Jane Elizabeth Anne Dawson is a British academic and historian. Her specialism is

early modern history The early modern period is a historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There is no exact date ...

within the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

and the

Protestant reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

. Dawson is

Professor Emerita ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

of Reformation history at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

and has previously served as a lecturer and honorary lecturer in

modern history The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500, ...

at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

Career

Dawson completed her BA and PhD in History at the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...

. In 1977 she became the first Glenfiddich Fellow in Scottish History at the University of St Andrews. In 1979 Dawson began a postgraduate teaching qualification at the

University of Dundee The University of Dundee is a public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a university college in 1881 with a donation from the prominent Baxter family of textile manufacturers. The institution was, for most of its ...

and Dundee College for Education. Following this, Dawson took on a temporary post as teacher of history at Bell Baxter High School in

Cupar Cupar ( ; ) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fife, and the ...

, Fife. In 1982, Dawson entered a number of tutoring and lecturing positions within Scottish and Modern History within the University of St Andrews and from 1990 to 1992 held the position of honorary lecturer. She remained the only female lecturer of Modern History during her time at the University of St Andrews. In 1991, Dawson took up the position of the John Laing Lecturer within the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh and became Professor of Reformation History in 2007. She continues to serve as

of Reformation History at the University of Edinburgh. Dawson's research encompasses the creation of two editions of manuscript letters Clan Campbell Letters, 1559–1583; as well as a general history of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

during the long sixteenth century entitled Scotland Re-formed, 1488–1587. Most recently, Dawson has published a definitive biography of the life of

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

in 2015 in which she challenges traditional stereotypes which label the religious reformer as insular and misogynistic.

Later life

Dawson retired from lecturing in 2017 but remains as Professor Emerita of Reformation History at the University of Edinburgh. She continues to be actively engaged in research focusing on Scottish history.

Notable publications

* "Richt honorabill ladies: Noble Power and Aristocratic Women in Sixteenth-Century Scotland", ''The Scottish Historical Review'', 103:3 (December 2024), pp. 361–391. * "James and John: The Stormy Relationship between James Stewart, Regent Moray, and John Knox", Steven J. Reid, ''Rethinking the Renaissance and Reformation'' (Boydell, 2024). * ''John Knox'' Yale University Press (9 April 2015) * ''Scotland Re-formed: 1488–1587'' New Edinburgh History of Scotland Volume 6, (Edinburgh, EUP, 2007 & reprint 2010, 2011, 2012) * ''Campbell Letters, 1559–83'' (Scottish History Society, 5th ser. Vol 10, Edinburgh, 1997). * ''Breadalbane Letters, 1548–83'' (on-line 2004) Updated 2007. * ''The Politics of Religion in the age of Mary, Queen of Scots: The Earl of Argyll and the struggle for Britain and Ireland,'' (Studies in Early Modern British History, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawson, Jane Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British historians Academics of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of St Andrews Alumni of the University of Dundee Alumni of Trevelyan College, Durham