Holt’s interest in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century was immediately evident from his doctoral thesis, then amended to become his first book on The Northerners: A Study in the Reign of King John.

Three years later he became the third master of Fitzwilliam College and he held this position until his retirement in 1988. Holt held academic positions at the University of Nottingham and the University of Reading before taking up the post of Professor of Medieval History at the University of Cambridge in 1978. As a student he was particularly influenced by John Prestwich and Vivian Galbraith, both of whom were prominent and highly respected scholars of the medieval period. Although the Second World War came halfway through Holt’s undergraduate degree, when he was demobilised in 1945 he went straight back to Oxford to continue his studies. His education continued at Queen’s College, Oxford. In an interview with Holt on in Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, he attributed his introduction to the comparative and analytical skills of academic history to “two great history teachers” at Bradford Grammar School. His research helped to elucidate a range of substantial and diverse topics, from setting the background and history of Magna Carta in its context to exploring the mythical figure of Robin Hood. His publications span a period of over fifty years, from the early 1950s to his last article published in 2007. Holt’s contribution to the field of medieval British history has been vast. Sir James Clarke Holt, perhaps best known by his publishing moniker of J.

Robin hood by jc holt