Ruth Allen

My PhD is a Collaborative Doctoral Award in partnership with the Open University and the National Trust. The project will focus on the lives of medieval manuscripts at National Trust properties, investigating how medieval books were encountered and understood by both medieval and post-medieval owners. My research will look for patterns in how manuscript books have been used, re-used, recycled, altered and neglected by their patrons, creators, and owners throughout their lives in order to answer questions about the social and intellectual functions of medieval books across the centuries. Prior to joining the Open University, I achieved an MLitt in Medieval Studies from the University of St Andrews, and a BA in History and English from St Peter's College, Oxford.