Dr John Langton

Dr John (Jack) Langton joined St John’s as Fellow and Tutor in Geography in 1980. Before coming to Oxford he had lectured at the University of Liverpool (1973–80), University of Cambridge (1968–73), and University of Manchester (1966–68). He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in geography at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1960–66).

Dr Langton retired in 2009, but continued his research as Emeritus Research Fellow at St John’s until 2018. Dr Elizabeth Baigent and Professor Robert Mayhew edited a collection of essays, English Geographies 1600–1950: Historical Essays on English Customs, Cultures and Communities in Honour of Jack Langton (St John's College, Oxford, 2009), to mark his retirement.

Dr Langton was interested in the development of geographical thought, and his earliest research was on the geography of economic growth and urbanisation in the Industrial Revolution. From 1979 he researched peasant farming systems in theory, and that of Sweden in particular. From 1994, his research focus moved to the historical geography of the forests of England and Wales, looking at what happened to English forests and chases (open land set aside by law for the preservation and hunting of deer and game) in the early modern period. This research was supported by resulted in two publications: Forests and Chases of England and Wales c.1500–c.1850: towards a survey and analysis (2005) and Forests and Chases of England and Wales, c.1000–c.1500 (2010). A gazetteer, interactive cartographic database and a website, Forests and chases of England and Wales: towards a multidisciplinary survey, were developed to encourage interest in the topic.

Details of any memorial event will be added in due course.