J. E. Neale
Encyclopedia
Sir John Ernest Neale, FBA
(1890–1975) was a British historian who specialised in Elizabethan
and Parliamentary history.
. His first professional appointment was the chair of Modern History at the University of Manchester
, and he was then to succeed his old mentor A. F. Pollard as Astor Professor of English History at University College London
in 1927. He was to hold this post until 1956. In 1955, Neale was knighted
, and on 17 November 1958 he delivered a lecture in Washington, D.C.
commemorating Elizabeth I
's accession to the English throne four hundred years previously. From 1956, Neale was Professor Emeritus, but continued to do some academic teaching at University College London. He died in 1975.
historians (for example Norman L. Jones). He is well-known for his thesis on the Elizabethan Puritan Choir
, in which he claimed that a group of Puritan
MPs successfully managed to force Elizabeth I's hand on many policy issues throughout her reign, including at the start. Neale also saw the roots of the English Civil War
in what he perceived to be the obstructive and rebellious nature of Elizabeth I's Parliaments, a view equally questioned by later historians. Neale is also recognised for his work in bringing to light new sources on Tudor England
, and developing different ways of studying the period.
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...
(1890–1975) was a British historian who specialised in Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
and Parliamentary history.
Academic career
Neale was trained by the political historian A. F. PollardAlbert Pollard
Albert Frederick Pollard was a British historian who specialized in the Tudor period.-Life and career:Pollard was born in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. He was educated at Felsted School and Jesus College, Oxford where he achieved a first class honours in Modern History in 1891...
. His first professional appointment was the chair of Modern History at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, and he was then to succeed his old mentor A. F. Pollard as Astor Professor of English History at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1927. He was to hold this post until 1956. In 1955, Neale was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, and on 17 November 1958 he delivered a lecture in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
commemorating Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's accession to the English throne four hundred years previously. From 1956, Neale was Professor Emeritus, but continued to do some academic teaching at University College London. He died in 1975.
Historical views
Neale is viewed (along with A. F. Pollard) as a traditionalist historian, whose views have been subsequently undermined by later generations of revisionistHistorical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
historians (for example Norman L. Jones). He is well-known for his thesis on the Elizabethan Puritan Choir
Puritan choir
The Puritan Choir was a theory advanced by historian Sir John Neale of an influential movement of radical English Protestants in the Elizabethan Parliament...
, in which he claimed that a group of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
MPs successfully managed to force Elizabeth I's hand on many policy issues throughout her reign, including at the start. Neale also saw the roots of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in what he perceived to be the obstructive and rebellious nature of Elizabeth I's Parliaments, a view equally questioned by later historians. Neale is also recognised for his work in bringing to light new sources on Tudor England
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, and developing different ways of studying the period.
Other positions held
- Trustee of the London MuseumLondon MuseumThe London Museum was inaugurated on 21 March 1912 by King George V with Queen Mary and Princess Mary and Prince George at Kensington Palace. It opened for public visitation on 8 April, admitting more than 13.000 visitors during the day. Two years later the collections were removed to Lancaster...
- Member of the Editorial Board of the History of Parliament
- Fellow of the British AcademyBritish 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...
- Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
Works
- Queen Elizabeth I (1934)
- The Elizabethan Political Scene (1948)
- The Elizabethan House of Commons (1949)
- Elizabeth I and her Parliaments (1957)
- Essays in Elizabethan History (1958)
- The Age of Catherine de Medici (1963)
Further reading
- Patrick Collinson, "Neale, Sir John Ernest (1890–1975)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (2004) online, accessed 24 Aug 2011
- Harold Hulme, "Elizabeth I and Her Parliaments: The Work of Sir John Neale," Journal of Modern History Vol. 30, No. 3 (Sep., 1958), pp. 236-240 in JSTOR
See also
- Puritan choirPuritan choirThe Puritan Choir was a theory advanced by historian Sir John Neale of an influential movement of radical English Protestants in the Elizabethan Parliament...
- Elizabethan Religious SettlementElizabethan Religious SettlementThe Elizabethan Religious Settlement was Elizabeth I’s response to the religious divisions created over the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I. This response, described as "The Revolution of 1559", was set out in two Acts of the Parliament of England...