Thomas Christopher Smout

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, FBA, FRSE,

FSA Scot The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

FRSGS The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

(born 19 December 1933) is a Scottish academic, historian, author and

Historiographer Royal Historiographer Royal is the title of an appointment as official chronicler or historian of a court or monarch. It was initially particularly associated with the French monarchy, where the post existed from at least 1550, but in the later 16th and 1 ...

in Scotland.

Early life

One of the five sons of Arthur Smout, Christopher Smout was educated at

The Leys School The Leys School is a co-educational independent school in Cambridge, England. It is a day and boarding school for about 574 pupils between the ages of eleven and eighteen, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Histo ...

and Clare College, Cambridge. Gazetter for Scotland:
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Career

Smout taught at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, from 1959 until 1980. At Edinburgh, he rose steadily through the academic ranks in the Department of Economic History – as an Assistant Lecturer (1959–62), as a lecturer (1962–64), and as a

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(1964–70) before being appointed as professor of economic history in 1970. At

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

from 1980 to 1991, Smout held the Chair of Scottish History. He is now professor emeritus in history at St Andrews University. Smout was a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde from 1991; and he has lectured in Japan, in China, in the

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, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and in Australia. Smout has written extensively on demographic history and many aspects of economic history. Since the mid-1990s, he has developed the new discipline of environmental history in Scotland, giving the

Ford Lectures The Ford Lectures, technically the James Ford Lectures in British History, are an annual series of public lectures held at the University of Oxford on the subject of English or British history. They are usually devoted to a particular historical ...

in Oxford in 1999, published under the title of ''Nature Contested, Environmental History in Scotland and Northern England since 1600.'' ''A History of the Native Woodlands of Scotland, 1500–1920'', written with Alan R. MacDonald & Fiona Watson is the first modern history of Scottish woodlands. It examines the relationship between people and woodlands. His most recent publications in this field have been in woodland history and an environmental history of the Firth of Forth. His focus extends beyond the purely academic. For example, Smout has argued that conservationists should judge species based on whether or not they are pests, ignoring their origins. Smout used his position to argue in favour of reviving the title " Princess Lyon". He suggested that the

Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been se ...

should be known by this title when she is in Scotland, much in the same way her brother, the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

and Duke of Cornwall is traditionally identified as the Duke of Rothesay,

Earl of Carrick Earl of Carrick (or Mormaer of Carrick) is the title applied to the ruler of Carrick (now South Ayrshire), subsequently part of the Peerage of Scotland. The position came to be strongly associated with the Scottish crown when Robert the Bruce, ...

and Lord of the Isles when he is in Scotland. Smout has also interested himself in small local issues.

Public service commitments

* St Andrews Centre for Advanced Historical Studies, 1992–97, Director. * Institute for Environmental History, 1992–2001, Director. *

Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...

(SNH), 1991–97, Deputy chairman. * National Museums of Scotland, Trustee. * Scottish Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion Trust (SCAPE), Chairman. * Institute of Scottish Historical Research, 2007.

Royal appointments

of Scotland, 1993. * Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. * Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, 2002–5.

Selected works

* . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . *. * . * . * . * . * . * . * . * . Smout TC, MacDonald Alan R & Watson Fiona. A History of the Native Woodlands of Scotland, 1500 - 1920. Edinburgh 2005

Honours

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, Commander, 1994. * University of St Andrews, honorary doctorate, 1999. *

, honorary doctorate, 1996. *

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, honorary doctorate, 2001. *

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built ...

, honorary doctorate, 2002. *

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...

, fellow. * Royal Society of Edinburgh, fellow. *

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

, fellow

Notes

References

* Devine, Thomas Martin and Paddy Logue, (2002)
''Being Scottish: Personal Reflections on Scottish Identity Today.''
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

External links

* University of Edinburgh
"Debating the Union of 1707."
10 January 2007—streaming audio {{DEFAULTSORT:Smout, Christopher 1933 births Living people Academics of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of St Andrews 20th-century Scottish historians Environmental historians Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People educated at The Leys School Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 21st-century Scottish historians