Nicholas Orme

Following the success of his Wolfson History Prize-shortlisted work, Going to Church in Medieval England, Professor Emeritus Nicholas Orme joins us in the Bookshop to celebrate publication of his latest work, Tudor Children. This March, we are delighted to welcome one of the foremost active historians of medieval England to share his most recent findings in a lifetime of research.

Tudor Children claims to be the first history of children in Tudor England. Orme introduces readers to the period from the perspective of its youngest residents and contextualises children within larger narratives of change and continuity - political, religious, and social. Accompanied by vivid illustrations, this is a concise and accessible work, which guides the reader through some of the central features of childhood in the Tudor period.

Readers may consider for themselves how closely they might identify with Tudor children. The book asks how children began their lives and how far childhood prepared them for adulthood. It examines the games children played and the songs they sang, and how religion and education influenced their upbringing. We invite you to the Bookshop, to hear from Professor Orme himself, in what is sure to be a rich and fascinating discussion. Do join us!

-

Nicholas Orme is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Exeter. A graduate of Magdalen College Oxford, Professor Orme began his teaching career at Exeter in 1964 and became a Professor at the same institution in 1988, alongside various visiting appointments. Education is a recurring focus of Professor Orme’s research which also addresses social and religious themes in medieval and Renaissance English history, not to mention specific treatment of the south-west of England. Professor Orme retired from Exeter in 2007, but continues to research and publish actively. Among his numerous publications are Medieval Children (2001), Medieval Schools (2006), and the Wolfson-shortlisted Going to Church in Medieval England (2021). 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of his appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.