Prof. Sir Thomas (Tom) Devine


1945 -

Historian. Divine was born in Motherwell (North Lanarkshire), the son of a teacher, He studied Economic and Social History at the University of Strathclyde, where he was to spend the first thirty years of his career, rising to become Professor of Scottish History (1988) and Deputy Principal (1994). He then moved to a Research Professorship at the University of Aberdeen (1999 - 2004), and the Sir William Fraser Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography at the University of Edinburgh from 2006 until his retirement in 2015. His prodigious output deals with Scottish history from the 16th to 20th centuries, and includes Scots-Irish connections. His award-winning work is diverse, including books on the tobacco merchants of Glasgow, slavery, empire, the Scottish Enlightenment, Highland Clearances, emigration, the Scottish diaspora, industry and social change.

His many honorary degrees include the Universities of Strathclyde and Abertay. Divine was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1992) and was awarded the Royal Gold Medal presented by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2001. He received an OBE in 2005 and was knighted in 2014.


Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry arrow


By using our site you agree to accept cookies, which help us serve you better