Dobson Scholarship Reports 2024
Each year, we award two Dobson Scholarships to PGRs and ECRs whose research interests align closely with the theme of the Symposium. Here, the Dobson Scholars for 2024, Sophia Dumoulin (Courtauld Institute of Art) and Elena Rossi (University of Oxford), provide accounts of their experiences at the 2024 Harlaxton Medieval Symposium: Women in Late Medieval Britain: Makers, Patrons, and Readers.
Sophia Dumoulin
I had heard of the Harlaxton Symposium before I even begun my PhD at The Courtauld. Throughout my undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history, the Proceedings of the Harlaxton Medieval Symposium were key sources for my research. Other PhD students had also told me how much they had enjoyed the convivial atmosphere of the symposium, the fascinating papers and, of course, the eccentricity of Harlaxton Manor. When I saw the 2024 conference advertised, I therefore immediately knew that I wanted to attend, and I am incredibly grateful that this was made possible for me with the help of the Barrie Dobson Scholarship.
The topic ‘Women in Late Medieval Britain: Makers, Patrons and Readers’ appealed greatly to me. My PhD focuses on the fifteenth and sixteenth-century art and architecture of Westminster Abbey, a building that has been treated as a predominantly male space as a monastery that flourished under the patronage of kings, but my research aims to restore the place of women in its history. Women played a significant role in shaping the Abbey’s medieval art and architecture by gifting devotional objects, founding chapels or by commissioning monumental tombs. My MA dissertation in particular focused on the tomb of Lady Margaret Beaufort in Westminster’s Lady Chapel. I discussed how her multi-faceted identity was visualised by her executors in this monument, a portrait in Christ’s College and John Fisher’s month’s mind sermon and compared this to how Margaret had shaped her image through her own patronage. I also argued that Margaret was intimately involved in commissioning the Lady Chapel, which has traditionally been solely attributed to her son Henry VII.
Because of my interest in Margaret Beaufort, Professor Sue Powell’s stimulating paper on her foundation of Christ’s College Cambridge was especially relevant to my research. Several of the other talks, such as S. C. Kaplan’s paper on female readers of non-vernacular texts and Nicholas Orme’s discussion of female education in medieval England, have given me a more extensive knowledge of women’s reading practices and literary patronage that will strengthen and broaden my work on Margaret. Our trip to Cambridge, where we visited St John’s College, also founded by Margaret, was a particular highlight of the symposium for me. We were given an overview of the rich history of the Old Library by the librarian and were able to see books that Margaret had owned, translated and commissioned there. In the archives, the archivist had displayed several documents relating to Margaret’s life and her foundation of the college. This trip thus perfectly complemented the talks that we attended during the conference.
One of the things that I enjoyed most about the Harlaxton Symposium, however, is its interdisciplinary nature that allowed me to learn about topics that I was hitherto not familiar with. As an art historian, the symposium offered me valuable insights into the objects and themes that historians and literary scholars are working on. I found Katherine Hindley’s discussion of the nuanced gender dynamics of charms and amulets fascinating, for example, and Laura Slater’s discussion of ‘aspirational heraldry’ will frame my thinking on some of the objects in my own research. Richard Goddard’s talk on medieval businesswomen also helped me to understand aspects of the medieval economy that had previously confused me. I would therefore recommend the Harlaxton Symposium to every scholar or student interested in the Middle Ages, even if the conference’s theme does not exactly align with your own research!
This is also because the symposium is so much more than the papers. Lively debates occurred during the rounds of questions, enriching the talks we had just listened to. Madingley Hall was a beautiful and inspiring venue, and we had the opportunity to learn more about its history with Julian Luxford. It is also rare to find yourself in such a large group of like-minded individuals who share your scholarly interests. It was a privilege to meet so many academics whose books and articles I have been reading for years and to discuss their research with them. Every breakfast, coffee break, lunch and dinner was filled with engaging conversations and the welcoming atmosphere of the symposium made the four days we spent at Madingley Hall especially enjoyable.
Another highlight of the symposium for me was the PGR/ECR presentations on the first evening. These presentations were a great way to discover what the other students attending the conference are working on. It was also a unique opportunity for me to share an aspect of my research with such a distinguished and knowledgeable audience. As I had never presented at a conference before, I was quite nervous, but the other students and delegates were excellent at providing reassurance. The presentation was an important learning experience for me, and I am very grateful for the helpful comments and recommendations that I was given by the delegates.
The four days that I spent at the Harlaxton Symposium were filled with thought-provoking papers, lively discussions and unique opportunities to meet other scholars interested in the Middle Ages. It would not have been possible for me to attend the conference without the Barrie Dobson Scholarship, so I am truly grateful that this opportunity was given to me. I would like to thank the conference secretaries, convenors and the steering community for organising such a fascinating programme and for making us all feel welcome. I hope to be attending future Harlaxton Symposia, either next year or throughout my academic career!
Elena Rossi
Firstly, I want to thank the Harlaxton steering committee for the opportunity to attend the event this year; without the Barrie Dobson Scholarship, I would not have been able to afford the costs of the conference, which is why these scholarships are so important. And a particularly big thanks goes to the Honorary Secretaries, Richard Asquith and Rachael Harkes: not only did they tackle the logistics of finding a new conference venue, but they also made all the PGRs feel so welcome.
I had been aware of the Harlaxton Symposium for years, having heard many wonderful tales from my lecturers at Royal Holloway, but I was waiting for the right year to apply for the Barrie Dobson Scholarship. And, lo and behold, it felt like this year’s topic was calling to me! My doctoral thesis looks at women and worlds of learning in the university towns of Oxford, Paris and Bologna from c. 1270 to 1500; within my research, I consider the female scribes and bookmakers that produced texts for university men, female patrons of higher education, and the connection of literate women with intellectual networks. With the theme of ‘Women in Late Medieval Britain: Makers, Patrons, and Readers’, how could I not attend this year’s conference?
I anticipated certain talks would be incredibly helpful and relevant for my own research: The Pamela Tudor-Craig Memorial Lecture given by Sue Powell considered the scribes who created the statutes of Christ’s College, Cambridge – an institution that is a key case study in my work on patronage; and Nicholas Orme’s fascinating paper on women and education in England gave me food for thought for my own work on women and learning. However, some of my favourite papers were not related to my work at all and have really stuck with me! Katherine Hindley discussed charms used by women and I was blown away imagining the charm scrolls wrapped around the mother in labour. Laura Slater’s paper also introduced us to the imagery used within manuscripts gifted upon marriage that portrayed certain ideals about what was expected between a husband and wife. And S. C. Kaplan shared her new digital humanities project on ‘Mapping Women Book Owners, 1350-1550’, which I know I will be using constantly within my own research.
As a Dobson Scholar, I presented on my research with the other doctoral students on the Monday evening. Even at the end of a long and hot day – it was during the August heatwave – everyone was so encouraging and asked incredibly helpful questions. And the Q&A did not stop there: academics continued to approach the PGRs with reading recommendations and further questions throughout the symposium. It is very important to have sessions such as this which specifically carve out time for PGRs to share their research with the whole conference community.
One of the real treats of the conference was the day trip to Cambridge. As someone who has studied St John’s College extensively within my own research, I was very excited about the opportunity to visit the college including the chapel, archives, and library. The trip was off to a great start as I had the opportunity to sit with Nicholas Orme on the bus; having admired Professor Orme’s work for years, it was very exciting to have the opportunity to discuss our shared research areas. The library trip included some treasures that I had not expected to see within the college, including a letter from Audrey Hepburn – her handwriting reminded me of a school girl, including an ‘I’ dotted with a heart. The archive also had some gems waiting for us – Sue Powell had told us to pay attention to the scribal detail in the college statutes ready for comparison with her lecture on Christ’s. I regret not stopping by Christ’s College and having more of an explore around Cambridge, but the trip gave me a taste of the city and I will definitely be returning.
As someone who had not previously attended Harlaxton, I had no comparison between the old and the new venue (but everyone was very excited about the ensuite toilets). Madingly Hall was absolutely lovely – I could not believe I had a scholarship to attend a conference at such a stunning venue! My favourite part of Madingly was the grounds: I enjoyed the chance for a breather outside in between sessions whether for a walk through the gardens or just to sit and admire the view. Sometimes conferences can feel overwhelming but the schedule for Harlaxton was well paced and allowed time to both enjoy the sessions and to relax.
I am incredibly thankful for this fantastic experience and I cannot recommend the Harlaxton Symposium and the Dobson Scholarships enough to PGR students!
If you are interested in applying for a Dobson Scholarship for future Symposia, you can find out more information by clicking here.