research
From 1991 to 2013, Nicholas Brooks led a big project for the British Academy. This project was about Anglo-Saxon charters. He helped edit two books about the Canterbury archive documents. He also worked on committees for the cathedrals at Canterbury and Worcester.
Later Years and Legacy
Nicholas Brooks retired from the University of Birmingham in 2004. Even after retiring, he continued to help students with their research as an emeritus professor. A special book called Myth, Rulership, Church and Charters: Essays in Honour of Nicholas Brooks was published in 2008 to honor his work.
Until he passed away, Brooks was also part of a team studying the Staffordshire Hoard. This is a very old collection of gold and silver objects from the 7th or 8th century. He famously described the hoard as "bling for warrior companions of the king."
