| The Society for the Study
of French History owes its existence to Professor Richard Bonney
of the University of Leicester who first had the idea of founding
it and who has since given a great deal of time and effort to ensuring
its success. Officially the society was launched by a group of interested
academics whom Bonney consulted and who have become known as the
'co-founders'. They are Professors Robert Knecht of the University
of Birmingham, William Doyle of the University of Bristol and Gwynn
Lewis of the University of Warwick. They laid their plans before
a gathering of some 67 colleagues at the Institute of Historical
Research, University of London, on 4 January 1986, and received their
enthusiastic support. A major aim of the society was to counter the
sense of isolation which some younger scholars might be feeling.
The society, it was hoped, would provide them with a sense of belonging
to a scholarly community with shared interests in French history.
At a practical level, the co-founders envisaged that the society
would sponsor regular research seminars on French history in various
regions under elected local branch chairmen. But it was felt that
the society's main impact would take the form of an annual national
conference. The inaugural meeting agreed that the first of these
conferences would be held at the University of Liverpool in April
1987 on the theme of 'The Growth of the French State'.
The essential features of the Society's constitution, as approved
by the founding conference on 4 January 1986, were as follows :
a chairman to be elected for a period of three years; a committee
to consist of a secretary, membership secretary, treasurer and
schools representative (eligible for re-election after three years),
and a postgraduate representative to serve for a non-renewable
two years; a committee of not more than twelve members (representative
of different chronological periods of French history) eligible
for election annually for a period of five years ; an annual subscription
and a reduced one for the unwaged ; a board of trustees comprising
five senior academics to administer grants, bursaries and other
awards that may be made available. Other clauses in the constitution
set up an editorial board for the French Historian consisting of
a sub-committee of the main committee. The annual subscription
was fixed at £8.50 or £5 for the unwaged.
The first committee consisted of Professor Norman Hampson (Chairman),
Dr. Roger Price, Mr. Malcolm Crook (treasurer despite misgivings
about his name !) Dr. Joe Bergin, ( Membership secretary) Dr. Kathleen
Daly (Schools representative) Dr. Marianne Elliot (Conference organiser)
Andrew Freeman (Postgraduate representative) and ex-officio : Professor
Richard Bonney (Editor of French History), Dr. James Macmillan
( editor of the French Historian) and Dr. Michael Broers (Production
editor of The French Historian).
At a special general meeting held at the Institut Français
on 1 April 1992 various changes to the Society's constitution ,
including the addition of two postrgraduate representatives to
the committee were approved to comply with proposals put forward
by the Charity Commission. Charitable status for the society was
confirmed by October 1992 thereby reducing bank charges and removing
future tax demands.
Since its foundation the Society has grown considerably in membership,
which at the end of 2006 stood at over 270. The annual conference
has become firmly established as an international gathering of
postgraduates, university academics and private scholars, and
it has been addressed by leading international figures in the
field of French history as plenary speakers. As the Society has
grown in membership, developed its resources and adapted to the
digital age a number of changes have been seen. The composition
of the committee has correspondingly altered, the Society has
been able to provide greater material assistance to students
for their research, and prize competitions were launched in 2006.
The Society now places greater weight on communicating electronically
with its members via this website and email. It remains, however,
essentially unchanged in its mission: to support, encourage and
enhance the academic study in the English-speaking world of the
history of France and of its current and former possessions;
and to develop and strengthen intellectual contact, exchange
and collaboration between historians in France and those in Great
Britain and Ireland.
By Robert Knecht and Guy Rowlands
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