John Nowell Linton Myres (27 December 1902 – 25 September 1989) was a British archaeologist and

Bodley's Librarian The head of the Bodleian Library, the main library at the University of Oxford, is known as Bodley's Librarian: Sir Thomas Bodley, as founder, gave his name to both the institution and the position. Although there had been a university library a ...

at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

in Oxford from 1948 until his resignation in 1965; and librarian of Christ Church before his Bodleian appointment.

Life

His father,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, had been Wykeham Professor of Ancient History at Oxford. Nowell Myres was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and then

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

and was president of the Oxford University Archaeological Society in 1923. He became a tutor at Christ Church from 1928. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1966. He gave the 1970 Raleigh Lecture on History.

Works

He was recognised as a leading authority on British history in the time of the Anglo-Saxons and earlier. He and

R. G. Collingwood Robin George Collingwood (; 22 February 1889 – 9 January 1943) was an English philosopher, historian and archaeologist. He is best known for his philosophical works, including ''The Principles of Art'' (1938) and the posthumously published ' ...

wrote the first volume of the ''

Oxford History of England The Oxford History of England (1934–1965) was a book series on the history of the United Kingdom. Published by Oxford University Press, it was originally intended to span from Roman Britain to the outbreak of the First World War in fourteen vol ...

'' which was widely recognised as a classic. When the series was re-released in the 1980s this volume was split in two,

Peter Salway Peter Salway, FSA (born 1932) is a British historian, who specialises in Roman Britain. He lectured at the universities of Durham, Cambridge, Bristol and Oxford, before becoming Professor of the History and Archaeology of Roman Britain at the O ...

writing what had been Collingwood's part and Myres rewriting his own part.

Selected publications

* 1936: "The English Settlements", in: Collingwood, R. G. & Myres, J. N. L. (1936) ''Roman Britain and the English Settlements''. (The Oxford History of England. ) Oxford: Clarendon Press; pp. 325–461 & bibliography * * 1986: ''The English Settlements''. (The Oxford History of England. 1B.) Oxford: Oxford University Press
1989 pbk edition

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Myres, John Nowell Linton 1902 births 1989 deaths English archaeologists English librarians Bodley's Librarians Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Presidents of the Society of Antiquaries of London