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Richard Vaughan (9 July 1927 – 4 March 2014) was a British historian and ornithologist. Specialising in medieval history, he was Professor of History at both the University of Hull (1965-1981) and the University of Groningen (1981-1989). His most significant work was a four-volume history of the late medieval Dukes of Burgundy.

Early life

Vaughan was born in Maidenhead on 9 July 1927. His father was John Henry Vaughan, a Colonial Office lawyer who would serve as Chief Justice of Fiji between 1945 and 1949. He attended Eastbourne College. On completion of National Service, he obtained a double First from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and became a Fellow of the college in 1953.

Academic career

In 1958, while a fellow at Corpus Christi, Vaughan published his study of Matthew Paris which became the standard work on the medieval chronicler. In 1965, he took up the post as Professor of History at the . Between 1962 and 1976 he wrote hi most important work, a four volume history of the Dukes of Burgundy. C. A. J. Armstrong described it as "a major achievement in European historiography, … probably no one has produced an equally comprehensive survey of Burgundian power between 1364 and 1477."

In 1981 he move to the University of Groningen in the Netherlands to become Professor of Medieval History. He had also developed an interest in the Arctic and became Chair of the Arctic Centre at the University of Groningen. Following his retirement in 1989, he served as visiting professor at the Central Michigan University for one year.

Vaughan was founding editor of the Journal of Medieval History (from 1975). He was also a noted linguist and translator and spoke thirteen languages and was founding editor of North-Holland Medieval Translations.

Historian Graeme Small described Vaughan as part of a "golden generation" of historians of the late medieval French period.

Ornithology

In parallel to his career as a historian, Vaughan had an international reputation as an ornithologist. He was particularly known for his work on the rare Eleonora's falcon. In 2005, he wrote, with his daughter Nancy, the standard work on the Stone-curlew.

Personal life

Vaughan married in 1955 and had 6 children.

Works

References

1. ^ "Richard Vaughan - obituary". The Telegraph. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
2. ^ "Richard Vaughan". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
3. Small, Graeme (1 January 2023). "Christopher Allmand obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2024.