I studied history at Balliol College, Oxford where I completed a doctorate on oaths of allegiance in seventeenth-century England. In 2000 I was appointed De Velling Willis Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield. Since then I have taught at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool. In September 2009 joined Roehampton as Reader in Early Modern History. In 2014 I was appointed to a personal chair at Roehampton. From 2016 to May 2023 I was Director of the Graduate School at Roehampton, providing overall leadership on postgraduate research at the University. My current role as Dean of Research and Doctoral Study now includes supporting the broader work of our RKE centres and leading on strategic research initiatives. 

MA D.Phil (Oxon)

I am interested in the political and religious history of seventeenth-century England, especially during its two revolutions. Specific areas of interest include political and religious radicalism (including its subsequent influence and public memory), questions of allegiance/obedience/loyalty, the role of the conscience and the use of casuistry in political debates, and the emergence of the public and public opinion.

I am happy to supervise PhD projects on any aspect of early modern English history, but especially in the areas of popular politics, print culture, political ideas and religious controversy. I would be particularly keen to work with doctoral students on PhD projects relating to the historiography and memory of the civil wars and revolution, the Levellers and other radical groups, or on projects using 'subscriptional texts' such as oath returns, petitions and addresses. PhD topics previously supervised include witchcraft in early modern Lancashire, the visual language of kingship in seventeenth-century England and the Queen's House, Greenwich 1603-1642.

I am currently working on a new history of the trial and execution of Charles I. My most recent published research examines the role of the witnesses at Charles I's trial and the importance of the idea of 'witnessing' to the regicide. This research has been supported by the award of Huntington Library short-term fellowship. My research on the witnesses at Charles I's trial has been published in the English Historical Review and has also featured in the recent BBC4 series 'Charles I: Killing a King'. A further article, exploring the manuscript versions of the trial journal and what their provenance can tell us about each version's purpose, has been published by Historical Research and is available open access. I am co-lead for the three-year AHRC-funded research project 'Inclusive Histories'. Developed in partnership with the exam board AQA, teachers and museums and archives, the project led by Dr Matthew Smith, RHUL, aims to support more inclusive teaching of GCSE History.

AHRC Peer Review College Member

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

The history of early modern England, especially the civil wars and the revolution of 1688. I also have broader interests in the history of radicalism and protest in Britain.

I currently teach the third year module 'Radicalism in the English Revolution' on our History BA programme. I also supervise a number of PhD students.

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