Jonathan David Chambers (13 October 1898 – 11 April 1970) was a British

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

.''Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire'', Volumes 74-75, (1971), p. 7.

Early life and career

Chambers was born at Haggs Farm in Underwood, Nottinghamshire, the son of a small

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...

.G. E. Mingay, 'J. D. Chambers, 1898-1970', ''The Agricultural History Review'', Vol. XIX (1971), pp. 24 and 64. He was educated at the University College, Nottingham and graduated in 1919. Afterwards, he was English master at Ashby Grammar School and then lecturer in history at the University College's Department of Adult Education.Academic Papers of Jonathan D. Chambers (1898-1970), Professor of Economic and Social History, University of Nottingham
', University of Nottingham website, retrieved 13 December 2020. He received his PhD in 1927 and during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he returned to Ashby Grammar School. In 1946 he was appointed head of Economic History at the University College (from 1948 the University of Nottingham) and from 1958 until 1965 he was Nottingham University's first Chair of Economic History.

Writings and assessment

He penned a groundbreaking study of

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

's squirearchy, published in 1932 as ''Nottinghamshire in the Eighteenth Century: A Study of Life and Labour under the Squirearchy''. The second edition was published in 1966. His most active period was 1953–1966, when he contributed important essays and articles, such as that on 'Enclosure and Labour Supply', as well as two books: ''The Workshop of the World: British Economic History from 1820–1880'' (1961; 2nd ed. 1968) and ''The Agricultural Revolution, 1750–1880'' (1966, with G. E. Mingay). Chambers' ''

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'' was published in 1967, titled ''Land, Labour, and Population in the Industrial Revolution''. G. E. Mingay, one of Chambers' students, paid tribute to him after his death:

Everything that Chambers produced was carefully considered, thoroughly researched, and beautifully written: he belonged to that sadly unfashionable school who regard history as a form of literature; and in his hands it always was. ... s contributions have undoubtedly made a permanent impact on the general history of agrarian change and population growth in this country. Perhaps his greatest influence, however, was a personal one. He presided over, and inspired a department of Economic and Social History which although never large in numbers has proved one of the most fruitful in the country. His teaching was always vital, his enthusiasm unbounded and infectious. He had the gift of bringing his subject alive and of making it absorbing to even the most casual of listeners. In private life his extraordinary range of interests, his love of music and literature, his enormous sense of fun, and fabulous fund of stories made him the liveliest of friends and the centre of any gathering. It was impossible to feel dull or depressed in his company.

Works

*''Nottinghamshire in the Eighteenth Century: A Study of Life and Labour under the Squirearchy'' (London: King, 1932; 2nd ed., Cass, 1966). *(with E. I. Abell) ''The Story of Lincoln: An Introduction to the History of the City'' (Lincoln, City of Lincoln Education Committee, 1939; 2nd ed. with additions and corrections, S. R. Publishers Ltd, 1971). *''Dictators: An Introductory Study in the Social Origins of Dictatorship'' (London: Nelson, 1941). *''Modern Nottingham in the Making'' (Nottingham: Nottingham Journal Ltd, 1945). *''The Workshop of the World: British Economic History from 1820–1880'' (London: Oxford University Press, 1961; Japanese translation, 1965-66; 2nd ed. (Oxford Paperbacks, University Series), 1968). *(with G. E. Mingay) ''The Agricultural Revolution, 1750–1880'' (London: Batsford, 1966). *(with P. J. Madgwick) ''Conflict and Community: Europe since 1750'' (London: Philips, 1968). *(with S. D. Chapman) ''The Beginnings of Industrial Britain'' (Cambridge: University Tutorial Press, 1970). *''Population, Economy and Society in Pre-Industrial England'', ed. W. A. Armstrong (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1972).

Early life and career

Writings and assessment

Works

Notes

Further reading