Sir James Wycliffe Headlam-Morley,
CBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(24 December 1863 – 6 September 1929) was a British academic historian and classicist, who became a civil servant and government advisor on current foreign policy. He was known as James Wycliffe Headlam until 1918, when he changed his surname to Headlam-Morley by royal licence. He was knighted in 1929 for public service.
Family
He was the second son of Arthur William Headlam (1826–1908), vicar of
Whorlton, County Durham
Whorlton is a small village in County Durham, in England. It is situated near the River Tees and to the east of Barnard Castle.
Whorlton Bridge is a 183 ft long suspension bridge which crosses the River Tees. It is Britain's 2nd oldest s ...
, and was the younger brother of
Arthur Cayley Headlam
Arthur Cayley Headlam (2 August 1862 – 17 January 1947) was an English theologian who served as Bishop of Gloucester from 1923 to 1945.
Biography
Headlam was born in Whorlton, County Durham, the son of its vicar, Arthur William Headlam (1826 ...
(1862–1947),
Bishop of Gloucester
The Bishop of Gloucester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.
The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire. The see's centre of governan ...
.
In 1893 he married Elisabeth Charlotta Henrietta Ernestina Sonntag (1866–1950), a German musician and composer, also known as
Else Headlam-Morley. The historian
Agnes Headlam-Morley
Agnes Headlam-Morley (10 December 1902 – 21 February 1986) was a British historian and academic. From 1948 to 1971, she was Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford. Upon her appointment in October 1948, ...
(1902–1986) was their daughter.
Education and career
He was educated at
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
,
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city ...
, and in Germany where he studied with
Treitschke and
Hans Delbrück
Hans Gottlieb Leopold Delbrück (; 11 November 1848 – 14 July 1929) was a German historian. Delbrück was one of the first modern military historians, basing his method of research on the critical examination of ancient sources, using auxiliary ...
.
From 1894–1900 he was Professor of Greek and Ancient History at
Queen's College, London
Queen's College is an independent school for girls aged 11–18 with an adjoining prep school for girls aged 4–11 located in the City of Westminster, London. Founded in 1848 by theologian and social reformer Frederick Denison Maurice along wit ...
.
An influential figure, he worked on propaganda in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and, when the war was over, he was involved in the drafting of the
Versailles Treaty
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
especially regarding Danzig. He effectively sponsored
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee (; 14 April 1889 – 22 October 1975) was an English historian, a philosopher of history, an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics and King's Colleg ...
for appointment in 1924 to
Chatham House
Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquartered in London. Its stated mission is to provide commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges. It is ...
. He also gathered materials on the diplomatic history of the origins of World War I, as an official production of the British government, and contributed to it, though the main editor was
Harold Temperley
Harold William Vazeille Temperley, (20 April 1879 – 11 July 1939) was an English historian, Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge from 1931, and Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
Overview
Temperley was born in Cambridg ...
. Historian
Anna Cienciala
Anna Maria Cienciala (November 8, 1929 – December 24, 2014) was a Polish-American historian and author. She specialized in modern Polish and Russian history. Graduating with a history doctorate in 1962, she taught at two Canadian universities fo ...
attributes to Headlam and
Sidney Edward Mezes
Sidney Edward Mezes (September 23, 1863 – September 10, 1931) was an American philosopher.
Biography
He was born in what is now the town of Belmont, California on September 23, 1863, to a Spanish-born father and Italian-born mother. He graduat ...
, an academic and advisor to
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
and Executive Director of the
Inquiry group, the 1919 proposal to make
Danzig a
free city Free city may refer to: Historical places
* Free city (antiquity) a self-governed city during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial eras
* Free imperial city, self-governed city in the Holy Roman Empire subordinate only to the emperor
** Free City of ...
.
THE REBIRTH OF POLAND
at www.conflicts.rem33.com
He wrote numerous historical articles for the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' editions of 1902 in 1911, signing them "J.W.He."
Works
* ''On Election by Lot at Athens'' (1891)
* ''Bismarck and the Foundation of the German Empire'' (1899) (availabl
online
* ''A Short History of Germany and Her Colonies'' (1914) with Walter Alison Phillips
Walter Alison Phillips (21 October 1864 – 28 October 1950) was an English historian, a specialist in the history of Europe in the 19th century. From 1914 to 1939 he was the first holder of the Lecky chair of History in Trinity College, Dubl ...
, Arthur William Holland
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more ...
* ''The history of twelve days, July 24 to August 4, 1914'' (1915)
* ''The Dead Lands of Europe'' (1917)
* ''The German Chancellor and the Outbreak of War'' (1917)
* ''The Issue'' (1917)
* ''The Peace Terms of the Allies'' (1917)
* ''The Starvation of Germany'' (1917)
* ''British Documents on the Origins of the War 1898–1914 Volume XI The Outbreak of War Foreign Documents June 28 – August 4, 1914'' (1926) editor
* ''Studies in Diplomatic History'' (1930)
* ''A Memoir of the Paris Peace Conference 1919'' (1972) edited by Agnes Headlam-Morley, Russell Bryant and Anna Cienciala
Anna Maria Cienciala (November 8, 1929 – December 24, 2014) was a Polish-American historian and author. She specialized in modern Polish and Russian history. Graduating with a history doctorate in 1962, she taught at two Canadian universities fo ...
References
External links
*
*
*
The Papers of Sir James Headlam-Morley
held at Churchill Archives Centre
The Churchill Archives Centre (CAC) at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge is one of the largest repositories in the United Kingdom for the preservation and study of modern personal papers. It is best known for housing the papers of ...
From lecture notes of Anna M. Cienciala
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, referring several times to Headlam in relation to post-World War I views of Europe
Online article
on the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, mentioning Headlam's views in the 1920s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Headlam, James Wycliffe
1863 births
1929 deaths
British historians
Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
People from County Durham
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Knights Bachelor
People educated at Eton College
Fellows of King's College, Cambridge