Peter Hennessy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
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Peter Hennessy in 2019
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 25 November 2010 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 March 1947 Edmonton, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education |
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| Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Historian and academic; formerly journalist |
| Profession | Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History |
| Awards |
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Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield (born March 28, 1947) is a well-known British historian and professor. He studies the history of how the government works in the United Kingdom. Since 1992, he has been a special professor of British history at Queen Mary University of London.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Hennessy was born in Edmonton, a part of north London. He grew up in a large Catholic family. As a child, he attended Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School. He even served as an altar boy at St Mary Magdalene Church.
He later went to St Benedict's School in Ealing. When his family moved to the Cotswolds, he attended Marling School in Stroud. After finishing school, he studied at St John's College, Cambridge, where he earned his first degree in 1969 and a PhD in 1990. He also spent time studying at Harvard University in the United States.
Career in Media
Before becoming a full-time professor, Peter Hennessy worked as a journalist. He wrote for the Times Higher Education Supplement from 1972 to 1974. He also wrote for The Times newspaper for many years, covering government news.
He was a regular presenter of a radio show called Analysis on BBC Radio 4 from 1987 to 1992. He has also interviewed many important political figures for BBC Radio 4's Reflections series. In 2022, he shared his thoughts on a major political event, calling it a "severe constitutional crisis."
Academic Achievements
In 1986, Peter Hennessy helped start the Institute of Contemporary British History. This institute helps people study recent British history. From 1992 to 2000, he was a professor at Queen Mary, University of London. He also gave public lectures at Gresham College in London. Since 2001, he has held the special title of Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary.
He has written several important books about Britain after World War II. His book Never Again: Britain 1945–1951 won two awards: the Duff Cooper Prize and the NCR Book Award. Another book, Having It So Good: Britain in the 1950s, won the Orwell Prize in 2007. These books help us understand how Britain changed after the war.
Becoming a Lord
In 2010, Peter Hennessy was chosen to become a member of the House of Lords. The House of Lords is part of the UK Parliament. He became a "life peer," which means he is a Lord for his lifetime. He took the title Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield. He is a "crossbencher," meaning he does not belong to any political party.
He was officially introduced to the House of Lords on November 25, 2010. He said he hoped to help the House of Lords with matters about the country's rules and laws. In 2014, he was one of many public figures who spoke out against Scottish independence before a big vote.
Personal Life
Peter Hennessy is married to his wife, Enid, and they have two daughters. They live in London. In 2019, he shared that he had been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's disease. In May 2023, he was a guest on the popular BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs.
See also
- Gresham Professor of Rhetoric
