# George Prothero

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British historian (1848–1922)

For the Welsh cricketer and clergyman, see [George Prothero (cricketer)](/source/George_Prothero_(cricketer)).

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Please help improve this article by citing more sources. Find sources: "George Prothero" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2026)

Sir George Prothero KBE FBA Born George Walter Prothero (1848-10-14)14 October 1848 Wiltshire, England Died 10 July 1922(1922-07-10) (aged 73) Subject History biography

**Sir George Walter Prothero** [KBE](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) [FBA](/source/Fellow_of_the_British_Academy) (14 October 1848 – 10 July 1922) was an English historian, writer, and academic who served as president of the [Royal Historical Society](/source/Royal_Historical_Society) from 1901 to 1905.

## Life and writings

Prothero was born in [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire) to [George Prothero](/source/George_Prothero_(cricketer)), and was educated at [Eton](/source/Eton_College), studying classics at [King's College, Cambridge](/source/King's_College%2C_Cambridge), and at the [University of Bonn](/source/University_of_Bonn).[1][2] He went on to become a [Fellow](/source/Fellow#Oxford,_Cambridge_and_Dublin) of King's College, working as a history [lecturer](/source/Lecturer) there from 1876.[2] In 1894, he became the first Professor of Modern History at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh).[2] During his time in Edinburgh he spent a year as a Council member of the local influential conservationist body, the [Cockburn Association](/source/Cockburn_Association).[3]

After five years as Professor of Modern History in Edinburgh, Prothero moved to London to take the place of his brother, [Lord Ernle](/source/Rowland_Prothero%2C_1st_Baron_Ernle), as the editor of the *[Quarterly Review](/source/Quarterly_Review)*,[2] a political [periodical](/source/Periodical). He also acted as editor of the *[Cambridge Historical Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cambridge_Historical_Series&action=edit&redlink=1)*,[2] a set of historical books detailing the history of several European nations and other parts of the world which were published by Cambridge University Press from 1894 onwards. With [A. W. Ward](/source/Adolphus_William_Ward) and [Stanley Mordaunt Leathes](/source/Stanley_Mordaunt_Leathes) he edited the *[Cambridge Modern History](/source/Cambridge_Modern_History)* between 1901 and 1912.

In 1903 he was invited to give the [Rede Lecture](/source/Rede_Lecture), on which occasion he spoke on the topic of [Napoleon III](/source/Napoleon_III) and the [Second French Empire](/source/Second_French_Empire). In 1904–1906 he was a member of the [Royal Commission for Ecclesiastical Discipline](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Commission_for_Ecclesiastical_Discipline&action=edit&redlink=1).[2] Following the outbreak of [World War I](/source/World_War_I), Prothero worked as Historical Advisor to the [Foreign Office](/source/Foreign_Office), and in this capacity attended the [Paris Peace Conference of 1919](/source/Paris_Peace_Conference%2C_1919).[2] For his services to the war effort, he was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the [1920 New Year Honours](/source/1920_New_Year_Honours).[2]

He was married to Fanny (née Butcher), one of the 12 members of the Cambridge [Ladies Dining Society](/source/Ladies_Dining_Society).

He died in 1922.

## Selected publications

- [*The Life of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester*](https://books.google.com/books?id=L5JHAAAAIAAJ) (1877)

- [*A Memoir of Henry Bradshaw*](https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Memoir_of_Henry_Bradshaw.html?id=IDFbvBfvoOAC) (1888)

- *Select Statutes and other Documents Illustrative of the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I* (1894); [2nd edition, 1898](https://books.google.com/books/about/Select_Statutes_and_Other_Constitutional.html?id=6ekJAAAAIAAJ)

- *The British History Reader* (1898)

- *[Cambridge Modern History](/source/Cambridge_Modern_History)* (1902–1912), co-editor

- *[Peace handbooks](http://www.wdl.org/en/search/?contributors=Prothero%2C%20G.W.%20%28George%20Walter%29%2C%201848-1922)* (published c. 1920), Briefing books on countries, territorial and economic questions, prepared on behalf of the [Foreign Office](/source/Foreign_Office) for British negotiators at the [Paris Peace Conference of 1919](/source/Paris_Peace_Conference%2C_1919)[4]

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Prothero, George Walter (PRTR868GW)"](https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=&suro=w&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=PRTR868GW&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50). *A Cambridge Alumni Database*. University of Cambridge.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-EB1922_2-7) Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). ["Prothero, Sir George Walter"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1922_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Prothero,_Sir_George_Walter). *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica)*. Vol. 32 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 186.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Historic Cockburn Association Office-Bearers"](https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/history/office-bearers/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Peace handbooks and works by G. W. Prothero"](http://www.wdl.org/en/search/?contributors=Prothero%2C%20G.W.%20%28George%20Walter%29%2C%201848-1922). *World Digital Library*. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

## References

- *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*, "Prothero, Sir George Walter (1848–1922), historian" by Algernon Cecil, rev. Peter R. H. Slee.

## External links

- Works by or about [George Walter Prothero](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:George_Walter_Prothero) at [Wikisource](/source/Wikisource)

Academic offices Preceded by Adolphus William Ward President of the Royal Historical Society 1901–1905 Succeeded by William Hunt

v t e Presidents of the Royal Historical Society 1871–1872 George Grote 1873–1878 John Russell, 1st Earl Russell 1878–1891 Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare 1891–1899 Sir M. E. Grant Duff 1899–1901 Sir Adolphus Ward 1901–1905 Sir George Prothero 1905–1909 William Hunt 1909–1913 William Cunningham 1913–1917 Sir Charles Firth 1917–1921 Sir Charles Oman 1921–1925 Sir John Fortescue 1925–1929 Frederick Tout 1929–1933 Sir Richard Lodge 1933–1937 Sir F. M. Powicke 1937–1945 Sir Frank Stenton 1946–1949 Robert William Seton-Watson 1949–1953 Theodore Plucknett 1953–1957 Hale Bellot 1957–1961 David Knowles 1961–1965 Sir Goronwy Edwards 1965–1969 Robin Humphreys 1969–1973 Sir R. W. Southern 1973–1977 Sir Geoffrey Elton 1977–1981 Sir John Habakkuk 1981–1985 Sir J. C. Holt 1985–1989 Gerald Aylmer 1989–1993 Michael Thompson 1993–1997 Sir Rees Davies 1997–2001 Sir P. J. Marshall 2001–2005 Dame Janet Nelson 2005–2008 Martin Daunton 2009–2012 Colin Jones 2012–2016 Peter Mandler 2016–2020 Margot Finn 2020-2024 Emma Griffin 2024-present Lucy Noakes

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Italy Czech Republic Portugal Netherlands Norway Latvia Poland Vatican Israel Academics CiNii People Trove Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef Open Library 2 SNAC Yale LUX

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