Lorna Esmé Margery Walker is a British historian and an Honorary Senior Mediaeval History Lecturer at the University of St Andrews.

Early life

Walker was born in London, but lived in Cape Town, South Africa, from 1940 until 1943. There she attended the Micklefield School. Walker later attended the Wimbledon High School for Girls in London.

Education

In 1948 Walker began an Undergraduate degree in History and French at the University of St Andrews. During her studies she stayed in University Hall. Throughout her studies Walker received multiple prizes for her achievements, including the Miller and Low prizes. In her final year she was a research assistant to Robin Adam in researching the historic papers of Dunrobin Castle. After graduating from St Andrews, Walker won a Carnegie Scholarship in Medieval History and began studying for a master's degree at London University ( Institute of Historical Research in London). Her research focused on the relationship between local and central courts in England in twelfth and thirteenth centuries. She was supervised by John Goronwy Edwards and Theodore Plucknett. Walker graduated MA with distinction.

Academic career

After graduating, Walker took up a post at University College London in 1958 as the research assistant at the Goldsmiths’ Livery Company. She later applied for the joint position of lecturer in Medieval History and Warden of University Hall at the University of St Andrews. Walker started teaching at the university in 1961. In 1976 Walker was made a Freeman, and in 1986 a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. Since her election in March 1985, Walker has been a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. She is also a member of the

Selden Society The Selden Society is a learned society and registered charity concerned with the study of English legal history. It functions primarily as a text publication society, but also undertakes other activities to promote scholarship within its sphere ...

and of the

London Record Society The London Record Society is a text publication society founded in 1964 whose objectives are to stimulate public interest in archives and similar historical material relating to London. The current President of the society is the Lord Mayor of Lo ...

. Walker retired from her position as University Hall Warden in 1991. She continued teaching Medieval History for three more years, retiring in 1994. Walker still lives in St Andrews. Walker is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the University of St Andrews Department of Mediaeval History. In 2013 she was awarded the St Andrews University Medal in recognition of “her exceptional and dedicated contribution to the University over most of her lifetime”. Walker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the

2023 New Year Honours The 2023 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to higher education.

Publications

Walker has contributed to the book ''The North Sea World: Studies in the Cultural History of North-Western Europe in the Middle Ages''. In 1975 Walker contributed to ''Early History of the Goldsmiths' Company, 1327-1509: Including the Book of Ordinances, 1478-88'', a volume on the history of the Goldsmiths’ Company. Walker's publications include titles ''At the Feet of St Stephen Muret: Henry II and the Order of Grandmont redivivus''; ''Fighting Knights and Sirens: Monreale and the Art of the Cloister''; and ''Culture and Contacts in the Scottish Romanesque''. She has also published articles in English and in French on the Order of Savigny, its records and its holy men.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Lorna Living people Year of birth missing (living people) British women historians Academics of the University of St Andrews Academics of University College London English historians Members of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of the University of St Andrews