Briggs, Asa
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Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (7 May 1921 – 15 March 2016) was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his long and prolific career for examining various aspects of modern British history. He became a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
in 1976.


Early life

Asa Briggs was born in
Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford, n ...
,
West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...
, in 1921 to William Briggs, an engineer, and his wife Jane. He was educated at Keighley Boys' Grammar School and
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...
, graduating with a BA (first class) in History, in 1941, and a BSc in Economics (first class) from the
University of London External Programme The University of London Worldwide (previously called the University of London International Academy) is the central academic body that manages external study programmes within the collegiate university, federal University of London. All courses ...
, also in 1941.


Military service

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, from 1942 to 1945, Briggs served in the Intelligence Corps and worked at the British wartime signals intelligence station,
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...
. He was a member of "the Watch" in
Hut 6 Hut 6 was a wartime section of the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, Britain, tasked with the solution of German Army and Air Force Enigma machine cyphers. Hut 8, by contrast, attacked Naval Enigma. Hut 6 w ...
, the section deciphering
Enigma machine The Enigma machine is a cipher device developed and used in the early- to mid-20th century to protect commercial, diplomatic, and military communication. It was employed extensively by Nazi Germany during World War II, in all branches of the W ...
messages from the German Army and Luftwaffe. That posting had arisen because Briggs had played chess at college with Cambridge mathematician Howard Smith (who was to become the
director general of MI5 __NOTOC__ The Director General of the Security Service is the head of the Security Service (commonly known as MI5), the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency. The Director General is assisted by a Deputy Director Gen ...
in 1979), and Smith had written to the head of Hut 6,
Gordon Welchman William Gordon Welchman OBE (15 June 1906 – 8 October 1985) was an English mathematician. During World War II, he worked at Britain's secret decryption centre at Bletchley Park, where he was one of the most important contributors. In 1948, a ...
, who was also a Cambridge mathematician, recommending Briggs to him.


Academic career

After the war, he was elected a fellow of
Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...
(1945–55), and was subsequently appointed university reader in recent social and economic history (1950–55). Whilst a young fellow, Briggs proofread
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
's ''
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples ''A History of the English-Speaking Peoples'' is a four-volume history of Britain and its former colonies and possessions throughout the world, written by Winston Churchill, covering the period from Caesar's invasions of Britain (55 BC) to the e ...
''. He was later faculty fellow of
Nuffield College Nuffield College () is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is a graduate college specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. N ...
(1953–55) and a member of the
Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholars, including Albert Ein ...
,
Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...
, United States (1953–54). From 1955 until 1961, he was professor of
modern history The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500, ...
at
Leeds University The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed ...
, and between 1961 and 1976 he was professor of history at
Sussex University The University of Sussex is a public research university located in Falmer, East Sussex, England. It lies mostly within the city boundaries of Brighton and Hove. Its large campus site is surrounded by the South Downs National Park, and provide ...
, whilst also serving as dean of the School of Social Studies (1961–65), pro vice-chancellor (1961–67) and vice-chancellor (1967–76). On 4 June 2008, the University of Sussex Arts A1 and A2 lecture theatres, designed by
Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...
, were renamed in his honour. In 1976, he returned to Oxford to become provost of
Worcester College Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...
, retiring from the post in 1991. He was
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of the
Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...
(1978–94) and in May 1979 was awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of the University. He was an honorary fellow of
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (historically known as "Sussex College" and today referred to informally as "Sidney") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1 ...
, from 1968;
Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...
, from 1969; and
St Catharine's College, Cambridge St Catharine's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. Founded in 1473 as Katharine Hall, it adopted its current name in 1860. The college is nicknamed "Catz". The colle ...
, from 1977. He held a visiting appointment at the Gannett Center for Media Studies at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in the late 1980s and again at the renamed Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia in 1995–96. Announced in the 1976 Birthday Honours, he was created a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baron Briggs, of
Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...
in the County of East Sussex on 19 July 1976. Between 1961 and 1995, Briggs wrote a five-volume series on the history of broadcasting in the UK from 1922 to 1974 – essentially the history of the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, who commissioned the work. Briggs' other works ranged from an account of the period that
Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
spent in London to the
corporate history A corporate history is a historical account of a business or other co-operative organization. Usually it is produced in written format but it can also be published as audio or audiovisually. Thousands of companies across the industrialized world ha ...
of British retailer
Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...
. In 1987, Lord Briggs was invited to be president of the Brontë Society, a literary society established in 1893 in
Haworth Haworth ( , , ) is a village in West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines south-west of Keighley, 8 miles (13 km) north of Halifax, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhop ...
, near Keighley, Yorkshire. He presided over the society's centenary celebrations in 1993 and continued as president until he retired from the position in 1996. He was also president of the William Morris Society from 1978 to 1991 and president of the UK's
Victorian Society The Victorian Society is a UK charity and amenity society that campaigns to preserve and promote interest in Victorian and Edwardian architecture and heritage built between 1837 and 1914 in England and Wales. As a statutory consultee, by l ...
from 1986 until his death. He served as a governor of the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
between 1970 and 1977. Briggs headed the Committee on Nursing government investigation in the early 1970s. The committee's subsequent report became known as the Briggs Report.


Personal life

Briggs married Susan Anne Banwell of Keevil, Wiltshire in 1955; the couple had two sons and two daughters. He died at home in Lewes at the age of 94 on 15 March 2016.


Select bibliography

*''History of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
'', 3 volumes (Oxford University Press) ::# ''Volume II: Borough and City 1865-1938'' (1952) Briggs contributed volume 2 - volume 1 was written by Conrad Gill (1952) and volume 3 by Anthony Sutcliffe and Roger Smith (1974) *''The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom'', 5 volumes (Oxford University Press) ::# ''The Birth of Broadcasting'' (1961) ::# ''The Golden Age of Wireless - 1927–1939'' (1965) ::# ''The War of Words - 1939–1945'' (1970) ::# ''Sound and Vision - 1945–1955'' (1979) ::# ''Competition - 1955–1974'' (1995) * '' Victorian People: Reassessments of People, Institutions, Ideas and Events, 1851-1867'' (Odhams Press, 1954); reprinted in ''A Victorian Trilogy'' (Folio Society, 1996) * ''The Age of Improvement, 1783–1867'' (Longmans, 1959) from "A History of England" series; reprinted as ''England in the Age of Improvement 1783-1867'' (Folio Society, 1999) * ''Victorian Cities'' (Odhams Press, 1963); reprinted in ''A Victorian Trilogy'' (Folio Society, 1996) * ''
Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
in London: An Illustrated Guide'' (BBC Books, 1982); reprinted with John Callow (Lawrence & Wishart, 2007) * ''A Social History of England'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1983); reprinted and updated (Weidenfeld, 1994) * ''
Toynbee Hall Toynbee Hall is a charitable institution that works to address the causes and impacts of poverty in the East End of London and elsewhere. Established in 1884, it is based in Commercial Street, Spitalfields, and was the first university-affili ...
: The First Hundred Years'' (Routledge, 1984) * ''
Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...
1884–1984: A Centenary History'' (Octopus Books, 1984) * ''The Franchise Affair: Creating Fortunes and Failures in Independent Television'' (Century, 1986); with Joanna Spicer) * ''Victorian Things'' (Batsford, 1988); reprinted in ''A Victorian Trilogy'' (Folio Society, 1996) * ''A Victorian Portrait: Victorian Life and Values As Seen Through the Work of Studio Photographers'' (Cassell, 1989); with Archie Miles * ''
The Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consist ...
: Occupation and Liberation 1940–1945'' (Batsford/Imperial War Museum, 1995) * '' Fins de Siècle: How Centuries End, 1400–2000'' (Yale University Press, 1996); with Daniel Snowman * ''A Social History of the Media: From
Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg ( – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and craftsman who invented the movable-type printing press. Though movable type was already in use in East Asia, Gutenberg's invention of the printing ...
to the Internet'' (Polity Press, 2002); with Peter Burke, 4th revised edition, 2020 * ''Secret Days: Codebreaking in
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...
: A Memoir of Hut Six and the
Enigma Machine The Enigma machine is a cipher device developed and used in the early- to mid-20th century to protect commercial, diplomatic, and military communication. It was employed extensively by Nazi Germany during World War II, in all branches of the W ...
'' (Frontline, 2011) * ''Special Relationships: People and Places'' (Frontline, 2012) * ''Loose Ends and Extras'' (Frontline, 2014)


References


Further reading

* , 12 scholarly essays about Briggs.


External links


Some of Asa Briggs' papers
mostly relating to a biography of Michael Young, 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 ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Asa Briggs, Baron 1921 births 2016 deaths Military personnel from West Yorkshire Academics of the University of Leeds Alumni of University of London Worldwide Alumni of the University of London Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge English historians Chancellors of the Open University Crossbench life peers Fellows of Nuffield College, Oxford Fellows of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Fellows of St Catharine's College, Cambridge Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford Media historians Bletchley Park people People from Keighley Provosts of Worcester College, Oxford Fellows of the British Academy British Army personnel of World War II Royal Corps of Signals soldiers Intelligence Corps soldiers Life peers created by Elizabeth II History Today people Governors of the British Film Institute Historians of the University of Oxford