Charles Ross (historian): Difference between revisions

Charles Ross
Charles Ross
Born	Wakefield, 1924
Died	April 3, 1986 (aged 61–62); Clifton, Bristol
Known for	Promulgating and developing McFarlane's new paradigm on patronage as the social nexus of 15th-century England
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Doctoral advisor	K. B. McFarlane, Brasenose College, Oxford
Academic work
Discipline	Medieval English History, the medieval nobility, the Wars of the Roses, the Yorkist kings, Bastard feudalism
Institutions	University of Bristol
Doctoral students	Michael Hicks; Ralph A. Griffiths; A. J. Pollard;

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Charles Derek Ross (1924 – 1986) was an English historian of the Late Middle Ages. Originally from Yorkshire, he earned a DPhil from Oxford University and worked as a lecturer, researcher and ultimately professor at the University of Bristol from 1947 until his death in 1986. Specialising in the medieval English nobility, gentry and royal family, he is considered the major propagator of K. B. McFarlane's ideas on bastard feudalism and published widely on a plethora of subjects ranging from the biographies of kings to the cartularies of minor abbeys.

Early life

Ross was born in Wakefield to Florence Ross^[1] and her husband and was educated at the grammar school. He began reading History at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1942.^[2]^{[note 1]} This was followed by doctoral studies under K. B. McFarlane—"whose work was then transforming historical understanding of later medieval England"^[2]^{[note 2]}—and Ross's resultant DPhil was entitled The Yorkshire Baronage, 1399–1425.^[2]

Career

Following his doctorate, Ross began working at the University of Bristol, where he would remain for the rest of his academic life, in 1947. Originally appointed Assistant Lecturer, he worked beneath David Douglas. Ross's final position at Bristol was as Professor of Medieval History, with a personal chair.^[2]

Originally teaching alongside Margaret Sharp (daughter of T.F. Tout), he became reader and then Professor of Medieval History Originally teaching alongside Margaret Sharp (daughter of T.F. Tout), he became reader and then Professor of Medieval History

She taught jointly with a much younger man, Charles Ross, who was a 15th-century historian, and I opted to do the special subject which they taught together—I suppose looking back on it, as far as we were concerned quite easily, but from their point of view it was probably rather difficult, because he was very young and she was in the latter stages of her career. But they did it extremely well.^[4]

Ralph A. Griffiths recalling Ross and Sharp's joint Special Subject at Bristol.

Ross took early retirement in 1982 but maintained close ties with the University and continued his research. Indeed, he had contracted to write another book shortly before his death,^[2] and was attempting to give up drinking to that end.^[1]

Publishing

Ross published predominantly on the history of the later medieval English nobility, royalty and the Wars of the Roses. His biographies of Edward IV from 1974, and Richard III seven years later were described by The Times as respectively "scholarly and detailed" and perceptive". They fused easy reading, suitable for a general readership, with the minute approach to detail and sourcing required in a high-end piece of scholarship.^[2] The historian DeLloyd J. Guth concluded that the biography was "in the best tradition" of McFarlane, and left the previous work—Cora Scofield's 1926 biography—"flounder[ing] in a wealth of facts and episodes".^[5] Although Colin Richmond believed that it remained less an achievement than Scofield's—if only because it had greater and more plentiful scholarship to work upon—he praised Ross's analysis of political tension.^[6]^{[note 3]} King Edward IV was one of Ross's main royal interests. The other was Richard III. Before Ross's biography, Edward was seen as a generally successful, relatively modern king, and a worthy precursor to Henry VII, after Ross questioned "Edward’s newly enhanced reputation, the king’s prestige has once more been considerably set back".^[9] Ross appreciated the king in a particularly new way.^[10] Ross also edited several volumes of essays. For example, in 1970, Ross, Stanley Chrimes and Ralph Griffiths edited the papers presented at the 1970 medieval history colloquium in Cardiff.^[11] His friendship with the Gloucestershire publisher Alan Sutton allowed him to publish several books, including a compilation of his students' and colleagues' 1978 Bristol papers, again under his editorship.^[11]

Personal life and death

Ross was married twice.^[12] His first marriage, to Frances, lasted 23 years; she subsequently moved to Swansea. They had two children, Christopher—born shortly after the war—and a daughter, Miranda.^[1] His second wife was Anne Crawford, who had been a student of his at Bristol,^[1] and with whom he had a son, James.^[11]^{[note 4]} She had agreed to a divorce from Ross in 1985, while Jefferis had separated from her husband over a decade earlier. Jefferis had also met Ross at the university when she was taking evening classes. His divorce from Crawford was made absolute shortly before his death.^[1] For about a year before then he shared his apartment with Pamela Jefferis—variously described as an insurance agent,^[15]^[12] a financial consultant^[16] and a Business consultant for Allied Dunbar^[1]—and both were now divorcees.^[16]

She was later described as a "responsible and and intelligent" woman.^[1]

By the time Ross was due to retire, he was estranged from his second wife,^[18] who remained at their large family home in the Redland area bringing up their son alone.^[1] Ross lived in a "large, semi-detached Georgian" apartment in Clifton, in the heart of the university's housing,^[18] which he and Jefferis had bought between them in 1984.^[1] They apparently planned to marry towards the end of March but continued obstructions in their respective divorces had forced its cancellation^[12] twice.^[1]^{[note 5]} The defence suggested that it was these delays that had unbalanced Jefferis.^[12] Adding to her stress, Ross had become sicker since November 1985, which had made him harder to live with ("more petulant", it was later reported) and in April she discovered that one of her own children needed a brain scan.^[1]

Death

Ross and Jefferis spent the days before his death "drinking heavily", reported the Western Daily Press.^[1]^{[note 6]} Jefferis and Ross had stayed in the flat apart from a "brief" sojourn to a local hostelry.^[1] That evening, Thursday, 3 April 1986, at the age of 64, Ross was found dead there. The cause of death was a single stab wound in the back, which was later revealed to have pierced an artery.^[20]^[16] The day before his death furniture and clothes were thrown down the stairs, and neighbours helped Jefferis carry them back up.^[1] The following night, she was overheard crying ^[21]^[16] and neighbours called the police, who broke into Ross's flat and found Jefferis next to him,^[16] "staring 'vacantly' at her hands".^[12] She did not answer questions.^[1] A 25-strong police squad carried out house to house inquiries overnight.^[18]

Jefferis, from Bishopstone, a mother of three and 42 at the time of the killing,^[22]^[12]^{[note 7]} was questioned by police on Friday night^[20] at Southmead police station, and that same morning an autopsy was performed by the Home Office pathologist.^[18] The following Monday she was remanded in custody at the Magistrates' Court for Ross's murder.^[15] On Saturday 11 July she was charged and sent to trial.^[22]

At her trial at Bristol Crown Court, Jefferis pled guilty to manslaughter on account of diminished responsibility,^[21] which plea was accepted by the prosecutor.^[12] Defence counsel argued that it was unlikely the true facts surrounding that night would ever be known, suggesting that Jefferis suffered from such emotional collapse that she had erased all memory of events, a condition recognised by psychiatrists, he claimed.^[16] The Prosecution agreed that "mystery still surrounded" those last moments because of the parties' dependency on alcohol.^[12] The court heard that she and Ross had been in a relationship—described as often "stormy"^[21], as well as "turbulent [and] violent"^[12]―since around 1972. Ross's colleagues described how on one occasion he presented to the Homeopathic Hospital with glass in his eye, after his spectacles were smashed during a fight with her; another time, "he went to work limping, saying Mrs Jefferis had driven the car at him".^[1] Furthermore, both were apparently alcoholics.^[1] Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, presiding, commented that "it is quite clear that alcoholism was at the root of this, it degraded you both ... I do not suppose anyone will ever know what led you to putting that knife in him".^[21] Jefferis was said to have "cracked" under the strain the relationship put upon her;^[21] her defence said that—with the exception of her children—she had "destroyed what mattered to her ... most of all".^[12] She was sent to prison for four years.^[16] A memorial service for Professor Ross was held at the Lord Mayor's Chapel on College Green on 4 July.^[24]

Influence and reputation

He had a very complicated social life. He was a very witty, charming man and obviously some ladies found him attractive.
He was a brilliant scholar and will be sorely missed.^[1]

Bristol University spokesperson Don Carleton reflecting on Professor Ross's multifaceted approach to life in 1986

Ross was an archival historian.^[25] The Times described his editorial method as being based on a "meticulous concern for detail".^[2] The Times wrote after his death of his "amusing and stimulating" lecturing style and how his teaching inspired many of his students to follow his path.^[2] The university's spokesman commented on Ross's various extracurricular activities but emphasised his scholarly achievements.^[1] He had an international reputation in his field.^[12]

'The Bristol connection'

In 1978, Ross organised a symposium at Bristol with the intention of providing "an informal and friendly gathering" to allow younger scholars the opportunity to present their own papers. This symposium saw the unofficial foundation of the Bristol connection, a group of former students of Ross's and several contemporary historians. Among the former including Margaret Condon, Keith Dockray, Ralph Griffiths,^[11] Michael Hicks—"proud also to be a member of 'the Bristol connection'"—and Tony Pollard.^[26]

Ross's pupils included Michael Hicks,^[27] Anne Crawford^[28] and Ralph Griffiths.^[29] To his students he passed on the approach of McFarlane, particularly that of drawing broad social or political themes from gentry and aristocratic networks.^[10] Hicks has called Ross the "founding father" of the 'Bristol connection'.^[30]^{[note 8]}

Ross's students and colleagues intended a book of essays to be published in 1986 as a Festschrift celebrating Ross's retirement. Edited by Professor Ralph Griffiths and Mr James Sherborne, it was published after Ross's death as a memorium.^[10]

Ross's obituarist concluded that, personally, "he had a great sense of humour as well as a sharp wit, and he had a fund of good stories".^[2] his colleague, Professor Joel T. Rosenthal of SUNY, commented that "Ross's friends are also McFarlane's heirs, and that we are all Marc Bloch's grandchildren .^[10]

Bibliography

'Materials for the Study of Baronial Incomes in Fifteenth-Century England,' Economic History Review, NS, vol.6 no. 2 (1953) (with T.B. Pugh)
'The Estates and Finances of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick,' Dugdale Society Occasional papers No. 12 (1956)
Fifteenth Century England, 1399-1509: Studies in Politics and Society, Manchester 1972 (with Stanley Chrimes and Ralph Griffiths)
Edward IV (1974) ISBN 0-413-28680-0
The Wars of the Roses: A Concise History (1976) ISBN 0-500-25049-9
Richard III (1981) ISBN 0-413-29530-3

Notes

^ Due to British Army requirements, the college had been sequestered for the duration, so Ross's undergraduate degree was studied for at Christ Church, Oxford.^[2]
^ The medieval historian Christine Carpenter has written that "it is hard to exaggerate the impact of McFarlane's work, especially at Oxford where he taught. A whole generation of students there was inspired to work on what had been a very neglected century; nearly all the political historians of fourteenth and fifteenth century England today, including the present writer, are, academically speaking, the children or grandchildren, even great grandchildren, of McFarlane."^[3]
^ Reception was not universally approving among these of Ross's colleagues, however. Guth argued that Ross made too much of a paucity of evidence in drawing the generally negative conclusions he did regarding Edward's handling of law and order,^[7] while Colin Richmond believed he outright overstated it.^[6] B. P. Wolffe also suggested that Ross placed too much blame on the King for the events of Summer 1483, events that were, in most cases, beyond his control.^[8]
^ James Ross would later deliver a paper on the 1404 conspiracy of Maud, Countess of Oxford to the reformed 'Bristol connection' symposium, organised by Peter Fleming and Keith Dockray at the University of the West of England in 2001.^[13] In 2011, Crawford dedicated her biography of John Howard, Duke of Norfolk to Ross's memory.^[14]
^ At the time, it was reported that the numerous delays to their marriage came from both Ross's divorce^[12] and that of Jefferis.^[19]
^ Ross was later found to have suffered convulsions due to withdrawal symptoms and, also as a result of her alcoholism, Jefferis had an enlarged liver.^[1]
^ Or possibly 44.^[23]
^ Hicks has summarised the connection's historical philosophy, per McMcFarlane, who
left a school of historians committed, like him, to a view of Bastard feudalism based on a retinue comprised principally of gentry who were non-resident and retained by indenture and/or fee: what are often called extraordinary retainers. The starting point was usually the noble family—the Percies, Beauchamps, Staffords, Mowbrays, Hollands, Courtenays, Talbots, Hungerfords, or Greys of Ruthin.^[31]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Western Daily Presseur 1986a, p. 3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Obituary 1986, p. 18.
^ Carpenter 1997, p. 18.
^ I. H. R. 2008.
^ Guth 1975, p. 881.
^ ^a ^b Richmond 1976, p. 105.
^ Guth 1975, p. 880.
^ Wolffe 1976, p. 374.
^ Dockray 1995, p. 306.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rosenthal 1987, pp. 396–398.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dockray & Fleming 2003, p. 1.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Home News 1986b, p. 3.
^ Dockray & Fleming 2003, pp. 1–2.
^ Crawford 2010, Acknowledgements.
^ ^a ^b Daily Telegraph 1986b, p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Home News 1986a, p. 3.
^ Hewett 1986, p. 1 (image).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hewett 1986, p. 1.
^ Daily Post 1986, p. 6.
^ ^a ^b Daily Telegraph 1986a, p. 2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Daily Telegraph 1986d, p. 3.
^ ^a ^b Daily Telegraph 1986c, p. 2.
^ Post reporter 1986a, p. 63.
^ Memorial Services 1986, p. 18.
^ Kay 1988, p. 577.
^ Clark & Fleming 2020, p. 184.
^ Hicks. M.A., Richard III & his Rivals: Magnates and their Motives in the War of the Roses, London 1991, xii
^ Crawford, A., Yorkist Lord John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, c. 1425 – 1485, London 2010, Acknowledgments
^ Chrimes, S.B., Ross, C.D. & Griffiths, R.A. (eds), Fifteenth Century England, 1399–1509: Studies in Politics and Society, Manchester 1972, xii
^ Hicks 1995, p. 17.
^ Hicks 1995, pp. 17–18.

Sources

Carpenter, C. (1997). The Wars of the Roses: Politics and the Constitution in England, c. 1437–1509. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-31874-7.
Clark, L.; Fleming, P., eds. (2020). "List of Contributors". Rulers, Regions and Retinues: Essays Presented to A. J. Pollard. The Fifteenth Century. Vol. XVIII. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-1-78327-563-2.
Crawford, A. (2010). Yorkist Lord: John Howard, Duke of Norfolk c. 1425–1485. London: Continuum. ISBN 978-1-44115-201-5.
Daily Post (1 November 1986). "Alcoholic Lover Knifed History Expert to Death". Daily Post. OCLC 938869762.
Daily Telegraph (5 April 1986a). "Woman Quizzed on Stabbing". Daily Telegraph. OCLC 49632006.
Daily Telegraph (7 April 1986b). "Tutor Murder Charge Remand". Daily Telegraph. OCLC 49632006.
Daily Telegraph (12 April 1986c). "Tutor Murder Charge". Daily Telegraph. OCLC 49632006.
Daily Telegraph (1 November 1986d). "Four Years for Lover who Killed Historian". Daily Telegraph. OCLC 49632006.
Dockray, K. (1995). "Edward IV: playboy or politician?". The Ricardian. 10: 306–322. OCLC 11995669.
Dockray, K.; Fleming, P. (2003). "Authority and Subversion: A Conference on Fifteenth-century England Held at the University of the West of England, St. Matthias Campus, Bristol, 6–8 September 2001". In Clark, L. (ed.). Authority and Subversion. The Fifteenth Century. Vol. III. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. pp. 1–4. ISBN 978-1-84383-025-2.
Guth, D. J. (1975). "Review: 'Edward IV' by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974)". The Historical Journal. XVIII (4): 879–881. OCLC 301165981.
Hewett, C. (4 April 1986). "Stab Murder of Professor". Evening Post. OCLC 50857379.
Hicks, M. A. (1995). Bastard Feudalism. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-31789-896-2.
Home News (1 November 1986a). "Historian killed by 'Distraught' Alcoholic Lover". The Independent. 185201487.
Home News (1 November 1986b). "Woman Jailed for Killing Professor". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460.
I. H. R. (2008). "Interview with Professor Ralph Griffiths: Making History". archives.history.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
Kay, R. (1988). "Review: Kings and Nobles in the Later Middle Ages: A Tribute to Charles Ross by Ralph A. Griffiths and James Sherborne". The Historian. 50 (4): 577. JSTOR 24447168.
Memorial Services (8 April 1986). "Ross". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460.
Obituary (11 June 1986). "Prof Charles Ross". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460.
Post reporter (11 July 1986a). "Murder Charge". Evening Post. OCLC 50857379.
Richmond, C. (1976). "Review: Edward IV by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974)". History. 61 (201): 105–106. OCLC 466923053.
Rosenthal, J. T. (1987). "Review: Kings and Nobles in the Later Middle Ages by Ralph A. Griffiths and James Sherborne". Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies. 19 (3): 396–398. doi:10.2307/4050470. OCLC 01479044.
Western Daily Presseur (1 November 1986a). "A Brilliant Life Blighted by drink". Western Daily Press. OCLC 500148923.
Wolffe, B. P. (1976). "Reviews of Books: Edward IV by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974)". The English Historical Review. 91 (359): 369–374. doi:10.1093/ehr/XCI.CCCLIX.369.

[3] Due to British Army requirements, the college had been sequestered for the duration, so Ross's undergraduate degree was studied for at Christ Church, Oxford.^[2]

[5] The medieval historian Christine Carpenter has written that "it is hard to exaggerate the impact of McFarlane's work, especially at Oxford where he taught. A whole generation of students there was inspired to work on what had been a very neglected century; nearly all the political historians of fourteenth and fifteenth century England today, including the present writer, are, academically speaking, the children or grandchildren, even great grandchildren, of McFarlane."^[3]

[11] Reception was not universally approving among these of Ross's colleagues, however. Guth argued that Ross made too much of a paucity of evidence in drawing the generally negative conclusions he did regarding Edward's handling of law and order,^[7] while Colin Richmond believed he outright overstated it.^[6] B. P. Wolffe also suggested that Ross placed too much blame on the King for the events of Summer 1483, events that were, in most cases, beyond his control.^[8]

[18] James Ross would later deliver a paper on the 1404 conspiracy of Maud, Countess of Oxford to the reformed 'Bristol connection' symposium, organised by Peter Fleming and Keith Dockray at the University of the West of England in 2001.^[13] In 2011, Crawford dedicated her biography of John Howard, Duke of Norfolk to Ross's memory.^[14]

[24] At the time, it was reported that the numerous delays to their marriage came from both Ross's divorce^[12] and that of Jefferis.^[19]

[25] Ross was later found to have suffered convulsions due to withdrawal symptoms and, also as a result of her alcoholism, Jefferis had an enlarged liver.^[1]

[30] Or possibly 44.^[23]

[39] Hicks has summarised the connection's historical philosophy, per McMcFarlane, who
left a school of historians committed, like him, to a view of Bastard feudalism based on a retinue comprised principally of gentry who were non-resident and retained by indenture and/or fee: what are often called extraordinary retainers. The starting point was usually the noble family—the Percies, Beauchamps, Staffords, Mowbrays, Hollands, Courtenays, Talbots, Hungerfords, or Greys of Ruthin.^[31]

[FOOTNOTEWestern_Daily_Presseur1986a3-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Western Daily Presseur 1986a, p. 3.

[FOOTNOTEObituary198618-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Obituary 1986, p. 18.

[FOOTNOTECarpenter199718-4] Carpenter 1997, p. 18.

[FOOTNOTEI._H._R.2008-6] I. H. R. 2008.

[FOOTNOTEGuth1975881-7] Guth 1975, p. 881.

[FOOTNOTERichmond1976105-8] Richmond 1976, p. 105.

[FOOTNOTEGuth1975880-9] Guth 1975, p. 880.

[FOOTNOTEWolffe1976374-10] Wolffe 1976, p. 374.

[FOOTNOTEDockray1995306-12] Dockray 1995, p. 306.

[FOOTNOTERosenthal1987396–398-13] Rosenthal 1987, pp. 396–398.

[FOOTNOTEDockrayFleming20031-14] Dockray & Fleming 2003, p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEHome_News1986b3-15] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Home News 1986b, p. 3.

[FOOTNOTEDockrayFleming20031–2-16] Dockray & Fleming 2003, pp. 1–2.

[FOOTNOTECrawford2010Acknowledgements-17] Crawford 2010, Acknowledgements.

[FOOTNOTEDaily_Telegraph1986b6-19] Daily Telegraph 1986b, p. 6.

[FOOTNOTEHome_News1986a3-20] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Home News 1986a, p. 3.

[FOOTNOTEHewett19861_(image)-21] Hewett 1986, p. 1 (image).

[FOOTNOTEHewett19861-22] Hewett 1986, p. 1.

[FOOTNOTEDaily_Post19866-23] Daily Post 1986, p. 6.

[FOOTNOTEDaily_Telegraph1986a2-26] Daily Telegraph 1986a, p. 2.

[FOOTNOTEDaily_Telegraph1986d3-27] Daily Telegraph 1986d, p. 3.

[FOOTNOTEDaily_Telegraph1986c2-28] Daily Telegraph 1986c, p. 2.

[FOOTNOTEPost_reporter1986a63-29] Post reporter 1986a, p. 63.

[FOOTNOTEMemorial_Services198618-31] Memorial Services 1986, p. 18.

[FOOTNOTEKay1988577-32] Kay 1988, p. 577.

[FOOTNOTEClarkFleming2020184-33] Clark & Fleming 2020, p. 184.

[34] Hicks. M.A., Richard III & his Rivals: Magnates and their Motives in the War of the Roses, London 1991, xii

[35] Crawford, A., Yorkist Lord John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, c. 1425 – 1485, London 2010, Acknowledgments

[36] Chrimes, S.B., Ross, C.D. & Griffiths, R.A. (eds), Fifteenth Century England, 1399–1509: Studies in Politics and Society, Manchester 1972, xii

[FOOTNOTEHicks199517-37] Hicks 1995, p. 17.

[FOOTNOTEHicks199517–18-38] Hicks 1995, pp. 17–18.

[1]

[2]

[note 1]

[note 2]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[note 3]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[note 4]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[note 5]

[note 6]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[note 7]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[note 8]

[3]

[7]

[8]

[13]

[14]

[19]

[23]

[31]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{other people||Charles Ross (disambiguation)}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
+{{Infobox historian
+|name              = Charles Ross
+|image             = Charles Ross, historian.jpg
+|image_size        =
+|birth_date       =
+|death_date       = {{death date and age|1986|04|03|1924}}
+|death_place      = [[Clifton, Bristol]]
+|birth_place       = [[Wakefield]], 1924
+|discipline        = Medieval English History, the medieval nobility, the [[Wars of the Roses]], the Yorkist kings, [[Bastard feudalism]]
+|work_institutions = [[University of Bristol]]
+|alma_mater        = [[University of Oxford]]
+|doctoral_advisor  = [[K. B. McFarlane]], [[Brasenose College, Oxford]]
+|doctoral_students = {{plainlist}}
+* [[Michael Hicks (historian)|Michael Hicks]]
+* [[Ralph A. Griffiths]]
+* [[A. J. Pollard]]
+|known_for         = Promulgating and developing McFarlane's new paradigm on [[patronage]] as the social nexus of 15th-century England
+|prizes            =
+}}
 '''Charles Derek Ross''' (1924&nbsp;– 1986) was an English historian of the [[Late Middle Ages]]. Originally from [[Yorkshire]], he earned a [[DPhil]] from [[Oxford University]] and worked as a lecturer, researcher and ultimately [[professor]] at the [[University of Bristol]] from 1947 until his death in 1986. Specialising in the medieval English nobility, [[gentry]] and royal family, he is considered the major propagator of [[K. B. McFarlane]]'s ideas on [[bastard feudalism]] and published widely on a plethora of subjects ranging from the biographies of kings to the [[cartularies]] of minor abbeys.
 == Early life ==
-Ross was born in [[Wakefield]] and educated at the [[Wakefield Grammar School|grammar school]]. He began reading History at [[Brasenose College, Oxford]] in 1942.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}{{refn|Due to British Army requirements, the college had been sequestered for the duration, so Ross's [[undergraduate]] degree was studied for at [[Christ Church, Oxford]].{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}|group=note}} This was followed by [[doctoral studies]] under [[K. B. McFarlane]]—"whose work was then transforming historical understanding of later medieval England"{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}{{refn|The [[medieval historian]] [[Christine Carpenter (historian)|Christine Carpenter]] has written that "it is hard to exaggerate the impact of McFarlane's work, especially at Oxford where he taught. A whole generation of students there was inspired to work on what had been a very neglected century; nearly all the political historians of fourteenth and fifteenth century England today, including the present writer, are, academically speaking, the children or grandchildren, even great grandchildren, of McFarlane."{{sfn|Carpenter|1997|p=18}}|group=note}}—and Ross's resultant [[DPhil]] was entitled ''The Yorkshire Baronage, 1399–1425''.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}
+Ross was born in [[Wakefield]] to Florence Ross{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} and her husband and was educated at the [[Wakefield Grammar School|grammar school]]. He began reading History at [[Brasenose College, Oxford]] in 1942.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}{{refn|Due to British Army requirements, the college had been sequestered for the duration, so Ross's [[undergraduate]] degree was studied for at [[Christ Church, Oxford]].{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}|group=note}} This was followed by [[doctoral studies]] under [[K. B. McFarlane]]—"whose work was then transforming historical understanding of later medieval England"{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}{{refn|The [[medieval historian]] [[Christine Carpenter (historian)|Christine Carpenter]] has written that "it is hard to exaggerate the impact of McFarlane's work, especially at Oxford where he taught. A whole generation of students there was inspired to work on what had been a very neglected century; nearly all the political historians of fourteenth and fifteenth century England today, including the present writer, are, academically speaking, the children or grandchildren, even great grandchildren, of McFarlane."{{sfn|Carpenter|1997|p=18}}|group=note}}—and Ross's resultant [[DPhil]] was entitled ''The Yorkshire Baronage, 1399–1425''.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}
 == Career ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 32: @@
 Originally teaching alongside Margaret Sharp (daughter of [[T.F. Tout]]), he became reader and then Professor of Medieval History Originally teaching alongside Margaret Sharp (daughter of [[T.F. Tout]]), he became reader and then Professor of Medieval History
-{{Quotebox|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|quote=She taught jointly with a much younger man, Charles Ross, who was a 15th-century historian, and I opted to do the special subject which they taught together—I suppose looking back on it, as far as we were concerned quite easily, but from their point of view it was probably rather difficult, because he was very young and she was in the latter stages of her career. But they did it extremely well.{{sfn|I. H. R.|2008}}|source=[[Ralph A. Griffiths]] recalling Ross and Sharp's joint Special Subject at  Bristol.|align=right|width=25em}}
+{{Quotebox|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|quote=She taught jointly with a much younger man, Charles Ross, who was a 15th-century historian, and I opted to do the special subject which they taught together—I suppose looking back on it, as far as we were concerned quite easily, but from their point of view it was probably rather difficult, because he was very young and she was in the latter stages of her career. But they did it extremely well.{{sfn|I. H. R.|2008}}|source=[[Ralph A. Griffiths]] recalling Ross and Sharp's joint Special Subject at  Bristol.|align=right|salign=center|width=25em}}
-Ross took [[early retirement]] in 1982 but maintained close ties with the University and continued his research. Indeed, he had contracted to write another book shortly before his death.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}}
+Ross took [[early retirement]] in 1982 but maintained close ties with the University and continued his research. Indeed, he had contracted to write another book shortly before his death,{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} and was attempting to give up drinking to that end.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}
 ===Publishing===
-Ross published predominantly on the history of the later medieval English nobility, royalty and the [[Wars of the Roses]]. His biographies of ''Edward IV'' from 1974, and ''Richard III'' seven years later were described by ''[[The Times]]'' as respectively "scholarly and detailed" and perceptive". They fused easy reading, suitable for a general readership, with the minute approach to detail and sourcing required in a high-end piece of scholarship.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} One of Ross's main interests, and the subject of one of his major monographs, was [[Richard III]]. Ross appreciated the king in a particularly new way.{{sfn|Rosenthal|1987|pp=396–398}} Ross also edited several volumes of essays. For example, in 1970, Ross, [[Stanley Bertram Chrimes|Stanley Chrimes]] and Ralph Griffiths edited the papers presented at the 1970 medieval history colloquium in Cardiff.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}} His friendship with the [[Gloucestershire]] publisher [[Alan Sutton]] allowed him to publish several books, including a compilation of his students' and colleagues' 1978 Bristol papers, again under his editorship.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}}
+Ross published predominantly on the history of the later medieval English nobility, royalty and the [[Wars of the Roses]]. His biographies of ''Edward IV'' from 1974, and ''Richard III'' seven years later were described by ''[[The Times]]'' as respectively "scholarly and detailed" and perceptive". They fused easy reading, suitable for a general readership, with the minute approach to detail and sourcing required in a high-end piece of scholarship.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} The historian DeLloyd J. Guth concluded that the biography was "in the best tradition" of McFarlane, and left the previous work—Cora Scofield's 1926 biography—"flounder[ing] in a wealth of facts and episodes".{{sfn|Guth|1975|p=881}} Although [[Colin Richmond]] believed that it remained less an achievement than Scofield's—if only because it had greater and more plentiful scholarship to work upon—he praised Ross's analysis of political tension.{{sfn|Richmond|1976|p=105}}{{refn|Reception was not universally approving among these of Ross's colleagues, however. Guth argued that Ross made too much of a paucity of evidence in drawing the generally negative conclusions he did regarding Edward's handling of law and order,{{sfn|Guth|1975|p=880}} while [[Colin Richmond]] believed he outright overstated it.{{sfn|Richmond|1976|p=105}} [[B. P. Wolffe]] also suggested that Ross placed too much blame on the King for the events of Summer 1483, events that were, in most cases, beyond his control.{{sfn|Wolffe|1976|p=374}}|group=note}} King Edward IV was one of Ross's main royal interests. The other was [[Richard III]]. Before Ross's biography, Edward was seen as a generally successful, relatively modern king, and a worthy precursor to [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]], after Ross questioned "Edward’s newly enhanced reputation, the king’s prestige has once more been considerably set back".{{sfn|Dockray|1995|p=306}} Ross appreciated the king in a particularly new way.{{sfn|Rosenthal|1987|pp=396–398}} Ross also edited several volumes of essays. For example, in 1970, Ross, [[Stanley Bertram Chrimes|Stanley Chrimes]] and Ralph Griffiths edited the papers presented at the 1970 medieval history colloquium in Cardiff.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}} His friendship with the [[Gloucestershire]] publisher [[Alan Sutton]] allowed him to publish several books, including a compilation of his students' and colleagues' 1978 Bristol papers, again under his editorship.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}}
 == Personal life and death ==
-Ross was married twice.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} His second wife was Anne Crawford, with whom he had a son, James.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}}{{refn|James Ross would later deliver a paper on the 1404 conspiracy of [[Maud de Ufford|Maud, Countess of Oxford]] to the reformed 'Bristol connection' symposium, organised by Peter Fleming and Keith Dockray at the [[University of the West of England]] in 2001.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|pp=1–2}}|group=note}} Ross remained at Bristol until his death. For about a year before then he shared his apartment with Pamela Jefferis—variously described as an [[insurance agent]],{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986b|p=6}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} a [[financial consultant]]{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}}—and both were now divorcees.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}}
+Ross was married twice.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} His first marriage, to Frances, lasted 23 years; she subsequently moved to [[Swansea]]. They had two children, Christopher—born shortly after [[World War II|the war]]—and a daughter, Miranda.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} His second wife was Anne Crawford, who had been a student of his at Bristol,{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} and with whom he had a son, James.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}}{{refn|James Ross would later deliver a paper on the 1404 conspiracy of [[Maud de Ufford|Maud, Countess of Oxford]] to the reformed 'Bristol connection' symposium, organised by Peter Fleming and Keith Dockray at the [[University of the West of England]] in 2001.{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|pp=1–2}} In 2011, Crawford dedicated her biography of [[John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk|John Howard, Duke of Norfolk]] to Ross's memory.{{sfn|Crawford|2010|loc=Acknowledgements}}|group=note}} She had agreed to a divorce from Ross in 1985, while Jefferis had separated from her husband over a decade earlier. Jefferis had also met Ross at the university when she was taking [[evening class]]es. His divorce from Crawford was made [[decree absolute|absolute]] shortly before his death.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} For about a year before then he shared his apartment with Pamela Jefferis—variously described as an [[insurance agent]],{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986b|p=6}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} a [[financial consultant]]{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} and a [[Business consultant]] for [[Allied Dunbar]]{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}—and both were now divorcees.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}}
-[[File:Chesterfield Buildings, Westbourne Place, Clifton, Bristol, May 2019.jpg|thumb|upright|Westbourne Place, Clifton, Bristol, as seen in May 2019, Professor Ross's last residence{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1 (image)}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}|alt=colour photograph of Westbourne Villas in Bristol in 2019]]
+[[File:Chesterfield Buildings, Westbourne Place, Clifton, Bristol, May 2019.jpg|thumb|upright|Westbourne Place, Clifton, Bristol, as seen in May 2019, Professor Ross's last residence{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1 (image)}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}|alt=colour photograph of Westbourne Villas in Bristol in 2019]] She was later described as a "responsible and and intelligent" woman.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}
-By the time Ross was due to retire, he was estranged from his second wife, although she also lived in the city.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} Ross lived in a "large, semi-detached [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]]" apartment in [[Clifton, Bristol|Clifton]], in the heart of the university's housing.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} Ross and Jefferis planned to marry towards the end of March but continued obstructions in their respective divorces had forced a cancellation.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}{{refn|At the time, it was reported that the numerous delays to their marriage came from both Ross's divorce{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} and that of Jefferis.{{cn|date=June 2024}}|group=note}} The defence suggested that it was these delays that had unbalanced Jefferis.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}
+By the time Ross was due to retire, he was estranged from his second wife,{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} who remained at their large family home in the [[Redland, Bristol|Redland]] area bringing up their son alone.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} Ross lived in a "large, semi-detached [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]]" apartment in [[Clifton, Bristol|Clifton]], in the heart of the university's housing,{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} which he and Jefferis had bought between them in 1984.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} They apparently planned to marry towards the end of March but continued obstructions in their respective divorces had forced its cancellation{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} twice.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}{{refn|At the time, it was reported that the numerous delays to their marriage came from both Ross's divorce{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} and that of Jefferis.{{sfn|Daily Post|1986|p=6}}|group=note}} The defence suggested that it was these delays that had unbalanced Jefferis.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} Adding to her stress, Ross had become sicker since November 1985, which had made him harder to live with ("more petulant", it was later reported) and in April she discovered that one of her own children needed a [[brain scan]].{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}
 ==Death==
-On the evening of Thursday, 3 April 1986, at the age of 64, Ross was found dead there. The cause of death was a single stab wound in the back, which was later revealed to have pierced an [[artery]].{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986a|p=2}}{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} Witnesses later told how she was overheard crying in his flat on the night of his death.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}}{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} Neighbours called the police, who broke into Ross's flat and found Jefferis next to him,{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} "staring 'vacantly' at her hands".{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} A 25-strong police squad carried out [[house to house]] inquiries overnight.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}}
+Ross and Jefferis spent the days before his death "drinking heavily", reported the ''[[Western Daily Press]]''.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}{{refn|Ross was later found to have suffered convulsions due to [[Drug withdrawal|withdrawal symptoms]] and, also as a result of her alcoholism, Jefferis had an [[enlarged liver]].{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}|group=note}} Jefferis and Ross had stayed in the flat apart from a "brief" sojourn to a local hostelry.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} That evening, Thursday, 3 April 1986, at the age of 64, Ross was found dead there. The cause of death was a single stab wound in the back, which was later revealed to have pierced an [[artery]].{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986a|p=2}}{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} The day before his death furniture and clothes were thrown down the stairs, and neighbours helped Jefferis carry them back up.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} The following night, she was overheard crying {{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}}{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} and neighbours called the police, who broke into Ross's flat and found Jefferis next to him,{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} "staring 'vacantly' at her hands".{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} She did not answer questions.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} A 25-strong police squad carried out [[house to house]] inquiries overnight.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}}
-Jefferis, from [[Bishopston, Bristol|Bishopstone]], a mother of three and 42 at the time of the killing,{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986c|p=2}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} was questioned by police on Friday night{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986a|p=2}} at [[Southmead]] police station, and that same morning an [[autopsy]] was performed by the [[Home Office]] pathologist.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} The following Monday she was [[remanded in custody]] at the Magistrates' Court for Ross's murder.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986b|p=6}} On Saturday 11 July she was charged and sent to trial.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986c|p=2}}
+Jefferis, from [[Bishopston, Bristol|Bishopstone]], a mother of three and 42 at the time of the killing,{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986c|p=2}}{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}{{refn|Or possibly 44.{{sfn|Post reporter|1986a|p=63}}|group=note}} was questioned by police on Friday night{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986a|p=2}} at [[Southmead]] police station, and that same morning an [[autopsy]] was performed by the [[Home Office]] pathologist.{{sfn|Hewett|1986|p=1}} The following Monday she was [[remanded in custody]] at the Magistrates' Court for Ross's murder.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986b|p=6}} On Saturday 11 July she was charged and sent to trial.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986c|p=2}}
-At her trial at [[Bristol Crown Court]], Jefferis pled guilty to [[manslaughter]] on account of [[diminished responsibility]],{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} which plea was accepted by the [[prosecutor]].{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} [[Defence counsel]] argued that it was unlikely the true facts surrounding that night would ever be known, suggesting that Jefferis suffered from such emotional collapse that she had erased all memory of events, a condition recognised by psychiatrists, he claimed.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} The Prosecution agreed that "mystery still surrounded" those last moments because of the parties' dependency on alcohol.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} The court heard that she and Ross had been in a relationship—described as often "stormy"{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}}, as well as "turbulent [and] violent"{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}―for around 12 years by the time of his death. Furthermore, both were apparently [[alcoholic]]s.{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} [[Judge|Mr Justice]] [[Jeremy Stuart-Smith|Stuart-Smith]], presiding, commented that "it is quite clear that alcoholism was at the root of this, it degraded you both{{nbsp}}... I do not suppose anyone will ever know what led you to putting that knife in him".{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} Jefferis was said to have "cracked" under the strain the relationship put upon her;{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} her defence said that—with the exception of her children—she had "destroyed what mattered to her{{nbsp}}... most of all".{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} She was sent to prison for four years.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} A memorial service for Professor Ross was held at the Lord Mayor's Chapel on [[College Green, Bristol|College Green]] on 4 July.{{sfn|Memorial Services|1986|p=18}}
+At her trial at [[Bristol Crown Court]], Jefferis pled guilty to [[manslaughter]] on account of [[diminished responsibility]],{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} which plea was accepted by the [[prosecutor]].{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} [[Defence counsel]] argued that it was unlikely the true facts surrounding that night would ever be known, suggesting that Jefferis suffered from such emotional collapse that she had erased all memory of events, a condition recognised by psychiatrists, he claimed.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} The Prosecution agreed that "mystery still surrounded" those last moments because of the parties' dependency on alcohol.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} The court heard that she and Ross had been in a relationship—described as often "stormy"{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}}, as well as "turbulent [and] violent"{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}―since around 1972. Ross's colleagues described how on one occasion he presented to the [[Bristol Homeopathic Hospital|Homeopathic Hospital]] with glass in his eye, after his spectacles were smashed during a fight with her; another time, "he went to work limping, saying Mrs Jefferis had driven the car at him".{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} Furthermore, both were apparently [[alcoholic]]s.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} [[Judge|Mr Justice]] [[Jeremy Stuart-Smith|Stuart-Smith]], presiding, commented that "it is quite clear that alcoholism was at the root of this, it degraded you both{{nbsp}}... I do not suppose anyone will ever know what led you to putting that knife in him".{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} Jefferis was said to have "cracked" under the strain the relationship put upon her;{{sfn|Daily Telegraph|1986d|p=3}} her defence said that—with the exception of her children—she had "destroyed what mattered to her{{nbsp}}... most of all".{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}} She was sent to prison for four years.{{sfn|Home News|1986a|p=3}} A memorial service for Professor Ross was held at the Lord Mayor's Chapel on [[College Green, Bristol|College Green]] on 4 July.{{sfn|Memorial Services|1986|p=18}}
+[[File:King Edward VII fountain, Bristol (geograph 3649245).jpg|thumb|upright|2013 view of the King Edward VII fountain, outside Clifton's [[Victoria Rooms, Bristol|Victoria Rooms]], which Jefferis threw Ross into the week before he died.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}|alt=colour photograph of the fountain outside the Victoria Rooms, Bristol, taken in 2013]]
 == Influence and reputation==
+{{Quotebox|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|quote=He had a very complicated social life. He was a very witty, charming man and obviously some ladies found him attractive.{{pb}}He was a brilliant scholar and will be sorely missed.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}}|source=Bristol University spokesperson Don Carleton reflecting on Professor Ross's multifaceted approach to life in 1986|align=left|salign=center|width=25em}}
-Ross was an [[Archive|archival]] historian.{{sfn|Kay|1988|p=577}} ''The Times'' described his [[editor]]ial method as being based on a "meticulous concern for detail".{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} ''The Times'' wrote after his death of his "amusing and stimulating" lecturing style and how his teaching inspired many of his students to follow his path.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} He had an international reputation in his field.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}
+Ross was an [[Archive|archival]] historian.{{sfn|Kay|1988|p=577}} ''The Times'' described his [[editor]]ial method as being based on a "meticulous concern for detail".{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} ''The Times'' wrote after his death of his "amusing and stimulating" lecturing style and how his teaching inspired many of his students to follow his path.{{sfn|Obituary|1986|p=18}} The university's spokesman commented on Ross's various extracurricular activities but emphasised his scholarly achievements.{{sfn|Western Daily Presseur|1986a|p=3}} He had an international reputation in his field.{{sfn|Home News|1986b|p=3}}
 ==='The Bristol connection'===
-In 1978, Ross organised a [[symposium]] at Bristol with the intention of providing "an informal and friendly gathering" to allow younger scholars the opportunity to present their own  [[paper]]s. This symposium saw the unofficial foundation of the Bristol connection, a group of former students of Ross's and several contemporary historians. Among the former including Margaret Condon, Keith Dockray, Ralph Griffiths,{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}} Michael Hicks—"proud also to be a member of 'the Bristol connection'—and Tony Pollard.{{sfn|Clark|Fleming|2020|p=184}}
+In 1978, Ross organised a [[symposium]] at Bristol with the intention of providing "an informal and friendly gathering" to allow younger scholars the opportunity to present their own  [[paper]]s. This symposium saw the unofficial foundation of the Bristol connection, a group of former students of Ross's and several contemporary historians. Among the former including Margaret Condon, Keith Dockray, Ralph Griffiths,{{sfn|Dockray|Fleming|2003|p=1}} Michael Hicks—"proud also to be a member of 'the Bristol connection'"—and Tony Pollard.{{sfn|Clark|Fleming|2020|p=184}}
 Ross's pupils included [[Michael Hicks (historian)|Michael Hicks]],<ref>Hicks. M.A., ''Richard III & his Rivals: Magnates and their Motives in the War of the Roses, London 1991'', xii</ref> Anne Crawford<ref>Crawford, A., ''Yorkist Lord John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, c. 1425 – 1485,'' London 2010, ''Acknowledgments''</ref> and Ralph Griffiths.<ref>Chrimes, S.B., Ross, C.D. & Griffiths, R.A. (eds), ''Fifteenth Century England, 1399–1509: Studies in Politics and Society'', Manchester 1972, xii</ref> To his students he passed on the approach of McFarlane, particularly that of drawing broad social or political themes from gentry and aristocratic networks.{{sfn|Rosenthal|1987|pp=396–398}} Hicks has called Ross the "founding father" of the 'Bristol connection'.{{sfn|Hicks|1995|p=17}}{{refn|Hicks has summarised the connection's historical philosophy, per McMcFarlane, who
@@ Line 64: / Line 85: @@
 * {{Cite book|title=The Wars of the Roses: Politics and the Constitution in England, c. 1437–1509|last=Carpenter|first=C.|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1997|isbn=978-0-521-31874-7|location=Cambridge}}
 * {{cite book|editor-last1=Clark|editor-first1=L.|editor-last2=Fleming|editor-first2=P.|chapter=List of Contributors|date=2020|series=The Fifteenth Century |volume=XVIII |title=Rulers, Regions and Retinues: Essays Presented to A. J. Pollard|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|location=Woodbridge|pages=183–184|isbn=978-1-78327-563-2}}
+* {{Cite book|title=Yorkist Lord: John Howard, Duke of Norfolk c. 1425–1485|last=Crawford|first=A.|publisher=Continuum|year=2010|isbn=978-1-44115-201-5|location=London}}
+* {{cite news |last1=Daily Post |title=Alcoholic Lover Knifed History Expert to Death |work=Daily Post |date=1 November 1986 |oclc=938869762}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Daily Telegraph |title=Woman Quizzed on Stabbing |work=Daily Telegraph |date=5 April 1986a|oclc=49632006}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Daily Telegraph |title=Tutor Murder Charge Remand|work=Daily Telegraph |date=7 April 1986b|oclc=49632006}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Daily Telegraph |title=Tutor Murder Charge|work=Daily Telegraph |date=12 April 1986c|oclc=49632006}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Daily Telegraph |title=Four Years for Lover who Killed Historian|work=Daily Telegraph |date=1 November 1986d|oclc=49632006}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Dockray|first1=K.|last2=Fleming|first2=P.|editor-last=Clark|editor-first=L.|title=Authority and Subversion |series=The Fifteenth Century|volume=III|year=2003|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|location=Woodbridge|isbn=978-1-84383-025-2|pages=1–4|chapter=Authority and Subversion: A Conference on Fifteenth-century England Held at the University of the West of England, St. Matthias Campus, Bristol, 6-8 September 2001}}
+* {{cite journal|last1=Dockray |first1=K.|title=Edward IV: playboy or politician?|journal=The Ricardian|date=1995|volume=10|pages=306-322|oclc=11995669}}
+* {{cite book|last1=Dockray|first1=K.|last2=Fleming|first2=P.|editor-last=Clark|editor-first=L.|title=Authority and Subversion |series=The Fifteenth Century|volume=III|year=2003|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|location=Woodbridge|isbn=978-1-84383-025-2|pages=1–4|chapter=Authority and Subversion: A Conference on Fifteenth-century England Held at the University of the West of England, St. Matthias Campus, Bristol, 6–8 September 2001}}
+* {{cite journal |last1=Guth |first1=D. J. |title=Review: 'Edward IV' by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974) |journal=The Historical Journal |date=1975 |volume=XVIII |issue=4 |pages=879-881 |oclc=301165981}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Hewett |first1=C. |title=Stab Murder of Professor |work=Evening Post |date=4 April 1986 |oclc=50857379}}
 * {{cite book|last=Hicks|first=M. A. |title=Bastard Feudalism|year=1995|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-1-31789-896-2}}
@@ Line 77: / Line 102: @@
 * {{cite news |last1=Memorial Services|title=Ross |work=The Times |date=8 April 1986|issn=0140-0460}}
 * {{cite news |last1=Obituary |title=Prof Charles Ross |work=The Times |date=11 June 1986|issn=0140-0460}}
+* {{cite news |last1=Post reporter|title=Murder Charge |work=Evening Post |date=11 July 1986a|oclc=50857379}}
+* {{cite journal |last1=Richmond |first1=C. |title=Review: Edward IV by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974) |journal=History |date=1976 |volume=61 |issue=201 |pages=105–106 |oclc=466923053}}
 * {{cite journal |last1=Rosenthal |first1=J. T. |title=Review: Kings and Nobles in the Later Middle Ages by Ralph A. Griffiths and James Sherborne |journal=Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies |date=1987 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=396–398 |doi=10.2307/4050470 |oclc=01479044}}
+* {{cite news |last1=Western Daily Presseur |title=A Brilliant Life Blighted by drink |work=Western Daily Press |date=1 November 1986a|oclc=500148923}}
+* {{cite journal |last1=Wolffe |first1=B. P. |title=Reviews of Books: Edward IV by Charles Ross (London: Eyre Methuen, 1974) |journal=The English Historical Review |date=1976 |volume=91 |issue=359 |pages=369–374 |doi=10.1093/ehr/XCI.CCCLIX.369}}
 {{colend}}
 {{Authority control}}

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