John McManners (1916–2006) was a British clergyman and historian of religion who specialized in the history of the church and other aspects of religious life in 18th-century France. He was
Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
The Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting.
The current Regius Professor of Ecclesia ...
at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
from 1972 to 1984. He also served as Fellow and Chaplain of
All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...
, from 1964 to 2001.
Birth and early education
McManners, known as Jack to his family and friends, was born on 25 December 1916 in
Ferryhill
Ferryhill is a town in County Durham, England, with an estimated population in 2018 of 9,362. The town grew in the 1900s around the coal mining industry. The last mine officially closed in 1968. It is located between the towns of Bishop Auckland ...
,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...
, to Joseph and Ann McManners. His mother was a school teacher who converted his coal miner father to the Anglican faith. His father entered the priesthood, eventually becoming the vicar of Ferryhill and subsequently a canon of
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...
.
McManners attended
Spennymoor Grammar School before winning an
exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibitio ...
to
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...
, in 1936. While at Oxford he took a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree with
first-class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
in modern history in 1939.
Military service
In September 1939 Great Britain entered the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
prompting McManners immediately to volunteer for military service. He joined his local regiment the
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, where he made his name as a winger in their soccer team, and completed basic training. However, when the Army realised he had recently been awarded a first-class honours degree, the Regiment shelved its plans for him to become a driving instructor. Instead he was sent to the OCTU at Fenham Barracks where he was put through basic training for a second time, and was commissioned. McManners served in the
Western Desert Campaign and was at the Siege of Tobruk. He was made Adjutant of the First Battalion, under Commanding Officer Lt Col Forbes -Watson.
Amongst other military skills, McManners had made himself an expert in the use of the sun compass. This paid off in the breakout from Tobruk. With a water truck and part of battalion headquarters, McManners managed to escape from the German encirclement of Tobruk. His plan involved driving at night through German Panzer units, then far south into the lethal and at that time unmapped Quattarra Depression. When the battalion re-grouped at Alexandria, only 10 per cent remained, the rest captured or killed. He and Lt Col Forbes Watson reformed the battalion with men sent out from the UK, in time for the final battles of the Western Desert campaign - and El Alamein. McManners also served with the 210 British Liaison Unit (Greek Mission) in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
to help prepare
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
for restoration of constitutional government.
In his later years, McManners talked of his time as the Adjutant of his regiment's First Battalion - its Regular battalion, of the ten formed for the Second World War, to have been his greatest achievement.
Ordination and early teaching career
While in the military McManners decided to follow his father's vocation and become
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
into the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
. He studied at
St Chad's College, Durham
, motto_English = Not what you have, but who you are
, scarf =
, established = 1904
, principal = Margaret Masson
, senior_tutor = Eleanor Spencer-Regan
, undergraduates = 409
, postgraduates = 150
, website =
, coordinates =
, location_map ...
, and was ordained as a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
in 1947 and a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
in 1948. He first served as
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy ...
of
Leeds Parish Church for 10 months. Then, in 1948, invited back to his alma mater to be the Chaplain and lecture in History.
In 1951 he married Sarah Errington whom he met while studying in Durham. They had two sons,
Hugh and Peter, and two daughters, Ann and Helen. Both his wife and children survived him.
In 1956 he accepted the chair of History at the
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...
in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/ Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
. He remained for four years before moving to the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
as the chair of History from 1960 to 1965.
Return to England
He returned to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
from 1965 to 1966 to be a senior visiting fellow at
All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...
. Following Oxford he served as a professor in history at the
University of Leicester
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_lab ...
. In 1972 McManners was appointed to the
Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
The Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting.
The current Regius Professor of Ecclesia ...
and returned to teach at
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and serve in
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual r ...
, until his retirement from teaching in 1984. He was invited by All Souls College to be the chaplain, and was appointed a fellow at the college in 1986. It was not until 2001, due to health concerns, that he resigned as chaplain after which he was elected to an honorary fellowship. He died on 4 November 2006.
Published works
In 1960 McManners's first book, ''French Ecclesiastical Society Under the Ancient Regime: A Study of Angers in the Eighteenth Century'', was published helping to establish him as a respected scholar of French history. It was a detailed examination of church life on a local level in a small provincial city. The study of common society contrasted with most of the works of the time that only concentrated on the upper class.
While at Leicester he published ''French Revolution and the Church'' and ''Church and State in France, 1870–1914''.
He won the 1982
Wolfson History Prize
The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public. Prizes are given annually for two or three exceptional works ...
for ''Death and the Enlightenment''. In a 1986 review Joseph Tempesta of
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and ...
describes it as "extensively researched" and he strongly recommends it as it "brings the era to life". It was also hailed by ''The Times'' as "one of the ten best non-fiction books of the year".
McManners was the general editor of the ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'' that was published in 1990. It was a best seller with excellent scholarly standards.
The two-volume ''Church and Society in Eighteenth-Century France'' published in 1998 "represents an enormous achievement" as reported by Raymond Mentzer of
Montana State University
Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fie ...
. It is two volumes, more than 1600 pages of text documenting four generations of pre-revolutionary
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the culmination of more than 50 years of research.
In 2002 McManners published the autobiographical ''Fusilier: Recollections and Reflections, 1939–1945'' documenting his experiences during the war.
His final book, ''All Souls and the Shipley Case, 1808–1810'' documented an early-19th-century sex scandal at
All Souls College
All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...
. When doing unrelated research McManners found a sealed packet of letters that became the basis for this book.
Select bibliography
*''French Ecclesiastical Society Under the Ancient Regime: A Study of Angers in the Eighteenth Century'' (1960)
*''Lectures on European History, 1789–1914'' (1966)
*''French Revolution and the Church'' (1970)
*''Church and State in France, 1870–1914'' (1972)
*''Death and the Enlightenment: Changing Attitudes to Death Among Christians and Unbelievers in Eighteenth-Century France'' (1981)
*''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'' (1990) editor
*''Church and Society in Eighteenth-Century France'' (1998)
*''The Oxford History of Christianity'' (2002)
*''Fusilier: Recollections and Reflections, 1939–1945'' (2002)
*''All Souls and the Shipley Case, 1808–1810'' (2002)
Awards and honours
*1939 First in Modern History
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...
*1970-1978 Trustee of the
National Portrait Gallery
*1972-1984
Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History
The Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford was founded by Queen Victoria in 1842. Previous Holders of the chair include John McManners, Peter Hinchliff and Henry Mayr-Harting.
The current Regius Professor of Ecclesia ...
at
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
*1977-1978 President of the
Ecclesiastical History Society
*1978
Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
*1978-1982 Doctrinal Commission of the Church of England
*1982
Wolfson History Prize
The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public. Prizes are given annually for two or three exceptional works ...
for ''Death and the Enlightenment''
*1992
Ordre des Palmes Académiques
A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/ concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes w ...
*2000
Order of the British Empire (CBE)
*2001
Ordre national du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's estab ...
References
Footnotes
Works cited
*
*
Further reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McManners, John
1916 births
2006 deaths
20th-century British historians
Academics of the University of Leicester
Alumni of St Chad's College, Durham
Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford
Anglican scholars
British Army personnel of World War II
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford
Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Fellows of the British Academy
Officiers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
People educated at Spennymoor Grammar School
People from Ferryhill
Presidents of the Ecclesiastical History Society
Regius Professors of Ecclesiastical History
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers