Alexandra Barratt
{{Short description|New Zealand literary scholar (born 1945)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}}
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| thesis1_title = Fifteenth century lyrics on the Passion and their reading public
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| thesis1_year = 1969
| thesis2_title = Two Middle English translations of Aelred of Rievaulx's 'De Institutione Inclusaram'
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| thesis2_year = 1973
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Alexandra Anne Talbot Barratt ({{Nee|Carr}}) is a New Zealand academic, and is professor emerita at the University of Waikato. Barratt is a specialist in medieval manuscripts.
Academic career
Barratt completed master's at Carleton University in 1969 followed by a PhD with her thesis titled Two Middle English translations of Aelred of Rievaulx's 'De Institutione Inclusaram' at the University of Toronto in 1973, supervised by A. G. Rigg.{{Cite thesis|last=Barratt|first=Alexandra Anne Talbot|title=Two Middle English translations of Aelred of Rievaulx's 'De Institutione Inclusaram'|publisher=University of Toronto|date=1973|id={{ProQuest|}}|type=PhD thesis}}{{Cite thesis|title=Fifteenth century lyrics on the Passion and their reading public|last=Barratt|first=Alexandra Anne Talbot|date=1969|type=MA thesis|publisher=Carleton University|id={{ProQuest|}} }} Barratt then joined the faculty of the University of Waikato, rising to full professor in 1997.{{Cite web |date=2011-09-09 |title=Medieval studies expert made Waikato emeritus professor |url=https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-opinion/media/2011/medieval-studies-expert-made-waikato-emeritus-professor |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=www.waikato.ac.nz |language=en-NZ}} During her time at Waikato, Barratt had been Chairperson of the English department, Chairperson of Humanities, and had served on the University Council as Academic Representative.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-21 |title=Anger at Waikato University job losses |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/anger-atnbspwaikato-universitynbspjob-losses/VQNL2ODPJASMVZX4K4NOZQKXA4/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}} She retired in 2010, and was appointed professor emerita in 2011, in recognition of more than thirty years of service and her "outstanding contribution to the university".
Barratt studied medieval manuscripts and has written nine books. She was responsible for identifying a 13th century psalter in the Alexander Turnbull library that had been misclassified as a fifteenth century Book of Hours. The Flemish psalter MSR-26, dated 1275–1300, was gifted to the Diocese of Wellington by William Burgoyne Hudson, brother of entomologist George Hudson.{{Cite journal |last=Barratt |first=Alexandra |date=2013-01-01 |title=What shall we pack? New Zealand Immigrants and their Manuscripts |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124625494 |journal=Parergon |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=73–90 |doi=10.1353/PGN.2013.0061|s2cid=144620609 |url-access=subscription }} After her retirement, Barratt has been studying the 'manuscript waste' found in manuscripts and early printed books in New Zealand.{{Cite web |last=Alex |date=2015-02-28 |title=Medieval Bindings in NZ Libraries |url=https://oldbooksnewscience.com/2015/02/28/welcome/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Old Books New Science: A Medieval Studies Lab at the University of Toronto |language=en}} For instance, Barratt was called on by Auckland Libraries to examine parchment strips that were found in the binding of a late 15th century printed German bible in their collection. Barratt identified the strips as 1200-year old bible fragments.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-21 |title=1200-year-old parchment found inside Auckland Library book |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/1200-year-old-parchment-found-inside-auckland-library-book/P46PJR5XVCP4YIBKBAE2IR3ZUE/ |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}
Personal life
Barratt's parents were Frederick and Joan Carr. Her godmother was Dame Margot Fonteyn.{{Cite web |title=Barratt, Alexandra Anne Talbot, 1945– |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22388369 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=natlib.govt.nz}}{{Cite web |last=National Library of New Zealand |title=Barratt, Alexandra Anne Talbot, 1945– : Papers relating to Dame Margot Fonteyn |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/38979826 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=natlib.govt.nz}} She donated a Len Castle pot to the University in memory of her husband, scientist Robert Welch {{Post-nominals|country=NZL|ONZM}}, who died in 2020.{{Cite web |title=Art donation for all to enjoy – Foundation: University of Waikato |url=https://www.waikato.ac.nz/foundation/our-donors/bequests-and-legacy-gifts/alexandra-barratt |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=www.waikato.ac.nz}}
Selected works
{{scholia}}
- {{CiteQ|Q124625494}}
- {{CiteQ|Q124625495}}
- {{CiteQ|Q57482245}}
- {{CiteQ|Q124625539}}
- {{CiteQ|Q124625529}}
- {{CiteQ|Q57489271}}
References
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Category:New Zealand academics
Category:New Zealand women academics
Category:Carleton University alumni
Category:University of Toronto alumni