John McManners
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" McManners CBE
FBA
(December 25, 1916 - November 4, 2006) was a British clergyman and historian of religion who specialized in the history of the Church and other aspects of religious life in 18th century France. He was Regius Professor
of Ecclesiastical History and Fellow and Chaplain of All Souls College, Oxford
.
, County Durham
to Joseph and Ann McManners. His mother was a school teacher who converted his coal miner father to the Anglican faith. His father entered the priesthood, eventually becoming the vicar of Ferryhill and subsequently a canon of Durham Cathedral
.
McManners attended Spennymoor
grammar school before winning an exhibition
to St Edmund Hall, Oxford
in 1936. While at Oxford he took a First in Modern History in 1939.
prompting McManners to volunteer for military service. He served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, and was commissioned soon after enlisting. McManners served in the Western Desert Campaign
and was at the Siege of Tobruk. He also served with the 210 British Liaison Unit (Greek Mission) in Alexandreia
to help prepare Greece
for restoration of constitutional government.
. He studied at St Chad's College, Durham
and was ordained as a deacon
in 1947 and a priest
in 1948. He first served as curate
of Leeds Parish Church
for 10 months. Then, in 1948, invited back to his alma mater to be the Chaplain and lecture in History.
In 1951 he married Sarah Errington whom he met while at St Chad's College, Durham
. They had two sons, Hugh
and Peter, and two daughters, Ann and Helen. Both his wife and children survived him.
In 1956 he accepted the chair of History at the University of Tasmania
in Hobart
, Australia
. He remained for four years before moving to the University of Sydney
as the chair of History from 1960-1965.
and Oxford University
from 1965-1966 to be a Senior Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford
. Following Oxford he served as a professor in history at the University of Leicester
. In 1972 McManners was appointed to the Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
and returned to teach at Oxford
and serve in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
until his retirement from teaching in 1984. He was invited at All Souls College
as the chaplain and became a fellow at the college in 1986. It was not until 2001, due to health concerns, that he resigned as chaplain after which he was elected to an honorary fellowship.
While at Leicester he published French revolution and the church and Church and State in France, 1870-1914.
He won the 1982 Wolfson History Prize
for Death and the Enlightenment. In a 1986 review Joseph Tempesta of Ithaca College
describes it as "extensively researched" and he strongly recommends it as it "brings the era to life". It was also was "hailed by The Times as one of the ten best non-fiction books of the year".
McManners was the general editor of the Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity that was published in 1990. It was a best seller with excellent scholarly standards.
The two volume Church and Society in Eighteenth-century France published in 1998 "represents an enormous achievement" as reported by Raymond Mentzer of Montana State University
. It is two volumes, more than 1600 pages of text documenting four generations of pre-revolutionary France
and the culmination of more than 50 years of research.
In 2002 McManners published the autobiographical Fusilier: Recollections and Reflections, 1939-1945 documenting his experiences during the war.
His final book, All Souls and the Shipley Case 1808-1810 documented an early 19th century sex scandal at All Souls College
. When doing unrelated research McManners found a sealed packet of letters that became the basis for this book.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FBA
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(December 25, 1916 - November 4, 2006) was a British clergyman and historian of religion who specialized in the history of the Church and other aspects of religious life in 18th century France. He was Regius Professor
Regius Professor
Regius Professorships are "royal" professorships at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland - namely Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin. Each of the chairs was created by a monarch, and each appointment, save those at Dublin, is approved by the...
of Ecclesiastical History and Fellow and Chaplain of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
.
Birth and early education
McManners, known as Jack to his family and friends, was born in FerryhillFerryhill
Ferryhill is a town in south-central County Durham, England with a population of around 11,651 people, making it the 8th biggest town in the County. It is in the Durham County Unitary area...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
to Joseph and Ann McManners. His mother was a school teacher who converted his coal miner father to the Anglican faith. His father entered the priesthood, eventually becoming the vicar of Ferryhill and subsequently a canon of Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
.
McManners attended Spennymoor
Spennymoor
Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...
grammar school before winning an exhibition
Exhibition (scholarship)
-United Kingdom and Ireland:At the universities of Dublin, Oxford and Cambridge, and at Westminster School, Eton College and Winchester College, and various other UK educational establishments, an exhibition is a financial award or grant to an individual student, normally on grounds of merit. The...
to St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"...
in 1936. While at Oxford he took a First in Modern History in 1939.
Military service
In September 1939 Great Britain entered World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prompting McManners to volunteer for military service. He served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, and was commissioned soon after enlisting. McManners served in the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
and was at the Siege of Tobruk. He also served with the 210 British Liaison Unit (Greek Mission) in Alexandreia
Alexandreia
Alexandreia is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit, Greece.-Municipality:The municipality Alexandreia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:* Alexandreia...
to help prepare Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for restoration of constitutional government.
Ordination and early teaching career
While in the military McManners decided to follow his father's vocation and become ordained into the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He studied at St Chad's College, Durham
St Chad's College
St Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. One of the smallest of Durham's colleges in terms of student numbers , it has the largest staff, the most extensive college library facilities, and consistently the highest academic results in Durham...
and was ordained as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1947 and a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1948. He first served as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
for 10 months. Then, in 1948, invited back to his alma mater to be the Chaplain and lecture in History.
In 1951 he married Sarah Errington whom he met while at St Chad's College, Durham
St Chad's College
St Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. One of the smallest of Durham's colleges in terms of student numbers , it has the largest staff, the most extensive college library facilities, and consistently the highest academic results in Durham...
. They had two sons, Hugh
Hugh McManners
Joseph Hugh McManners is a British author, television producer and presenter, journalist, and musician, and songwriter.He was born into an academic family in Oxford, the son of historian The Rev. Professor John McManners, and was brought up in Australia...
and Peter, and two daughters, Ann and Helen. Both his wife and children survived him.
In 1956 he accepted the chair of History at the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He remained for four years before moving to the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
as the chair of History from 1960-1965.
Return to England
He returned to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
from 1965-1966 to be a Senior Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. Following Oxford he served as a professor in history at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
. In 1972 McManners was appointed to the Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
The Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the Chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting....
and returned to teach at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and serve in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
until his retirement from teaching in 1984. He was invited at All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
as the chaplain and became a fellow at the college in 1986. It was not until 2001, due to health concerns, that he resigned as chaplain after which he was elected to an honorary fellowship.
Published works
In 1960 McManners's first book, French Ecclesiastical Society Under the Ancient Regime; a Study of Angers in the Eighteenth Century, was published helping to establish him as a respected scholar of French history. It was a detailed examination of church life on a local level in a small provincial city. The study of common society contrasted with most of the works of the time that only concentrated on the upper class.While at Leicester he published French revolution and the church and Church and State in France, 1870-1914.
He won the 1982 Wolfson History Prize
Wolfson History Prize
The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public...
for Death and the Enlightenment. In a 1986 review Joseph Tempesta of Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
describes it as "extensively researched" and he strongly recommends it as it "brings the era to life". It was also was "hailed by The Times as one of the ten best non-fiction books of the year".
McManners was the general editor of the Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity that was published in 1990. It was a best seller with excellent scholarly standards.
The two volume Church and Society in Eighteenth-century France published in 1998 "represents an enormous achievement" as reported by Raymond Mentzer of Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
. It is two volumes, more than 1600 pages of text documenting four generations of pre-revolutionary France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the culmination of more than 50 years of research.
In 2002 McManners published the autobiographical Fusilier: Recollections and Reflections, 1939-1945 documenting his experiences during the war.
His final book, All Souls and the Shipley Case 1808-1810 documented an early 19th century sex scandal at All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. When doing unrelated research McManners found a sealed packet of letters that became the basis for this book.
Select bibliography
- French Ecclesiastical Society Under the Ancient Regime; a Study of Angers in the Eighteenth Century (1960)
- Lectures on European History, 1789-1914 (1966)
- French revolution and the church (1970)
- Church and State in France, 1870-1914 (1972)
- Death and the Enlightenment: Changing Attitudes to Death among Christians and Unbelievers in Eighteenth-Century France (1981)
- Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity (1990) editor
- Church and Society in Eighteenth-century France (1998)
- The Oxford History of Christianity (2002)
- Fusilier: Recollections and Reflections 1939-1945 (2002)
- All Souls and the Shipley Case 1808-1810 (2002)
Awards and honours
- 1939 First in Modern History St Edmund Hall, OxfordSt Edmund Hall, OxfordSt Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"...
- 1970-1978 Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery
- 1972-1984 Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical HistoryRegius Professor of Ecclesiastical HistoryThe Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the Chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting....
at University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - 1978 Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)British AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
- 1978-1982 Doctrinal Commission of the Church of England
- 1982 Wolfson History PrizeWolfson History PrizeThe Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public...
for Death and the Enlightenment - 1992 Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- 2000 Order of the British Empire (CBE)Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- 2001 Ordre national du MériteOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...