Magna Carta

by Professor Nicholas Vincent

Thursday 4 February 2016
vincent

Magna Carta continues to have iconic status in the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States. The Runnymede Memorial in the photo was erected by the American Bar Association.

Drawing on the most recent archival research and the speaker’s own new book, this talk will look at the different versions of Magna Carta and how it was originally implemented and used. It will also tell the story of how a peace treaty between a medieval king and a group of barons became one of the chief cornerstones of civil liberties, informing universal ideas of freedom and justice across the centuries.

Nicholas Vincent is Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia and an authority on English medieval history from 1200–1400. He is Director of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Magna Carta Project and the author of Magna Carta: Origins and Legacy (June 2015).

More Upcoming Talks

Talks are held in the Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, starting at 8pm.

Complimentary tea and coffee are available from 7.15pm.

22 Sep
2015

The Modern History of the Castle

by Christopher Moule

Tuesday 22 September 2015
This illustrated lecture will explore the uses (and abuses) of castles from the close of the medieval period until modern times.
13 Oct
2015

The History of Gunpowder

by Dr Brenda Buchanan

Tuesday 13 October 2015
A wide-ranging illustrated talk from the editor of the two-volume collection of articles Gunpowder: The History of an International Technology.