View source for Christopher Smout

{{Short description|British historian (born 1933)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
'''Thomas Christopher Smout''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|FBA|FRSE|FSAs|FRSGS|size=100%}} (born 19 December 1933) is a Scottish academic, historian, author and [[Historiographer Royal (Scotland)|Historiographer Royal]] in Scotland.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3069533.ece  "Birthdays,"]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''The Times'' (London). 19 December 2007.</ref>

==Early life==
One of the five sons of [[Arthur Smout]], Christopher Smout was educated at [[The Leys School]] and [[Clare College, Cambridge]].<ref name="scotgaz1">[http://www.scottish-places.info/gaztitle.html  Gazetter for Scotland:] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417053225/http://www.scottish-places.info/gaztitle.html |date=17 April 2010 }} [http://www.scottish-places.info/people/famousfirst2647.html  Prof. T. Christopher Smout, biography]</ref>

==Career==
Smout taught at the [[University of Edinburgh]], from 1959 until 1980.<ref name="scotgaz1"/> At Edinburgh, he rose steadily through the academic ranks in the Department of Economic History – as an Assistant Lecturer (1959–62), as a lecturer (1962–64), and as a [[Reader (academic rank)|reader]] (1964–70) before being appointed as professor of economic history in 1970.

At [[St Andrews University]] from 1980 to 1991, Smout held the Chair of Scottish History.<ref name="scotgaz1" /> He is now professor emeritus in history at St Andrews University.<ref name="union">{{Citation | publisher = [[University of Dundee]] | date = 21 November 2006 | place = UK | url = http://www.dundee.ac.uk/history/UnionConference/ConferenceLeaflet21November2006.pdf | title = Union Conference | contribution = Smout | type = biographical notes | accessdate = 27 January 2007}}{{dead link|date=April 2016}}</ref>

Smout was a visiting professor at the [[University of Strathclyde]] from 1991; and he has lectured in [[Japan]], in [[China]], in the [[United States]], in [[Canada]] and in [[Australia]].<ref>{{Citation|place=[[Japan|JP]] |publisher=NII |url=http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/jsbp/070915_001.pdf |title=Union Conference |language=Japanese |date=15 September 2007 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Smout has written extensively on demographic history and many aspects of economic history.  Since the mid-1990s, he has developed the new discipline of environmental history in Scotland, giving the [[Ford Lectures]] in Oxford in 1999, published under the title of ''Nature Contested, Environmental History in Scotland and Northern England since 1600.'' ''A History of the Native Woodlands of Scotland, 1500–1920'', written with Alan R. MacDonald & Fiona Watson is the first modern history of Scottish woodlands. It examines the relationship between people and woodlands. His most recent publications in this field have been in woodland history<ref name = "union" /> and an environmental history of the [[Firth of Forth]].  His focus extends beyond the purely academic. For example, Smout has argued that conservationists should judge species based on whether or not they are pests, ignoring their origins.<ref>Moore, Matthew. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090202082224/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/conservation/4342532/Campaigns-to-protect-native-species-are-racist.html  "Campaigns to protect native species 'are racist',"] ''The Telegraph'' (London). 26 January 2009.</ref>

Smout used his position to argue in favour of reviving the title "[[Princess Lyon]]". He suggested that the [[Princess Royal]] should be known by this title when she is in Scotland,<ref>Clarke, Peter. [http://www.newstatesman.com/199911010026  "Long live the Lord of the Isles,"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723203445/http://www.newstatesman.com/199911010026 |date=23 July 2008 }} ''New Statesman.''1 November 1999.</ref> much in the same way her nephew, the [[Prince of Wales]] and [[Duke of Cornwall]] is traditionally identified as the [[Duke of Rothesay]], [[Earl of Carrick]] and [[Lord of the Isles]] when he is in Scotland.

Smout has also interested himself in small local issues.<ref>Smit, Claire. [http://heritage.scotsman.com/historic-sites/Queens-Scots-historian-joins-battle.3927152.jp  "Historiographer Royal speaks out against plans to turn church at heart of ancient burial ground into luxury family home,"] ''Scotsman'' (Edinburgh). 29 March 2008.</ref>

===Public service commitments===
* [[St Andrews Centre for Advanced Historical Studies]], 1992–97, Director.
* [[Institute for Environmental History]], 1992–2001, Director.
* [[Scottish Natural Heritage]] (SNH), 1991–97, Deputy chairman.<ref name="union" />
* [[National Museums of Scotland]], Trustee.<ref name="union" />
* [[Scottish Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion Trust]] (SCAPE), Chairman.<ref>{{Citation | title = Scape trust | url = http://www.scapetrust.org/}}</ref>
* [[Institute of Scottish Historical Research]], 2007.<ref>{{Citation | publisher = St Andrew's | place = UK | url = http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ishr/gallery/dinner.shtml | title = Institute of Scottish Historical Research}}</ref>

===Royal appointments===
* [[Historiographer Royal (Scotland)|Historiographer Royal]] of Scotland, 1993.<ref name="scotgaz1" />
* [[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland]].<ref name="union" />
* [[Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts]], 2002–5.<ref name="no10">{{Citation|place=London |publisher=Prime Minister's Office|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page2555 |title=Royal Commission |contribution=Smout |type=biographical notes |date=6 March 2002 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616041746/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page2555 |archivedate=16 June 2012 }}</ref>

==Selected works==
{{dynamic list}}
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | title = Scottish trade on the eve of union, 1660–1707 | year = 1963 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = A History of the Scottish People 1560–1830 | year = 1969 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = Michael | editor2-last=Flinn | editor2-link = Michael Flinn | title = Essays in social history | year = 1974 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Comparative aspects of Scottish and Irish economic and social history, 1600–1900 | year = 1977 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = Michael | editor2-last=Flinn | editor2-link = Michael Flinn | title = The Search for wealth and stability: essays in economic and social history | year = 1979 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = The state of the Scottish working-class in 1843: a statistical and spatial enquiry based on the data from the Poor Law Commission Report of 1844 | year = 1979 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = A Century of the Scottish People 1830–1950 | year = 1986 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Scotland and Europe 1200–1850 | year = 1986 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = Sydney | editor2-last = Wood | title = Scottish Voices 1745–1960 | year = 1990 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor-last = Smout | editor-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Scotland and the Sea | year = 1992 |ref=none }}.
*{{Citation | editor-last = Smout | editor-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Scotland Since Prehistory – Natural Change and Human Impact | year = 1993 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = S | editor2-last = Foster | title = The History of Soils and Field Systems | year = 1994 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Prices, food, and wages in Scotland, 1550–1780, 1995 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Scottish Woodland History | year = 1997 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = RA | editor2-last = Lambert | title = Rothiemurchus: Nature and People on a Highland Estate 1500–2000 | year = 1999 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = Nature contested: environmental history in Scotland and Northern England since 1600, 2000 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | editor1-last = Smout | editor1-first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | editor2-first = Gordon | editor2-last = Menzies | title = In search of Scotland | year = 2001 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = People and woods in Scotland: a history | year = 2003 |ref=none }}.
* {{Citation | last = Smout | first = Christopher | author-mask = 3 | title = The Firth of Forth, An Environmental History | year = 2012 |ref=none }}.

Smout TC, MacDonald Alan R & Watson Fiona. A History of the Native Woodlands of Scotland, 1500 - 1920. Edinburgh 2005

==Honours==
* [[Order of the British Empire]], Commander, 1994.<ref name="scotgaz1"/> 
* [[University of St Andrews]], honorary doctorate, 1999.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[University of Edinburgh]], honorary doctorate, 1996.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[University of Glasgow]], honorary doctorate, 2001.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[University of Stirling]], honorary doctorate, 2002.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[British Academy]], fellow.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]], fellow.<ref name="scotgaz1"/>
* [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]], fellow

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
* Devine, Thomas Martin and Paddy Logue, (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=OkX6eTw_OaAC  ''Being Scottish: Personal Reflections on Scottish Identity Today.''] Edinburgh: [[Edinburgh University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-1-902930-36-7}}

==External links==
* University of Edinburgh: [http://websiterepository.ed.ac.uk/news/scotlandunion/debating.html  "Debating the Union of 1707."] 10 January 2007—streaming audio

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smout, Christopher}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of St Andrews]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish historians]]
[[Category:Environmental historians]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Fellows of the British Academy]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:People educated at The Leys School]]
[[Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]]
[[Category:21st-century Scottish historians]]