Thomas Tout was born in London in 1855, the son of a wealthy wine merchant. After studying at Balliol College, Oxford and coming under the influence of William Stubbs, he took the Chair in History at St Davids, Lampeter in 1881. By the time he left to take a similar post at Owen's College, Manchester in 1890, he had completely transformed historical studies there. He then set about doing the same at Manchester, introducing source criticism to the curriculum and the final year thesis for all history students. In time, and under his guiding hand, the History School at Manchester became one of the finest institutions of its kind. However, his educational activities were not just reserved for his own discipline: he was an enthusiastic promoter of equal educational opportunities for women,…
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