Mark Stoyle is an English historian of the Tudor and

Stuart Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan *House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, ...

periods, specialising in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, the history of

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

, and the history of the South West peninsula. He is Professor at the

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

, and has published many works on the history and landscape of

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

where he previously lived and taught.

Biography

Mark Stoyle was raised in

Mid Devon Mid Devon is a local government district in Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, t ...

and attended school in

Crediton Crediton is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. It stands on the A377 road, A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, Devon, Tiverton, north w ...

. Upon finishing school, he took part in archaeological excavations in

for some years. He received a BA in history in 1988. In 1992, he was awarded his doctorate at

St Peter's College, Oxford St Peter's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Located on New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom, it occupies the site of two of the university's academic halls of the Univers ...

under the supervision of

Gerald Aylmer Gerald Edward Aylmer, (30 April 1926, Greete, Shropshire – 17 December 2000, Oxford) was an English people, English historian of 17th century England. Gerald Aylmer was the only child of Edward Aylmer (cricketer), Edward Arthur Aylmer, fro ...

. After completing a Scouloudi Fellowship 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 ...

and a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

, he was appointed to a post at the

where he is presently Professor of Early Modern History. In 2012, he won a Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award from the University of Southampton, and has gone on to receive a number of similar awards. Stoyle is a fellow of the

Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society (RHS), founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the H ...

. He served on the Council of the Royal Historical Society from 2013 to 2016, and chaired its Research Support Committee. He has also served as a member of the editorial advisory panel of ''

BBC History ''BBC History'' is a British magazine devoted to both British and world history, and aimed at readers of all levels of knowledge and interest. There are thirteen issues a year, one each month and a Christmas special. The magazine is published, ...

'' and as a member of the editorial board of the Victoria County History. Stoyle has appeared on many television and radio programmes in the UK, together with others in the US, Australia, and Canada. These include ''The World at One, The Long View, Who Do You Think You Are?, Word of Mouth, Making History, The Great British Story, Walking Tudor Britain, Great British Railway Journeys, Underground Worlds, Songs of Praise, The Antiques Road Trip,'' and ''Bargain Hunt.'' His research into the history of witchcraft in Exeter has also attracted a considerable amount of media attention and been discussed in most of the main national newspapers in the UK (see, for example, ''West Country witchcraft and the hanged women of urban Exeter'' in The Guardian, on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and in 2024, on the BBC news website). In 2024, Stoyle acted as the Historical Consultant for Sarah Dickenson's new stage-play, ''The Commotion Time'', which had its world premiere at Exeter Northcott Theatre that October. The play subsequently received a five-star review in

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

, the leading industry journal, which described it as a "mesmerising" piece of work.

Major publications

*''Loyalty and Locality: Popular Allegiance in Devon During the English Civil War'' (1994) *''From Deliverance to Destruction: Rebellion and Civil War in an English City'' (1996) *''Devon and the Civil War'' (2001) *''West Britons: Cornish Identities and the Early Modern British State'' (2002) *''Circled With Stone: Exeter's City Walls, 1485-1660'' (2003) *''Soldiers and Strangers: An Ethnic History of the English Civil War'' (2005) *''The Black Legend of Prince Rupert's Dog: Witchcraft and Propaganda During the English Civil War'' (2011) *''Water in the City: The Aqueducts and Underground Passages of Exeter'' (2014) *''Witchcraft in Exeter'' (2017) *''A Murderous Midsummer: The Western Rising of 1549'' (2022) *''Remembering the English Civil Wars'' (2022, co-edited with Lloyd Bowen)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stoyle, Mark Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century English historians 21st-century English historians Academics of the University of Southampton Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford English military historians Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Pagan studies scholars People from Mid Devon District Place of birth missing (living people) Historians of Cornwall Historians of Wales Historians of Devon Historians of the early modern period