John Gallagher
@earlymodernjohn.bsky.social
Irishman in Yorkshire. Historian of language, education, migration at the University of Leeds. Co-editor of the Historical Journal; from 2026, editor of Renaissance Studies. Occasional BBC radio presenter. Currently learning Amharic. Dad!
Pinned
New editor and associate editor, Renaissance Studies – Society for Renaissance Studies
www.rensoc.org.uk
Some news: in 2026 I'll take over as Editor of Renaissance Studies. It's a journal that means a great deal to me and which occupies a uniquely important position in the interdisciplinary study of the early modern world. With our new Associate Editor, Dr Elizabeth Petcu, I can't wait to get started!
Reposted by John Gallagher
We are running a free workshop at @tandfresearch.bsky.social's office in South London on 30 January 2026 to support early career scholars in developing their work into a publishable journal article. Expressions of interest due by 16 January. See here for more details (and please share widely!)
thelondonjournal.org
November 27, 2025 at 5:57 PM
We are running a free workshop at @tandfresearch.bsky.social's office in South London on 30 January 2026 to support early career scholars in developing their work into a publishable journal article. Expressions of interest due by 16 January. See here for more details (and please share widely!)
መልካም ገና ከአዲስ አበባ!
January 7, 2026 at 2:53 PM
መልካም ገና ከአዲስ አበባ!
Bizarre situation with us where we receive official emails from the centre which urge us to click a link to read a senior leader's blog or statement, rather than... emailing us the statement for which we are the audience.
January 7, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Bizarre situation with us where we receive official emails from the centre which urge us to click a link to read a senior leader's blog or statement, rather than... emailing us the statement for which we are the audience.
Reposted by John Gallagher
Huguenot Correspondence Networks in France 1660-85. A talk by Dr Janée Allsman about her project on our 1st Keeper, Élie Bouhéreau of La Rochelle. Organised by The Huguenot Society in London. Via Zoom 8pm GMT Wed 14 Jan. To sign up, please email meetings@huguenotsociety.org.uk before 10 Jan 2026.
January 7, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Huguenot Correspondence Networks in France 1660-85. A talk by Dr Janée Allsman about her project on our 1st Keeper, Élie Bouhéreau of La Rochelle. Organised by The Huguenot Society in London. Via Zoom 8pm GMT Wed 14 Jan. To sign up, please email meetings@huguenotsociety.org.uk before 10 Jan 2026.
Thanks for looking and no problem!
January 6, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Thanks for looking and no problem!
Reposted by John Gallagher
Barnabe Rich explaining that "bookes are like cheese"
January 6, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Barnabe Rich explaining that "bookes are like cheese"
Reposted by John Gallagher
Now available: @camhistory.bsky.social anniversary lectures in original video and revised texts @historicaljnl.bsky.social, both found at www.hist.cam.ac.uk/news/how-his.... Not just about Cambridge but about the development of History: as a profession, a degree subject, a literature.
How history is done at Cambridge | Faculty of History University of Cambridge
www.hist.cam.ac.uk
December 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Now available: @camhistory.bsky.social anniversary lectures in original video and revised texts @historicaljnl.bsky.social, both found at www.hist.cam.ac.uk/news/how-his.... Not just about Cambridge but about the development of History: as a profession, a degree subject, a literature.
Reposted by John Gallagher
📣Out now on #firstview!
Keir Waddington (Cardiff University) on 'Living with Drought in the Long Nineteenth Century'
#Water #Environment #Climate #Rural #Weather
👉Read open access: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Keir Waddington (Cardiff University) on 'Living with Drought in the Long Nineteenth Century'
#Water #Environment #Climate #Rural #Weather
👉Read open access: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
January 2, 2026 at 3:05 PM
📣Out now on #firstview!
Keir Waddington (Cardiff University) on 'Living with Drought in the Long Nineteenth Century'
#Water #Environment #Climate #Rural #Weather
👉Read open access: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Keir Waddington (Cardiff University) on 'Living with Drought in the Long Nineteenth Century'
#Water #Environment #Climate #Rural #Weather
👉Read open access: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by John Gallagher
📣HJ BLOG!
David Andress (@davidandress.bsky.social) explores the role of trust in French revolutionary politics
#FrenchRevolution #Political #Monarchy #Government 📜
👉Read online here: www.cambridge.org/core/blog/20...
David Andress (@davidandress.bsky.social) explores the role of trust in French revolutionary politics
#FrenchRevolution #Political #Monarchy #Government 📜
👉Read online here: www.cambridge.org/core/blog/20...
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 AM
📣HJ BLOG!
David Andress (@davidandress.bsky.social) explores the role of trust in French revolutionary politics
#FrenchRevolution #Political #Monarchy #Government 📜
👉Read online here: www.cambridge.org/core/blog/20...
David Andress (@davidandress.bsky.social) explores the role of trust in French revolutionary politics
#FrenchRevolution #Political #Monarchy #Government 📜
👉Read online here: www.cambridge.org/core/blog/20...
Second proofs returned for this: keep an eye out for it in the EHR shortly!
So, one day soon an article by me is coming out in the English Historical Review about the fragmentation of England's educational systems from the 1650s on and the new forms of teaching & learning that emerged, and it's only just struck me that this is, you know, Relevant To Our Current Situation.
January 6, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Second proofs returned for this: keep an eye out for it in the EHR shortly!
The issue here as I see it is that you've both chosen irreproachable bangers, title-wise
January 5, 2026 at 9:57 PM
The issue here as I see it is that you've both chosen irreproachable bangers, title-wise
Reposted by John Gallagher
Out now! Open access in current issue of Renaissance Quarterly thanks to @ucdlibrary.bsky.social my thanks to everyone who helped me with this - but a special mention of the late Bríd McGrath for her wisdom, generosity and dedication to all the things that matter.
January 2, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Out now! Open access in current issue of Renaissance Quarterly thanks to @ucdlibrary.bsky.social my thanks to everyone who helped me with this - but a special mention of the late Bríd McGrath for her wisdom, generosity and dedication to all the things that matter.
AI slop is getting worse. Asked an LLM to sing a Christmas song for me and after one verse about Christmas it descended into increasingly threatening demands for figgy pudding
December 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
AI slop is getting worse. Asked an LLM to sing a Christmas song for me and after one verse about Christmas it descended into increasingly threatening demands for figgy pudding
not sure this is the way to target a broad swathe of British readers
December 19, 2025 at 11:31 AM
not sure this is the way to target a broad swathe of British readers
... it's a move that reflects an idea that translation is simple and uncomplicated (and that colleagues working on languages or translation should shut up and recognise it as such) as well as communicating to students that learning another language is pointless when you have English anyway.
December 19, 2025 at 11:27 AM
... it's a move that reflects an idea that translation is simple and uncomplicated (and that colleagues working on languages or translation should shut up and recognise it as such) as well as communicating to students that learning another language is pointless when you have English anyway.
Extremely worrying to see the move in UKHE teaching towards allowing students to use LLMs for translation, as though that's a simple thing to do even in a well-resourced modern language, let alone a minority language or a historical variety. But...
December 19, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Extremely worrying to see the move in UKHE teaching towards allowing students to use LLMs for translation, as though that's a simple thing to do even in a well-resourced modern language, let alone a minority language or a historical variety. But...
Belatedly caught up with @cjfaraday.bsky.social's great Radio 3 documentary on music in the glorious biographical portrait of Sir Henry Unton. It's my favourite early modern painting and Christina and guests bring it wonderfully to life. Ideal pre-Christmas listening! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - Sunday Feature, Sir Henry Unton's Music
Christina Faraday looks at possibly the first image of amateur music playing in England.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 19, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Belatedly caught up with @cjfaraday.bsky.social's great Radio 3 documentary on music in the glorious biographical portrait of Sir Henry Unton. It's my favourite early modern painting and Christina and guests bring it wonderfully to life. Ideal pre-Christmas listening! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
A level of ignorance I think is only comparable to the backward and credulous Dark Ages
December 19, 2025 at 8:36 AM
A level of ignorance I think is only comparable to the backward and credulous Dark Ages
It's why there's only one book on [redacted for career preservation purposes]
December 18, 2025 at 7:43 PM
It's why there's only one book on [redacted for career preservation purposes]
That is how it works
December 18, 2025 at 7:42 PM
That is how it works
Reposted by John Gallagher
I’m so excited to finally say I’ll soon be joining Manchester Jewish Museum as their Curator (not that I’ve been keeping it secret well!)!! This is a dream role, sparked after using the museum’s collection for research years ago. I hope to serve Manchester’s rich and diverse Jewish history well!
December 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I’m so excited to finally say I’ll soon be joining Manchester Jewish Museum as their Curator (not that I’ve been keeping it secret well!)!! This is a dream role, sparked after using the museum’s collection for research years ago. I hope to serve Manchester’s rich and diverse Jewish history well!
Shout out to what I think might be the single worst book title in early modern English print.
December 17, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Shout out to what I think might be the single worst book title in early modern English print.
God that's an immense karaoke swing I have to say
December 17, 2025 at 11:55 AM
God that's an immense karaoke swing I have to say
Anocht ag 7.30i.n., beo ar TG4 agus ar líne! Tonight at 7.30pm, live on TG4 and online!
One of this year's great thrills was getting to film a documentary on Gallaghers and the Gallagher surname (with a dollop of my own family history too) for TG4. Our episode of Sloinne is being broadcast again on Wednesday 17 December at 7.30pm (or streaming here): www.tg4.ie/en/player/on...
Sloinne | Ó Gallachóir | Player | Irish Television Channel, Súil Eile
New series of Sloinne in which a person goes in search of the history of their surname in each episode. We travel all over the country learning about famous and historical figures as well as the clans...
www.tg4.ie
December 17, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Anocht ag 7.30i.n., beo ar TG4 agus ar líne! Tonight at 7.30pm, live on TG4 and online!