Recently completed PhD theses

2026

Dylan Fowler, ‘Thomas Innes and the politicization of the past in early eighteenth-century Scotland’. (Supervisors: Anna Plassart, Richard Marsden) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with University of Edinburgh Library

Sophie Michell, ‘The Dynamics of Death: Peterborough Coroners’ Court, 1854-1905’ (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence, Donna Loftus)

2025

Claire Ashwell, ‘Emotion and Elizabethan Royal Ceremonies, A study of the relationship between emotion and ceremony within the challenges of Elizabeth's reign: gender, faith, power, and the succession’ (Supervisors: Neil Younger, Sara Wolfson, Silvia de Renzi)

Gareth Bryant, ‘Nuclear Disarmament and the Break-up of Britain: Nationalism and Internationalism in the Peace Movement between 1979 and 1992’ (Supervisors: Luc-André Brunet and Geoff Andrews) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with LSE Library

Sophie Dubillot, ‘Ce n'est pas une blague: Purposes and limits of humour in Liberation France, 1944-46’ (Supervisors: Luc-André Brunet, Vincent Trott, Annika Mombauer) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with Cambridge University Library

Ann Gillan, ‘Promoting the aims of the Third Reich to an international audience: A study of the National Socialist journal Freude und Arbeit - Joy and Work’ (Supervisors: Annika Mombauer, Luc-André Brunet)

Helen Wilson, ‘Black & Political: Black Participation in British Politics 1750-1850’ (Supervisors: Amanda Goodrich, Suzanne Forbes) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with the History of Parliament Trust

2024

Amy Moore, ‘Oxford 1575-1640: Town, Crown and People’ (Supervisors: Neil Younger, Gemma Allen)

2023

Joan Hornsby, ‘Managing Pauperism and Poverty in Axminster Union c.1860-1901’ (Supervisors: Donna Loftus, Robin Mackie)

Elizabeth Wells, ‘Ready to Fight Everybody: The rise and fall of pupil insurgency in England's public schools, 1768-1868’ (Supervisors: Rosalind Crone, Anna Plassart)

2022

Frank Hughes, Captives of the System: The Commissioners in Lunacy as Regulators of Services for Pauper Lunatics and Idiots, 1845-1914 (Supervisors: Donna Loftus and Silvia de Renzi)

2021

Ashley Dee, ‘“A System of Maltreatment”: Marital Cruelty in Victorian Glasgow’ (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence and Rosalind Crone)

Christopher Mains, Sir Robert Cecil and Elizabethan Intelligencing, 1590-1603 (Supervisors: Neil Younger and Ole Grell)

Angela Sutton-Vane, Investigating the Murder File: A Biographical Analysis of Creation, Survival and Impact (Supervisors: Chris Williams and Susie West)

Jack Taylor, Against his Will? Recovering male on male sexual violence in London, 1761-1861 (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence and Rosalind Crone)

2020

Samuel Aylett, The Museum of London 1976-2007: Reimagining Metropolitan Narratives in Postcolonial London (Supervisors: Karl Hack, Susie West)

Yvonne Fisher, Coroners in London and Middlesex, c. 1820–1888: A Study of Medicalization and Professionalization (Supervisors: Silvia de Renzi, Paul Lawrence)

Katherine Lucas, Developments in the Political Thought of Theobald Wolfe Tone. (Supervisors: Anna Plassart, Suzanne Forbes, Annika Mombauer)

Thomas Probert, The Impact of Participating in British Counterinsurgency Campaigns on British Armed Forces Personnel: The Malayan Emergency as a Case-Study (Supervisors: Karl Hack, Alex Tickell) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with the Imperial War Museum

Louise Ryland-Epton, Social Policy, Welfare Innovation & Governance in England: The Creation and Implementation of Gilbert’s Act 1782 (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence, Donna Loftus)

Elizabeth Wilburn, Police-Led Boys' Clubs in England and Wales, 1918-1951 (Supervisors: Chris Williams, Deborah Drake)

2019

Lucinda Borkett-Jones, Ford Madox Ford's Anglo-German Ambivalence: Authoring Propaganda and Negotiating Nationalism as a Literary Cosmopolitan (Supervisors: Annika Mombauer, Sara Haslam)

Holly Harrod, Religion, and Education in Early Modern England: Archdeacon Robert Johnson and his Grammar Schools, 1575-1630 (Supervisors: Gemma Allen, Ole Grell)

2018

Elaine Saunders, 'Men of good Character, strong, decent and active': Hertfordshire's Petty Constables, 1730-1799 (Supervisors: Chris Williams, Amanda Goodrich)

2017

Robert Hopps, Narratives of Crime and Disorder: Representations of Robbery and Burglary in the London Press, 1780-1830 (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence, Amanda Goodrich)

Alice Smalley, Representations of Crime, Justice, and Punishment in the Popular Press: A Study of the Illustrated Police News, 1864-1938 (Supervisors: Rosalind Crone, Chris Williams)

Calista Williams, The National Library of Wales and National Identity, c.1840-1916 (Supervisors: Paul Lawrence, Rosalind Crone)
Collaborative Doctoral Award with the National Librrary of Wales

2016

Mia Ridge, Making digital history: The impact of digitality on public participation and scholarly practices in historical research (Supervisors: Deborah Brunton, Elton Barker)

2015

Gerald Colley, Electrifying the streets : the surface-contact controversy in five English towns 1880-1920 (Supervisors: Deborah Brunton, Colin Chant)

Richard Duckett, The Special Operations Executives Impact on the War in Burma, 1941-1945 (Supervisors: Karl Hack, Annika Mombauer)

Sarina Wakefield, Franchising Heritage: The Creation of a Transnational Heritage Industry in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Supervisors: David Vincent, Kevin Hetherington)

2014

Jane Berney, The Contagious Diseases Acts in Hong Kong: Imperial Edict versus Local Governance (Supervisors: Deborah Brunton, Karl Hack)

Vincent Trott, The First World War: History, Literature and Myth (Supervisors: Annika Mombauer, Sara Haslam) - Collaborative Doctoral Award with the British Library