Alan V. Murray

Murray grew up in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, where he attended Galashiels Academy.{{Cite web |last=AHC |title=Professor Alan V. Murray {{!}} School of History {{!}} University of Leeds |url=https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history/staff/1010/professor-alan-v-murray |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=ahc.leeds.ac.uk |language=en}} He studied Ancient, Medieval and Modern History and German Language and Literature at the University of St Andrews,{{Cite web |title=Dr Alan Murray |url=http://www.crusaderstudies.org.uk/resources/historians/profiles/murray/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506040631/http://www.crusaderstudies.org.uk/resources/historians/profiles/murray/index.html |archive-date=6 May 2024 |website=Resources for Studying the Crusades}} He developed his interests in the history of the crusades and Outremer with Hugh Kennedy and in medieval German literature with Jeffrey Ashcroft and William Henry Jackson,{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} and graduated with an M.A. with First Class Honours in Medieval History and German in 1980. He worked as a Lektor at the Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 1980-1981 before returning to St Andrews to undertake a Ph.D. under Kennedy's supervision. His thesis, "Monarchy and Nobility in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099–1131: Establishment and Origins", was completed in 1988.Alan V. Murray, "[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/8763912.pdf Monarchy and Nobility in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099–1131: Establishment and Origins]" (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of St Andrews, 1988). During his doctoral research, Murray spent 1984–1986 studying History, German and Folk Studies at the University of Freiburg in Germany.

In 1988, Murray joined the University of Leeds as Editorial Assistant with the International Medieval Bibliography,Cf. [https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1988–89), part 1, p. 145. gaining promotion in 1990 to Assistant Editor. In 1995 Murray became Editor of the printed version of the bibliography.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1995–96), part 1, p. 172.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1996–97), part 1, p. 157.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1997–98), part 1, p. 100.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1998–99), part 1, p. 30.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1999–2000), part 1, p. 93.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (2001–2002), part 1, p. 91. With his colleague Rhiannon Lawrence-Francis he oversaw its digitisation, alongside ongoing print publication, initially for publication on CD-ROM (a project completed in 2000), followed by publication online (first published 2002).{{Cite journal |last=Murray |first=Alan V. |date=2001 |title=Thirty-Five Years of the International Medieval Bibliography (1967–2002) |journal=Bulletin of International Medieval Research |volume=7 |pages=1–9}} In 2007 he was appointed as director of the IMB, retiring from this position in 2024. In 1995, Murray founded the journal Bulletin of International Medieval Research.{{Cite journal |last=Hall |first=Alaric |date=2022 |title=Leeds Studies in English: A History |url=https://ims.leeds.ac.uk/article/leeds-studies-in-english-a-history/ |journal=Leeds Medieval Studies |language=en |volume=2 |pages=101–39 |doi=10.57686/256204/24}} It later merged with Leeds Studies in English to become Leeds Medieval Studies, of which Murray was also an editor; the first volume of the new journal was published in 2021.{{Cite journal |last1=Batt |first1=Catherine |last2=Hall |first2=Alaric |last3=Murray |first3=Alan |date=2021 |title=Editorial Note: Introducing Leeds Medieval Studies |url=https://ims.leeds.ac.uk/article/editorial-introducing-leeds-medieval-studies/ |journal=Leeds Medieval Studies |language=en |volume=1 |pages=vii-xi |doi=10.57686/256204/16 |issn=2754-4575}}

Alongside his bibliographic and editorial work at Leeds, Murray developed his role as a teacher and researcher. He first appears in the University of Leeds Calendar on the board of studies of the Leeds Centre for Medieval Studies (now Institute for Medieval Studies) for the academic year 1990–91.[https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/55926 University of Leeds Calendar] (1990–91), part 1, p. 153. He became Lecturer in Medieval Studies in 2004, advancing to Senior Lecturer,{{Cite web |last=AHC |date=2023-06-19 |title=Dr Alan Murray receives award for his book Baldwin of Bourcq |url=https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history/news/article/2438/dr-alan-murray-receives-award-for-his-book-baldwin-of-bourcq |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=ahc.leeds.ac.uk |language=en}} and becoming Professor of Medieval European History in 2023.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} In collaboration with the Royal Armouries, he led development of teaching and research on medieval tournaments at Leeds.{{Cite web |title=BB Medieval Herald Medieval Tournament |url=https://boydellandbrewer.com/bb-medieval-herald-medieval-tournament/ |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=Boydell and Brewer |language=en-GB}}

Murray's earliest research was on the composition of the First Crusade (1096–1099) and the early history of the Frankish principalities of Outremer, and was especially informed by prosopographical and pragmatic approaches. He later became interested in the history of the Baltic region, and edited three collections of essays bringing together work by historians in Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the U.S.A., and Canada. In 2011, he received the Vilis Vitols Award, bestowed annually by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies for the best article published in the Journal of Baltic Studies. His biography of Baldwin of Bourcq, count of Edessa and king of Jerusalem (published 2022), won the J. F. Verbruggen Prize, awarded by De Re Militari: The Society for Medieval Military History "for the best book on medieval military history published within the prior three years". His research on German language and literature includes studies on the Nibelungenlied, Ulrich von Liechtenstein, Reinbot von Durne, Konrad von Würzburg, Wernher der Gartenaere, the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle and the Chronicle of Zimmern. In recent years he has carried out research on the works of Walter Scott and James Hogg. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAScot) and an elected member of the Baltische Historische Kommission.

• {{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Alan V. |title=The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Dynastic History 1099–1125 |date=2000 |publisher=Prosopographica et Genealogica |isbn=978-1-900934-03-9 |series= Occasional Publications of the Linacre Unit for Prosopographical Research, 4 |location=Oxford (GB)}}
• {{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Alan V. |title=The Franks in Outremer: Studies in the Latin Principalities of Palestine and Syria, 1099–1187. |publisher=Ashgate |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-47246885-7 |series=Variorum Collected Studies Series, CS1056 |location=Farnham}}
• {{Cite book |last=Murray |first=Alan V. |title=Baldwin of Bourcq: Count of Edessa and King of Jerusalem (1100–1131) |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-47980-5 |series=Rulers of the Latin East |location=New York}}

• {{Cite book |title=Concepts of National Identity in the Middle Ages |publisher=Leeds Studies in English |year=1995 |isbn=0902296248 |editor-last=Forde |editor-first=Simon |series=Leeds Texts and Monographs. New series, 14 |location=Leeds |editor-last2=Johnson |editor-first2=Lesley |editor-last3=Murray |editor-first3=Alan V.}}
• {{Cite book |title=From Clermont to Jerusalem: The Crusades and Crusader Societies, 1095–1500. Selected Proceedings of the International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 10–13 July 1995 |publisher=Brepols |year=1998 |isbn=2503506674 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |series=International Medieval Research, 3 |location=Turnhout}}
• {{Cite book |title=Crusade and Conversion on the Baltic Frontier, 1150–1500 |date=2001 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0-7546-0325-2 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |location=Aldershot, England ; Burlington, VT}}
• {{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/310096942 |title=The Clash of Cultures on the Medieval Baltic Frontier |date=2009 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0-7546-6483-3 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |location=Farnham, England ; Burlington, VT |oclc=310096942}}
• {{Cite book |title=The Crusades: An Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2006 |isbn=1576078620 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |volume=4 |location=Santa Barbara, California}}
• {{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/317623420 |title=Galbert of Bruges and the Historiography of Medieval Flanders |date=2009 |publisher=Catholic University of America Press |isbn=978-0-8132-1719-2 |editor-last=Rider |editor-first=Jeff |location=Washington, D.C |oclc=317623420 |editor-last2=Murray |editor-first2=Alan V.}}
• {{Cite book |title=The North-Eastern Frontiers of Medieval Europe: The Expansion of Latin Christendom in the Baltic Lands |publisher=Ashgate Variorum |year=2014 |isbn=9781409436805 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |series=The expansion of Latin Europe, 1000–1500, 4 |location=Farnham}}
• {{Cite book |title=The Crusades to the Holy Land: The Essential Reference Guide |date=2015 |publisher=ABC-CLIO, LLC |isbn=978-1-61069-779-8 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |location=Santa Barbara, California}}
• {{Cite book |title=The Medieval Tournament as Spectacle: Tourneys, Jousts and pas d'armes, 1100–1600 |publisher=Boydell |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-78327-542-7 |editor-last=Murray |editor-first=Alan V. |series=Royal Armouries Research Series, 1 |location=Woodbridge |editor-last2=Watts |editor-first2=Karen}}
• {{Cite book |title=Medieval Livonia: History, Society and Economy of a Territory on the Baltic Frontier |publisher=Brepols |year=2025 |isbn=978-2-503-57806-4 |editor-last=Selart |editor-first=Anti |series=Outremer, 18 |location=Turnhout |editor-last2=Murray |editor-first2=Alan V.}}

• {{Cite web |last1=Riley-Smith |first1=J. S. C. |last2=Phillips |first2=Jonathan |last3=Murray |first3=Alan V. |last4=Perry |first4=Guy |last5=Morton |first5=Nicholas |date=2016 |title=A Database of Crusaders to the Holy Land, 1095-1149 |url=https://www.dhi.ac.uk/crusaders/ |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=The Digital Humanities Institute, University of Sheffield}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history/staff/1010/dr-alan-v-murray/ University of Leeds website with list of publications]
• [https://www.germanistenverzeichnis.phil.uni-erlangen.de/institutslisten/files/gb/05800_gb/5883_gb.html/ Germanistenverzeichnis]
• [https://data.bnf.fr/en/13532344/alan_v__murray/ Bibliothèque nationale de France {BnF Data}]
• [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1641-0891 ORCiD record]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Alan V.}}

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Galashiels Academy

Category:Alumni of the University of St Andrews

Category:Academics of the University of Leeds

Category:Fellows of the Royal Historical Society

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Historiography of the Crusades

Category:21st-century Scottish historians

Category:Historians of the Crusades

Category:British Germanists