Personal profile
Research interests
Dr Oakes' main research interests lie in the demographic history of England, with specific focus upon mortality patterns from the arrival of the Black Death in 1348 until the disappearance of plague in England c. 1664. Her research seeks to better understand the transition between the demographic regimes of the Late medieval and Early Modern period, and the economic and social responses to these changes.
Her work has used medieval colleges as case study samples, and has led to further investigation of the role of medieval universities and colleges, including their recruitment patterns, the geographical and social origins of scholars, and the relationships between grammar schools and university colleges. The subsequent career paths of college alumni and the impact of their different life experiences upon their longevity is another strand of her current research.
Biography
Rebecca Oakes is Lecturer in Late Medieval English History. She gained her first degree at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and an MA in Late Medieval Studies (Interdisciplinary), University of York. She studied for a PhD at Winchester, titled ‘Mortality and life expectancy at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, 1393 – c. 1540’, which was awarded in 2009.
Rebecca’s post-doctoral research continued on from the thesis, investigating new evidence for mortality and life expectancy for college populations to cross the gap between Late medieval and Early Modern English datasets. This was achieved through postdoctoral research appointments as Economic History Eileen Power Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Historical Research (Oct. 2009 – Sept. 2010) and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate, Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge (Oct. 2010 – Sept. 2013). She joined the History Department at Winchester in May 2014.
Higher Education Teaching Qualification: Higher Education academy Fellowship (FHEA).
Areasofexpertise
- English History 1300 – 1500
- Medieval Economic and Social History
- Demographic History of England
- English Local History
Staffsubjects
History
Telephone
+44 (0)1962 826429
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Fundingandmemberships
Funding awards
- British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2010-2013), held at The Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
- Economic History Eileen Power Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Historical Research (2009-10) – Held at The Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
- Institute of Historical Research Scouloudi Fellowship (2007) – Held at the University of Winchester
- University of Winchester Doctoral Fellowship
- University of York MA Studentship
- Richard III Society MA Dissertation Bursary
Memberships
- Editorial Board Member of Local Population Studies
- Member of the Economic History Society
- Member of the Institute for Historical Research
- Member of the Monumental Brass Society
Publications
- R.H.A. Oakes, ‘Mobility and mortality: how place of origin affected the life chances of late medieval scholars at Winchester College and New College Oxford’ in C. D. Briggs, P. M. Kitson, and S. J. Thompson (eds), Population, welfare and economic change in Britain, c.1270 – c.1834: historical studies (2014).
- R.H.A. Oakes, ‘Adolescent Mortality at Winchester College 1393-1540: new evidence for medieval mortality and methodological considerations for historical demography’, Local Population Studies, 88 (2012), 12-32
cvAdministration
| yearfrom | yearto | type | programmetitle | role | notes |
| 2016 | Revalidation internal panel member | Participant | |||
| 2015 | Faculty Academic Development Committee | Committee Member | Includes scrutiny of Annual Programme Evaluations, re/validation materials and other issues relating to academic quality |
cvCommunityEngagement
| yearfrom | yearto | organisation | role | notes |
cvEmployment
| yearfrom | to | company | jobrole | notes |
| 2013 | 2013 | St Catherine's College, Cambridge | Undergraduate supervision | |
| 2013 | 2013 | University of Winchester | Associate Lecturer (hourly paid) | |
| 2012 | 2012 | University of Cambridge, Faculty of History | Lecturer (Masters level and Undergraduate) | Ad hoc contributions to the UG Tripos Paper 8 course and to Masters level teaching |
| 2010 | 2013 | University of Cambridge (British Academy) | British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow | Based at the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure |
| 2009 | 2010 | Institute of Historical Research | Economic History Society Eileen Power Junior Research Fellow | Held as a visiting scholar at the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, University of Cambridge |
| 2009 | 2009 | Winchester College, Winchester | Teacher of History | Sabbatical cover - Key Stage 4 equivalent |
| 2009 | 2009 | University of Winchester (Wessex Databases) | Database editor | |
| 2008 | 2009 | Ecole Normale Superieur, Paris | Visiting Researcher | |
| 2007 | 2008 | Winchester College, Winchester | Teacher of History | A Level teaching (medieval history) |
| 2005 | 2008 | University of Winchester | Associate Lecturer (hourly paid) | |
| 2005 | 2008 | University of Winchester | Warden, halls of residence | Pastoral support and responsibility for undergraduate residents |
| 2004 | 2008 | University of Winchester | Doctoral candidate | In receipt of University funding |
cvKnowledgeTransfer
| yearfrom | yearto | subject | institution | role | funding | notes |
| 2010 | Local Population Studies | --Other Establishment-- | Editorial Board | Responsible for peer reviewing all submissions; responsible for annual review of periodical literature (medieval) |
cvLearningInnovation
| yearfrom | yearto | subject | role | funding | notes |
cvLinks
| yearfrom | yearto | subject | institution | role | notes |
| 2012 | 2012 | Review of end of grant outputs and reports for the ESRC | --Other Establishment-- | External Reviewer |
cvProfessionalEmploymentExperience
| yearfrom | yearto | institution | subject | role | notes |
cvQualifications
| yearqualified | qualification | institution | subject | class | class |
| 2015 | PgCLTHE | University of Winchester | Learning and Teaching in HE | Distinction | Distinction |
| 2009 | PhD | University of Southampton | History | --N/A-- | --N/A-- |
| 2003 | MA | University of York | Medieval Studies | --N/A-- | --N/A-- |
| 2002 | BA Hons | University of Wales, Aberystwyth | History | 1st | 1st |
cvStudyLeave
| year | duration | type | subject | institution | funding | notes |
cvSupervision
| startdate | completiondate | role | studentname | thesistitle | workrate | institution |
| 2015 | 2016 | Director | Hillary Burgardt | Recorded responses to Epilepsy in the late antique and medieval period | Full-Time | --Other Establishment-- |
| 2015 | Tutor | John Merriman | The impact of the Black Death (1348-1349): Comparison of life courses of the clergy and the rural community of Winchester Diocese. | Full-Time | University of Winchester |
cvTeaching
| yearfrom | yearto | qualification | subject | jacs | role | notes |
| 2016 | BA Hons | HS1008 Introductory Study: Europe 1300-1500 | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Wrote and delivered content | |
| 2016 | BA Hons | HS3732 Comparative Study: The Black Death in Europe | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Designed and wrote module specification; wrote and delivered content | |
| 2015 | BA Hons | HS3999 and HS3400 Depth Study: The Medieval Lifecycle Youth and Age | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Designed module, wrote specification; wrote and delivered content | |
| 2015 | MA | HS7137 Late Medieval Demography | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Wrote and delivered content | |
| 2014 | 2015 | BA Hons | HS3309 and HS3310 Depth Study: The Hundred Years War | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Wrote and delivered content |
| 2014 | BA Hons | HS2130 Theme Study: Urban Europe from the Black Death to the Industrial Revolution | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Wrote and delivered content | |
| 2014 | BA Hons | HS2500: Work Placement | --N/A-- | Module Coordinator | ||
| 2014 | BA Hons | HS2999: Volunteering for History | --N/A-- | Module Coordinator | ||
| 2014 | BA Hons | HS3101A Research Methods | --N/A-- | Module Coordinator | ||
| 2014 | BA Hons | HS3002 Dissertation in History | --N/A-- | Dissertation Tutor | Regularly supervising dissertation students (2014/15 = 6; 2015/16 = 3; 2016/17 = 5) | |
| 2013 | BA Hons | HS2010 Late Medieval Civilisation | --N/A-- | Module Leader | Wrote and delivered content |
cvPublications
| yearpublished | placepublished | title | editionvolumepart | credits | subject | publicationtype |
| 2015 | Woodbridge | Population, Welfare and Economic Change in Britain c.1270-c.1834: Historical Studies | 'Mobility and mortality: how place of origin affected the life chances of late medieval scholars at Winchester College and New College Oxford' | Chapter | ||
| 2012 | Local Population Studies | 88 | 'Adolescent Mortality at Winchester College 1393-1540' | Article Non-refereed |
cvConferences
| conferencedate | subject | institution | establishment | role | paper |
| 2016 | Greater Expectations: mortality and life expectancy in late medieval England | University of Stirling | Conference Paper | Anglo-American Symposium | |
| 2015 | Widening participation: the Bishops of Winchester and their influence on late medieval education | University of Winchester | Conference Paper | Wessex Centre Autumn Day Conference | |
| 2015 | Widening participation: the role of Wykeham in medieval education | University of Leeds | Conference Paper | Leeds International Medieval Congress | |
| 2013 | Northern Lights: links between the education and careers of medieval university scholars in the north of England | University of Manchester | Conference Paper | Ranulph Higden Society | |
| 2013 | Tracing the top brass: the lives, careers and monuments of medieval Cambridge alumni | University of Cambridge | Conference Paper | Monumental Brass Society Conference | |
| 2012 | Winchester College, New College Oxford and the creation of an ecclesiastical elite in late medieval England | University of Winchester | Conference Paper | Wessex Centre seminar series | |
| 2011 | A plague on both your houses: college insights into medieval mortality | University of Leicester | Conference Paper | Local Population Studies Autumn conference | |
| 2011 | Moving Targets: how place of origin affected the life chances of late medieval scholars | University of Cambridge | Conference Paper | Population, economy and welfare: a conference in honour of Richard Smith | |
| 2010 | Perspectives on occupational health for graduates of Winchester College and New College Oxford: linking later life careers and life expectancy data (1393-1540) | University of Southampton | Conference Paper | Fifteenth Century Conference | |
| 2009 | Greater expectations: new evidence for medieval mortality and life expectancy | Bournemouth University | Conference Paper | British Society for Population Studies | |
| 2009 | New perspectives on mortality in medieval England | University of Cambridge | Conference Paper | Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure: Wellcome Trust Workshop | |
| 2008 | Death in the classroom: mortality at Winchester College and New College Oxford 1393-1540 | University of Wales, Aberystwyth | Conference Paper | Fifteenth Century Conference | |
| 2008 | A demographic study of Winchester College and New College Oxford 1392-1540 | University of Nottingham | Conference Paper | Economic History Society conference (New Researcher strand) | |
| 2007 | Mortality among the young in fifteenth century England: new evidence from Winchester College and New College Oxford | --Other Establishment-- | Conference Paper | Institute of Historical Research Late Medieval Seminar |