Muriel Evelyn Chamberlain (November 1932 - 8 February 2022) was

emeritus professor ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of history at the

University of Wales The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff � ...

, Swansea (later called Swansea University).Cover notes. ''Decolonisation: The Fall of the European Empires''. Blackwell, Oxford, 1985. She was a specialist in European

colonisation Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

and

de-colonisation Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on independence m ...

and

British foreign policy The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are conducted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, headed by the Foreign Secretary. The prime minister and numerous other agencies play a role in setting policy, and many ...

in the nineteenth century.Decolonisation: The Fall of the European Empires, 2nd Edition.
Wiley. Retrieved 25 October 2015. Chamberlain was one of the general editors of the Historical Association Studies book series, vice-chair of the

Historical Association The Historical Association is a membership organisation of historians and scholars founded in 1906 and based in London. Its goals are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong lea ...

and editor of its journal ''The Historian''. In 1975 she became the first woman to reach the role of dean at the university, in 1987 was promoted to professor and in 1989 was voted into her first term as head of the history department. She retired in 1997 and continued to write books and articles. She died in 2022. As well as her specialist interest in the British empire and Commonwealth history, she wrote the first biography of

George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, (28 January 178414 December 1860), styled Lord Haddo from 1791 to 1801, was a British statesman, diplomat and landowner, successively a Tory, Conservative and Peelite politician and specialist in ...

, a politician who was Prime Minister from 1852 until 1855. She chaired the trustees of the

Cambrian Archaeological Association The Cambrian Archaeological Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Hynafiaethau Cymru) was founded in 1846 to examine, preserve and illustrate the ancient monuments and remains of the history, language, manners, customs, arts and industries of Wales and the ...

for many years and was President of the society in 2003.

Selected publications

*''Britain and India: The Interaction of Two Peoples''. David & Charles, London, 1974. (Library of Policy & Society) *''The Scramble for Africa''. Longman, London, 1974. (

Seminar Studies in History Seminar Studies in History is a long-running book series for undergraduate and younger students that aims to bridge the gap between the monograph and the full size university textbook. The series was established by history teacher Patrick Richard ...

) *''British Foreign Policy in the Age of Palmerston''. Longman, London, 1980. (Seminar Studies in History) *''The New Imperialism''.

The Historical Association The Historical Association is a membership organisation of historians and scholars founded in 1906 and based in London. Its goals are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong lea ...

, London, 1981. *''Lord Aberdeen: A Political Biography''. Addison-Wesley, 1983. *''Lord Palmerston''. Catholic University of America Press, 1988. (Political Portraits) *''"Pax Britannica"? British Foreign Policy 1789-1914''. Longman, London, 1988. ( Studies in Modern History) *''Decolonization: The Fall of the European Empires''. Blackwell, Oxford, 1985. (2nd 1999) (Historical Association Studies) *''The Longman Companion to European Decolonization in the Twentieth Century''. Longman, London, 1998. ( Longman Companions to History) *''Longman Companion to the Formation of the European Empires, 1488-1920''. Routledge, London, 2014. ( Longman Companions to History)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, M. E. 1932 births 2022 deaths British historians Academics of the University of Wales Historians of the British Empire British women historians