John Richard Ravensdale

John Richard "Jack" Ravensdale (27 Nov 1920–25 Sep 1994) was a British historian and author known for his publications on English local history.

Biography Born in Feltham, Ravensdale studied at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge until 1939. After World War II he worked in Adult Education in Cornwall, until 1953 when he returned to live in Cambridge. There he lectured at Impington Village College and then at Homerton College, where he became Senior Lecturer in History.

Ravensdale appeared as a speaker in the first episode of the 1982 BBC Two series History on Your Doorstep. His book History on Your Doorstep (1982) was a bestseller. The Local History Kit. HS31 Units 1 - 7 (with Sallie Purkiss), Cambridge National Extension College, UK 1982 History on Your Doorstep, BBC Books, UK 1982 National Trust Histories: Cornwall, Willow Books Collins 1984 East Anglian Landscapes: Past and Present, Michael Joseph, London UK 1984 The Domesday Inheritance, Souvenir Press, London UK 1986 In the Steps of Chaucer's Pilgrims: From Southwark to Canterbury from the Air and on Foot, Souvenir Press, London, UK 1989