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Sir Robert Rees Davies

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Robert Rees Davies

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1938-08-06 （Merionethshire, Wales）
Died
2005-05-16 （Oxford, England） age 66
Nationality
Welsh
Languages
Welsh, English
Residence History
Merionethshire (birthplace) → London (University College London; undergraduate and later lecturer) → Aberystwyth (University College of Wales, Aberystwyth; Professor) → Oxford (All Souls College; Chichele Professor)

Career

Occupations
Historian, Professor, Academic, Author
Active Years
1963-2005
Affiliations
University College London (lecturer), University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (Professor), All Souls College, Oxford (Fellow), University of Oxford (Chichele Professor of Medieval History), Royal Historical Society (President), Ancient Monuments Board for Wales (Chairman)
Memberships
Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), Royal Historical Society (President, 1993–1997), Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, Ancient Monuments Board for Wales (Chairman, 1995–2005)
Influenced By
K. B. McFarlane (doctoral supervisor), Glanmor Williams (Welsh historian)
Influenced
Ralph A. Griffiths (historian), Brendan Smith (editor and historian), Kenneth O. Morgan (historian)

Education

University College London
Department of History
Degree: BA (First Class Honours)
Period: 1956–1959
Year of Graduation: 1959
Country: United Kingdom
Received a First-class BA. Later returned to UCL as a lecturer.
Merton College, University of Oxford
Department of History
Degree: DPhil
Period: 1959–1965
Year of Graduation: 1965
Country: United Kingdom
Completed doctoral thesis 'The Lancaster and Bohun lordships in Wales in the 14th and early 15th centuries' under supervisor K. B. McFarlane.

Awards

Wolfson History Prize
1987
Work: Conquest, Coexistence, and Change: Wales, 1063–1415
Category: History
Organization: Wolfson Foundation
Result: Winner
Knight Bachelor
2005
Organization: British Crown
Result: Knighted
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Organization: British Crown
Result: Appointed
Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
Organization: British Academy
Result: Elected Fellow
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS)
Organization: Royal Historical Society
Result: Elected Fellow

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Lordship and Society in the March of Wales, 1282–1400

1978 Medieval history; Social history

Examines lordship and social structures in the March of Wales after 1282, analysing feudal relationships and interactions within border communities.

LordshipFeudal relationshipsMarch (border) societyWelsh history

Welsh Society and Nationhood: Historical Essays Presented to Glanmor Williams (edited)

1984 History; Edited essays

An edited volume presented to Glanmor Williams, containing essays on Welsh society, nationhood, and related historical issues.

NationhoodHistoriographyRegional history

Conquest, Coexistence, and Change: Wales, 1063–1415

1987 Medieval history

A comprehensive study of Welsh history from 1063 to 1415, exploring how conquest and coexistence shaped society and identity. Winner of the Wolfson History Prize.

ConquestCoexistenceSocial changeIdentityState formation

The British Isles, 1100–1500: Comparisons, Contrasts, and Connections

1988 Medieval history; Comparative history

Compares England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to consider similarities, differences, and connections across the medieval British Isles.

Comparative historyBritish IslesPower relations

Domination and Conquest: the Experience of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, 1100–1300

1990 Medieval history

Compares and analyses experiences of domination and conquest in Ireland, Scotland and Wales between 1100 and 1300.

ConquestStructures of dominationComparative study

The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr

1995 Medieval history; Military history

A study re-examining the uprising led by Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dŵr and its historical impact.

RevoltNational movementsMedieval politics

The Age of Conquest: Wales, 1063–1415

2000 Medieval history

An overview of the political and social transformations in Wales between 1063 and 1415.

ConquestSocial transformationWelsh history

The First English Empire: Power and Identities in the British Isles: 1093–1343

2000 Medieval history; Political history

Explores power structures and identity formation in the British Isles between 1093 and 1343, considering the concept of a 'First English Empire'.

PowerIdentityImperial concepts

Owain Glyn Dwr: trwy ras Duw, Tywysog Cymru (Welsh)

2002 Medieval history; Biography (Welsh language)

A Welsh-language study of Owain Glyn Dŵr; later translated into English.

BiographyRevoltWelsh-language sources
Translations
  • Owain Glyndwr: Prince of Wales (English translation by Gerald Morgan, 2009)

From Medieval to Modern Wales: Historical Essays in Honour of Kenneth O. Morgan and Ralph A. Griffiths (edited)

2004 History; Edited essays

Edited volume co-edited in honour of Kenneth O. Morgan and Ralph A. Griffiths, containing essays on Welsh history.

HistoriographyWelsh historyFestschrift

Lords and Lordship in the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages (edited, posthumous)

2009 Medieval history; Edited volume

Edited by Brendan Smith; a posthumous volume collecting essays on lords and lordship in the British Isles, reflecting Davies' scholarly interests.

LordshipLate Middle AgesComparative studies

Bibliography

  • Lordship and Society in the March of Wales, 1282–1400 (1978)
  • Welsh Society and Nationhood: Historical Essays Presented to Glanmor Williams (1984, edited)
  • Conquest, Coexistence, and Change: Wales, 1063–1415 (1987)
  • Wales: the Age Of Conquest, 1063–1415 (1987)
  • The British Isles, 1100–1500: Comparisons, Contrasts, and Connections (1988)
  • Domination and Conquest: the Experience of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, 1100–1300 (1990)
  • The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr (1995)
  • The Age of Conquest: Wales, 1063–1415 (2000)
  • The First English Empire: Power and Identities in the British Isles: 1093–1343 (2000)
  • Owain Glyn Dwr: trwy ras Duw, Tywysog Cymru (Welsh, 2002)
  • From Medieval to Modern Wales: Historical Essays in Honour of Kenneth O. Morgan and Ralph A. Griffiths (edited, 2004)
  • Lords and Lordship in the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages (edited, 2009)

Translations of Works

  • Owain Glyn Dwr (Welsh original) → Owain Glyndwr: Prince of Wales (English translation by Gerald Morgan, 2009)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Meticulous archival scholarshipComparative-historical approachClear, academic prose
Recurring Motifs
Lordship and feudal relationshipsConquest and coexistenceIdentity and state formationComparative studies across the British Isles

Health

  • Cancer
    2005（死去）
    Affected his health in later years and led to his death in 2005.

Legacy

Revitalised Welsh medieval scholarship and challenged Anglo-centric accounts by promoting comparative studies across the British Isles. Influenced many historians through teaching, publications, and leadership in learned societies.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Historical Society
  • British Academy

Trivia

  • Bilingual in Welsh and English.
  • Served as President of the Royal Historical Society (1993–1997).
  • Chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales (1995–2005).
  • Won the Wolfson History Prize in 1987 for Conquest, Coexistence and Change.
  • Knighted in the 2005 New Year Honours; died later that year.