Christopher Nugent Lawrence Brooke (23 June 1927 – 27 December 2015) was a British

medieval historian In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. From 1974 to 1994 he was

Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History The Dixie Professorship of Ecclesiastical History is one of the senior professorships in history at the University of Cambridge. Lord Mayor of London in the 16th century, Sir Wolstan Dixie, left funds to found both scholarships and fellowships at ...

at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

Early life and education

Born on 23 June 1927, Brooke was the son of

Zachary Nugent Brooke Zachary Nugent Brooke (1883–1946) was a British medieval historian. Life Born on 1 December 1883, Brooke was educated at Bradfield College in Berkshire and St John's College, Cambridge. In 1908, he was elected to a Drosier Fellowship at Gonvi ...

(1883–1946) and his wife Rosa Grace Brooke (1888–1964). Following schooling at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

, Brooke undertook his undergraduate work at

Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of t ...

, where he studied with David Knowles.

Academic career

Brooke spent his early years as head of department at Westfield College, University of London, before taking up a post at Caius from 1977 to 1994, where he remained a life fellow. He held the position of

at Cambridge and before becoming a professor

emeritus ''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 ...

. He was President of the Ecclesiastical History Society (1968–1969).

Later life

Brooke died on 27 December 2015 at the age of 88.

Personal life

It was at Cambridge that Brooke met his future wife, fellow medievalist Rosalind Brooke (née Clark) in 1951. She died in 2014. Christopher N. L. Brooke died on 27 December 2015.

Selected works

Among Brooke's publications are: * ''The Church and the Welsh Border in the Central Middle Ages'' * ''London, 800–1216: The Shaping of a City'' * ''The English Church & the Papacy, From the Conquest to the Reign of John'' * ''The Medieval Idea of Marriage'' * ''A History of the University of Cambridge. Vol. 4, 1870–1990'' * ''Churches and Churchmen in Medieval Europe'' * ''The Normans as Cathedral Builders'' * ''The Architectural History of Winchester Cathedral'' * ''The Saxon and Norman Kings'' * ''From Alfred to Henry III 871–1272'' * ''Carte Nativorum: A

Peterborough Abbey Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Pau ...

Cartulary of the Fourteenth Century'' * ''The Letters of John of Salisbury'' * ''The Letters of John of Salisbury. Vol. 2, The Later Letters (1163–1180)'' * ''A History of

Gonville and Caius College Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of th ...

'' * '' Gilbert Foliot and His Letters'' * ''The Heads of Religious Houses, England and Wales: Volume 1, 940–1216'' * ''The Investiture Disputes'' * ''Religious Sentiment and Church Design in the Later Middle Ages'' * ''Archbishop Lanfranc, the English Bishops and the Council of London of 1075'' * ''The Monastic Constitutions of Lanfranc'' * ''Councils and Synods, with Other Documents Relating to the English Church: Volume I: A.D. 871–1204'' * ''Hugh the Chanter: The History of the Church of York, 1066–1127'' *''Oxford and Cambridge''. Cambridge University Press, 1988 (with

Roger Highfield Roger Ronald Highfield (born 1958 in Griffithstown, Wales) is an author, science journalist, broadcaster and Science Director at the Science Museum Group. Education Highfield was educated at Chase Side Primary School in Enfield and Christ's H ...

)

References

External links

* British medievalists Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Anglo-Saxon studies scholars Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the British Academy People educated at Winchester College Presidents of the Ecclesiastical History Society 1927 births 2015 deaths Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Presidents of the Society of Antiquaries of London Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire Dixie Professors of Ecclesiastical History {{UK-historian-stub