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Plumb, Sir John Harold, 1911-2001 (Knight, historian and college head)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1911 - 2001

Biography

Studied History at University College, Leicester, and in 1933 started a PhD at Christ's College Cambridge on the Convention Parliament of 1689. On completing his thesis Plumb was elected to an Ehrman research fellowship at King's College. He spent most of the second World War at Bletchley Park in charge of a section which monitored the German naval code, RHV. Following the War, he failed to regain a fellowship at King's, and moved back to Christ's instead, becoming a lecturer. Given a LittD by Cambridge in 1957, and promoted to reader in 1962. Vice-master of Christ's from 1964 to 1968. Chair in English history 1966. Retired in 1974. Master of Christ's 1978-1982, Knighted 1982.

Plumb's notable works inclue England in the Eighteenth Century (1950), Sir Robert Walpole (1950, 1960, biographies).

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