W. G. Hoskins
Encyclopedia
William George Hoskins CBE FSA (22 May 1908 – 11 January 1992) was a British
local historian
who founded the first university department of English Local History. His great contribution to the study of history was in the field of landscape history. Hoskins demonstrated the profound impact of human activity on the evolution of the English landscape in a pioneering book: The Making of the English Landscape. His work has had lasting influence in the fields of local and landscape history
and historical and environmental conservation.
, Devon
on 22 May 1908: his father was a baker
.
He won a scholarship
to Hele's School
in 1918, and attended the University College of South West England (later the University of Exeter
) where he gained BSc and MSc degrees in economics by the age of 21. Both his M.Sc. degree awarded in 1929 and his Ph.D. in 1938 were concerned with the history of Devon.
The remainder of his life was devoted to university teaching and the authorship of historical works. He died on 11 January 1992 in Cullompton
.
in Commerce at University College, Leicester
in 1931. He found the trade statistics to be dull lecture material but he enjoyed the evenings that he spent teaching archaeology and local history at Vaughan College. His academic researches covered historical demography, urban history
, agrarian history, the evolution of vernacular architecture
, landscape history
and local history
. After the award of his doctorate Hoskins was appointed Reader in English Local History at University College, Leicester (1938).
In 1948, a group of local history enthusiasts including Hoskins formed a "Leicestershire Victoria County History Committee". The University of London
agreed to publish the second and subsequent volumes of the Victoria County History
(VCH) for Leicestershire
(the first having been published in 1907) if the Committee prepared the material. The Committee appointed Hoskins as its honorary local editor. He planned the contents of the second and third volumes of the VCH, and edited much of the material submitted. He also edited the articles that formed the history of the City of Leicester. In 1949 Richard McKinley
was appointed full-time local Assistant Editor and succeeded Hoskins in 1952. During 1951 Hoskins had shared the honorary local editor position with C. H. Thompson, then Leicestershire County Council
archivist
.
In 1952, Hoskins resigned from his posts at University College, Leicester, and on the Leicestershire Victoria County History Committee Leicester to become Reader in Economic History in the University of Oxford
.
Hoskins was one of the founders of the Exeter Group in 1960 (later to become the Exeter Civic Society). He was president of the Dartmoor Preservation Association
from 1962 until 1976.
He became the first professor of local history at the University of Leicester
(as University College, Leicester had become) in 1965 when he was appointed Hatton Professor of English History (he retired in 1968). Hoskins wrote and presented a BBC
television series The Landscape of England in 1976. Derived from The Making of the English Landscape, the series attracted considerable attention from members of the environmental movement
, who cited it to support their arguments for conservation.
in 1969 and was made a CBE
some time before 1974.
The University of Exeter
acknowledged his links with the city by conferring an honorary Doctorate of Letters
upon him in 1974.
As founder of the Department of English Local History (now the Centre for English Local History) at the University of Leicester, his achievements are commemorated by the Friends of the Centre for English Local History each year in the annual W. G. Hoskins lecture.
In 2004 the Devon History Society erected a blue plaque
on his birthplace with the inscription: "W. G. HOSKINS CBE FBA DLitt 1908-1992 HISTORIAN OF DEVON, EXETER AND THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE BORN HERE 'HIC AMOR, HAEC PATRIA EST'". He is also commemorated in the annual local history lecture at Leicester and another at St. Anne's College, Oxford.
, which forms little more than a page of the book's introduction has become a standard text in introductory local history courses.
He was also a writer of popular historical guide books where he expressed strongly held opinions on building and landscapes.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
local historian
Local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
who founded the first university department of English Local History. His great contribution to the study of history was in the field of landscape history. Hoskins demonstrated the profound impact of human activity on the evolution of the English landscape in a pioneering book: The Making of the English Landscape. His work has had lasting influence in the fields of local and landscape history
Landscape history
Landscape history is the study of the way in which humanity has changed the physical appearance of the environment - both present and past. It is sometimes referred to as landscape archaeology...
and historical and environmental conservation.
Life
William George Hoskins was born at 26–28 St David's Hill, ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
on 22 May 1908: his father was a baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
.
He won a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to Hele's School
Hele's School, Exeter
Hele's School was a boys' grammar school, and latterly a comprehensive school, in the city of Exeter, Devon, England.- Elize Hele’s bequest :...
in 1918, and attended the University College of South West England (later the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
) where he gained BSc and MSc degrees in economics by the age of 21. Both his M.Sc. degree awarded in 1929 and his Ph.D. in 1938 were concerned with the history of Devon.
The remainder of his life was devoted to university teaching and the authorship of historical works. He died on 11 January 1992 in Cullompton
Cullompton
Cullompton is a civil parish and town in Devon, England, locally known as Cully. It is miles north-north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2010 it had a population of 8,639 and is growing rapidly....
.
Academic career
Hoskins was appointed LecturerLecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in Commerce at University College, 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 1931. He found the trade statistics to be dull lecture material but he enjoyed the evenings that he spent teaching archaeology and local history at Vaughan College. His academic researches covered historical demography, urban history
Urban History
Urban history is a field of history that examines the historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization. The approach tends to be multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries into fields like social history, architectural history, urban sociology, urban geography and archaeology.At...
, agrarian history, the evolution of vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
, landscape history
Landscape history
Landscape history is the study of the way in which humanity has changed the physical appearance of the environment - both present and past. It is sometimes referred to as landscape archaeology...
and local history
Local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
. After the award of his doctorate Hoskins was appointed Reader in English Local History at University College, Leicester (1938).
In 1948, a group of local history enthusiasts including Hoskins formed a "Leicestershire Victoria County History Committee". The University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
agreed to publish the second and subsequent volumes of the Victoria County History
Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 and was dedicated to Queen Victoria with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of...
(VCH) for Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
(the first having been published in 1907) if the Committee prepared the material. The Committee appointed Hoskins as its honorary local editor. He planned the contents of the second and third volumes of the VCH, and edited much of the material submitted. He also edited the articles that formed the history of the City of Leicester. In 1949 Richard McKinley
Richard McKinley
Richard Albert McKinley was the first Director of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions and one of the founders of Security Bank and Trust in Vincennes, Indiana. He was appointed the first Director of the Indiana in January of 1933 and served until November of 1937.Mr. McKinley was...
was appointed full-time local Assistant Editor and succeeded Hoskins in 1952. During 1951 Hoskins had shared the honorary local editor position with C. H. Thompson, then Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county is divided into 52 electoral divisions, which return a total of 55 councillors. The council is controlled by...
archivist
Archivist
An archivist is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value. The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media...
.
In 1952, Hoskins resigned from his posts at University College, Leicester, and on the Leicestershire Victoria County History Committee Leicester to become Reader in Economic History in the University of 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...
.
Hoskins was one of the founders of the Exeter Group in 1960 (later to become the Exeter Civic Society). He was president of the Dartmoor Preservation Association
Dartmoor Preservation Association
The Dartmoor Preservation Association, or DPA, was founded in 1883. It is a charity, which provides an independent viewpoint on the current issues affecting Dartmoor and performs valuable conservation work on archaeological sites...
from 1962 until 1976.
He became the first professor of local 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....
(as University College, Leicester had become) in 1965 when he was appointed Hatton Professor of English History (he retired in 1968). Hoskins wrote and presented a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series The Landscape of England in 1976. Derived from The Making of the English Landscape, the series attracted considerable attention from members of the environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
, who cited it to support their arguments for conservation.
Honours and memorials
Hoskins was awarded the Fellowship of the British AcademyBritish 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...
in 1969 and was made a CBE
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...
some time before 1974.
The University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
acknowledged his links with the city by conferring an honorary Doctorate of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
upon him in 1974.
As founder of the Department of English Local History (now the Centre for English Local History) at the University of Leicester, his achievements are commemorated by the Friends of the Centre for English Local History each year in the annual W. G. Hoskins lecture.
In 2004 the Devon History Society erected a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
on his birthplace with the inscription: "W. G. HOSKINS CBE FBA DLitt 1908-1992 HISTORIAN OF DEVON, EXETER AND THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE BORN HERE 'HIC AMOR, HAEC PATRIA EST'". He is also commemorated in the annual local history lecture at Leicester and another at St. Anne's College, Oxford.
Works
In 1955, Hoskins published the book that was to make his name. The Making of the English Landscape is a landscape history of England and a seminal text in that discipline and in local history. The brief history of some one thousand years encompassed by the view from his study window at Steeple BartonSteeple Barton
Steeple Barton is a civil parish and scattered settlement on the River Dorn in West Oxfordshire, about east of Chipping Norton, a similar distance west of Bicester and south of Banbury...
, which forms little more than a page of the book's introduction has become a standard text in introductory local history courses.
He was also a writer of popular historical guide books where he expressed strongly held opinions on building and landscapes.
External links
- English Local History Department, University of LeicesterUniversity of LeicesterThe 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....
- "English Local Interest", University of LeicesterUniversity of LeicesterThe 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....
, Spring 2006. Retrieved on 2008-05-05. - Memoir of Hoskins