Student profiles
Anna Probert
Email: a.probert@liverpool.ac.uk
Thesis Title
Institution
Supervisors
Prof. Sarah Peverley
Prof. Martin Heale
Research Summary
My thesis aims to produce a partial edition of the 1448 Chronicle of Richard Fox of St Albans. In approximately 180,000 words, the Chronicle covers over five centuries of history, from Alfred the Great (871-899) to Henry VI (1422-61).
Comparisons between Fox’s work and his source material illuminate the unique contribution that the history makes in expanding our knowledge of the late medieval era. Fox’s use of his multiple sources expands our knowledge of how medieval histories were constructed. It also contains several unique anecdotes which shed light on important events such as the potential origins of the peasants’ revolt and hitherto unknown stories from British history, including Richard II’s premature birth. Some of these anecdotes remained influential in histories into the late nineteenth-century.
Examining other documents associated with Fox, including his will listing all his books and his literary miscellany exhibiting his connections with other authors, as well as the historical records associated with St Albans will build a clearer picture of Fox’s social and intellectual environment. My thesis will situate the production of his Chronicle within the broader framework of fifteenth-century authorship. The main output will be a PhD thesis comprising a study of what is known about Fox, his manuscript, and his social and intellectual milieux, and a partial edition of Fox’s Chronicle. The edition will be accompanied by full textual and critical apparatus contextualising the narrative.
Research Interests
Medieval chronicles,
15th century book culture,
palaeography,
and medieval drama.
Publications
Probert, Anna, “Richard Fox of St Albans: the life, work and connections of a fifteenth-century chronicler” Medievalista 34 (July–December 2023), pp. 229-251.