Joel M. Hurstfield (4 November 1911 – 29 November 1980) was a British historian of the

Tudor period In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with ...

. He held the Astor Chair in English History at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

from 1962 to 1979.'Professor Joel Hurstfield', ''The Times'' (1 December 1980), p. 16.

Early life and career

He was educated at

Dame Alice Owen's School Dame Alice Owen's School (DAOS, or simply Dame Alice Owen's or Owen's) is an 11–18 co-educational, partially selective secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England. It is part of the Dame Al ...

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

'Correction', ''The Times'' (6 December 1980), p. 14. and

, where he obtained a first class honours degree. He also won the Pollard and Gladstone Prizes and studied under J. E. Neale. Hurstfield was lecturer at University College, Southampton from 1937 until 1940. He planned to stand for Parliament but his adoption as a parliamentary candidate was prevented by the outbreak of 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 ...

. Hurstfield worked for the civil service during the war and contributed to a volume of the official history of the war, ''The Control of Raw Materials'' (1953). In 1946 he was appointed a lecturer at

Queen Mary University of London Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and formerly Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public university, public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University ...

and held a joint seminar on Tudor history with J. E. Neale at the

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hou ...

. In 1962 he succeeded M. A. Thomson as the Astor Professor of English History at

, which he held until 1979. Hurstfield was also Public Orator at London University from 1967 until 1971. In 1979 he became a senior research associate at the

Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington and Arabella Huntington in San Marino, California, United State ...

San Marino, California San Marino is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was incorporated on April 25, 1913. At the 2020 United States census the population was 12,513, a decline from the 2010 United States census. History Origin of name Th ...

Personal life

Hurstfield married Elizabeth Valmai Walters and they had one son and one daughter.

Works

*''The Queen's Wards: Wardship and Marriage under Elizabeth I'' (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1958). *''Elizabeth I and the Unity of England'' (London: The English Universities Press, 1960). *''The Elizabethan Nation'' (London: BBC, 1964). *''The Reformation Crisis'' (London: Edward Arnold, 1965). *''Freedom, Corruption and Government in Elizabethan England'' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1970). *''The Historical Association Book of the Tudors'' (London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1973). *''The Historian As Moralist: Reflections on the Study of Tudor England'' (London: Athlone Press, 1975). *''The Illusion of Power in Tudor Politics'' (London: The Athlone Press, 1979). *''Man as a Prisoner of His Past: The Elizabethan Experience'' (University of Wales Press, 1980).

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurstfield Joel 1911 births 1980 deaths People educated at Dame Alice Owen's School Alumni of University College London Academics of the University of Southampton Academics of Queen Mary University of London Academics of University College London Academics of the Institute of Historical Research 20th-century British civil servants 20th-century British historians 20th-century British male writers Tudor historians Reformation historians