Edward James Cowan FRSE (15 February 1944 – 2 January 2022) was a Scottish historian.

Biography

Cowan was born on 15 February 1944 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, Midlothian. He was a professor of Scottish History at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and Director of the University's Dumfries Campus. He had previously taught at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and at the

University of Guelph , mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities" , established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922) , type = Public university , chancellor ...

, Ontario. A fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he was also a Visiting Professor in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. He lived in the Glenkens area of

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative count ...

. Cowan died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

on 2 January 2022, at the age of 77.

Books

*''Folk in Print: Scotland’s Chapbook Heritage, 1750-1850'', with Mike Paterson (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2007) 438pp. *Ed. ''The Wallace Book'' (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2007) 240pp. *For Freedom Alone': The

Declaration of Arbroath The Declaration of Arbroath ( la, Declaratio Arbroathis; sco, Declaration o Aiberbrothock; gd, Tiomnadh Bhruis) is the name usually given to a letter, dated 6 April 1320 at Arbroath, written by Scottish barons and addressed to Pope John ...

1320'' (East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 2003) 162pp. *''Scottish History: The Power of the Past'', ed. with Richard Finlay (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002) 279pp. *''Scottish Fairy Belief: A History'', with

Lizanne Henderson Lizanne Henderson is a Senior Lecturer in history at the University of Glasgow in Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland ...

(East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 2001; Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2007) 242pp. *''Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval Era'', ed. with R. A. McDonald (East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 2000; reprinted 2003) 282pp. *Ed. ''The

Ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

in Scottish History'' (East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 2000) 184pp. *''Scotland Since 1688: Struggle for a Nation'', with Richard Finlay (London: CIMA, 2000) 192pp. *''The Polar Twins: Scottish History and Scottish Literature'', ed. with Douglas Gifford (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1999) 310pp. *Ed. ''The People's Past: Scottish Folk, Scottish History'' (Edinburgh: Polygon, 1980; reprinted 1995) 223pp. *''Montrose For Covenant and King'' (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1977; reprinted Edinburgh: Canongate, 1995) 326pp. Winner of a Scottish Arts Council Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Edward J. 1944 births 2022 deaths Deaths from lung cancer Academics of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Historians of Scotland 20th-century Scottish historians Scottish literary critics Academics from Edinburgh 21st-century Scottish historians