James Raven
Encyclopedia
James Russell Raven FSA
(b. 1959) is a British
historian.
, James Raven attended The Gilberd School in the town. He read History
at Clare College, Cambridge
, where he also completed his doctorate on attitudes to wealth creation. He has been a visiting fellow at several American universities and institutions including Rutgers University
, The American Antiquarian Society
and The Newberry Library
, Chicago
. He was a Fellow, successively of Pembroke College and Magdalene College Cambridge, and from 1996 a Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford and Reader in Social and Cultural History at Oxford from 2000. In 2004 he was appointed Professor of Modern History at the University of Essex, returning to his home town. He is also a member of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex.
of Pembroke College, Cambridge
and, in 1989, also Munby Fellow in Bibliography in the University. In 1990, he moved to Magdalene College, Cambridge
to be a Fellow and Director of Studies in History. In 1996 he was appointed University Lecturer in the Modern History faculty at the University of Oxford
and a Fellow and Tutor of Mansfield College, Oxford
. In 2000, he was appointed Reader in Social and Cultural History at Oxford.
In 2004, he returned to his home town of Colchester when appointed Professor of Modern History at the University of Essex
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
in 2000 and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
in 2007. He was also a British Academy
Research Reader, 2005-7.
Raven has directed several major national and international research projects, including two projects sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust
, 1991-2 in eighteenth-century European social history, and 1995-8, an international historical survey of publication and its reception in Great Britain
1770-1830. A further institutional award from the AHRB/British Academy 1996-2004, funded the centre at the University of Oxford researching aspects of the literary, commercial, and political topography of London
circa 1690-1800 (‘Mapping the Print Culture of Eighteenth-Century London’).
In 1976 Raven joined the English-Speaking Union
and has been President of the Colchester Branch of the ESU since 1990 and served as a national Governor (2000-6). He is a Trustee of Marks Hall, Essex.
, and the Friends of St Andrews’ Fingringhoe.
A member of the Liberal party
since 1975 (and a Founder Member of the Social Democratic Party
, he has served on advisory committees and stood for Parliament as a Liberal Democrat
on three occasions. He is a member of the Pilgrims and the Mid-Atlantic Club.
He is the author of The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade 1450-1850 and Judging New Wealth: Popular Publishing and Responses to Commerce in England, 1750-1800. He is also Director of the Cambridge Project for the Book Trust (founded 1990) and a well-known writer and broadcaster on cultural and social history.
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(b. 1959) is a British
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...
historian.
Biography
Born in ColchesterColchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, James Raven attended The Gilberd School in the town. He read History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, where he also completed his doctorate on attitudes to wealth creation. He has been a visiting fellow at several American universities and institutions including Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, The American Antiquarian Society
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society , located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century American History and culture. Its main building, known also as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark...
and The Newberry Library
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He was a Fellow, successively of Pembroke College and Magdalene College Cambridge, and from 1996 a Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford and Reader in Social and Cultural History at Oxford from 2000. In 2004 he was appointed Professor of Modern History at the University of Essex, returning to his home town. He is also a member of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex.
Career
In 1985 he became a FellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
and, in 1989, also Munby Fellow in Bibliography in the University. In 1990, he moved to Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
to be a Fellow and Director of Studies in History. In 1996 he was appointed University Lecturer in the Modern History faculty at 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...
and a Fellow and Tutor of Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...
. In 2000, he was appointed Reader in Social and Cultural History at Oxford.
In 2004, he returned to his home town of Colchester when appointed Professor of Modern History at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
in 2000 and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
in 2007. He was also a British Academy
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...
Research Reader, 2005-7.
Raven has directed several major national and international research projects, including two projects sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust
Leverhulme Trust
The Leverhulme Trust was established in 1925 under the will of the First Viscount Leverhulme, William Hesketh Lever, with the instruction that its resources should be used to support "scholarships for the purposes of research and education."...
, 1991-2 in eighteenth-century European social history, and 1995-8, an international historical survey of publication and its reception in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
1770-1830. A further institutional award from the AHRB/British Academy 1996-2004, funded the centre at the University of Oxford researching aspects of the literary, commercial, and political topography of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
circa 1690-1800 (‘Mapping the Print Culture of Eighteenth-Century London’).
In 1976 Raven joined the English-Speaking Union
English-Speaking Union
The English-Speaking Union is an international educational charity which was founded by the journalist Evelyn Wrench in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize...
and has been President of the Colchester Branch of the ESU since 1990 and served as a national Governor (2000-6). He is a Trustee of Marks Hall, Essex.
, and the Friends of St Andrews’ Fingringhoe.
A member of the Liberal party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
since 1975 (and a Founder Member of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
, he has served on advisory committees and stood for Parliament as a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
on three occasions. He is a member of the Pilgrims and the Mid-Atlantic Club.
He is the author of The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade 1450-1850 and Judging New Wealth: Popular Publishing and Responses to Commerce in England, 1750-1800. He is also Director of the Cambridge Project for the Book Trust (founded 1990) and a well-known writer and broadcaster on cultural and social history.
Published works
- Judging New Wealth: Popular Publishing and Responses to Commerce in England, 1750-1800 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992)
- The Practice and Representation of Reading in England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), with Helen Small and Naomi Tadmor (eds.)
- (ed.) Free Print and Non-Commercial Publishing (London and Vermont: Ashgate Press, 2000)
- The English Novel 1770-1829 2 vols.(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), with Peter Garside and Rainer Schöwerling)
- London Booksellers and American Customers: Transatlantic Literary Community and the Charleston Library Society, 1748-1811 (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2002)
- (ed.)Lost Libraries: The Destruction of Book Collections Since Antiquity (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004).
- The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade 1450-1850 (London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007). –awarded the De Long prize for 2008