Colin Platt

Colin Peter Sherard Platt (11 November 1934 – 23 July 2015) was a British historian, archaeologist and academic, specialising in the Middle Ages. In 1991, he was awarded the Wolfson Prize. He taught at the University of Leeds and then at the University of Southampton, rising to become Professor of History.

Early life and education Platt was born on 11 November 1934 in Canton (now Guangdong), China. He was one of twin boys born to Jimmy Platt, a Shell executive, and his wife, Hope ( Arnold). He was educated at Collyer's School, then a grammar school in Horsham, West Sussex.

Academic career In 1960, Platt became a research assistant at the University of Leeds, He was awarded a personal chair in 1983 as Professor of History. He drew on both archaeology and history in his research: he lamented "archaeologists' all too frequent failure to read, engage with and give due weight to historical evidence", and historians' focus on "academic theory over empirical research". He was also an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).

Personal life In 1963, Platt married to Valerie ( Ashforth). They had four children. After his first marriage ended in divorce, he married the art historian Claire Donovan in 1996.

Selected works