Leslie Frank Casson (1903–1969) was a mediaevalist and art historian. Born in England, he was professor of English Language and Medieval Literature at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, from 1952 to 68, where he was also head of the department. His area of interest extended from Latin manuscripts to the poetry of

Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; 1552/1553 – 13 January 1599) was an English poet best known for ''The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of ...

. He also worked on the manuscripts in the Grey Collection, the library bequeathed by George Grey to the National Library of South Africa; it comprises 5,000 volumes, including 115 manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Casson gained a PhD in literature from the University of Edinburgh in 1942. For the Early English Text Society, he edited the Middle English romance '' Sir Degrevant''.

Teaching and legacy

Casson was known for his stern approach to his students, which included Jeff Opland (author of ''Anglo-Saxon Oral Poetry: A Study of the Traditions''; Yale UP, 1980) and David Pelteret (author of ''Slavery in Early Mediaeval England'').

References

1903 births 1969 deaths British medievalists South African medievalists Academic staff of the University of Cape Town 20th-century British historians British emigrants to South Africa {{SouthAfrica-historian-stub