|
|
|
Fri 04th Oct 2019
Professor Ian Whyte (1948-2019) |
|
Many Chorley Historical Society Members are also members of the
nearby Brindle Historical Society. One of the founding members
of that society was Ian Whyte.
On Fri 4th Oct 2019
relatives and many friends gathered at St James' Church Brindle
for the funeral of Ian Whyte (1948-2019) who died on 24th
September 2019. Ian was a well-respected member of the Brindle
Community and especially St James’ Church. Amongst his many
interests he had been a bell ringer at the church and was also
one of the founding members of Brindle Historical Society which
was formed in June 2002. Ian was the first chairman with Steve
Williams as Secretary. Ian originally attended Edinburgh
University where he met Kathy and they later married. He became
lecturer in the Geography department at Glasgow University and
later Professor Emeritus at Lancaster University. The church was
almost full as friends gathered to say goodbye. He was then
buried in the small graveyard across from the church in a plot
that overlooks the hills and moors that he loved so much. He
published many articles and books on landscapes, their economy
and place in society. |
Ian Whyte (1948-2019) |
|
|
Friends and relatives gather for Ian's funeral in St James'
Church, Brindle |
|
His remarkable legacy is not just the information he published
but also the students he inspired. He will also be remembered
for his quiet and polite manner and astonishing depth of
knowledge.
One of Ian’s last wished was to receive a toast
with real Scotch Whiskey. This was granted at Shaw Hill Club
afterwards. |
Temporary cross by Ian's grave.
In
the distance are the hills and moors he loved. |
A toast to Ian at Shaw Hill Club. |
The Obituary for Ian on the Lancaster University
website is copied below. The University regrets
to announce the death of Professor Emeritus Ian Whyte on 24th September
2019.
Ian Whyte was appointed to a lectureship in Geography at
Lancaster University in 1979, having previously been a lecturer in the
Geography department at Glasgow University. He had completed his
undergraduate and postgraduate training at Edinburgh University with a
PhD thesis on Agrarian change in lowland Scotland in the seventeenth
century. He was awarded a personal chair at Lancaster in 1996 and
retired in 2012. He sadly died on 24th September 2019 after a period of
illness.
Ian’s main research interest was in Scottish Historical
Geography, especially the evolution of landscape, economy and society in
early-modern Scotland, ranging from agriculture and rural society to
urban development. While at Lancaster he also extended his research to
the study of landscape change, and associated socio-economic changes in
the upland areas of Northern England, particularly the process of
parliamentary enclosure. He had a strong interest in the English Lake
District focusing on issues of landscape and heritage management. He
published widely, including some 17 books and many journal articles. In
many ways Ian was ahead of his time in his research. Not only did he
meticulously research many aspects of Scottish economy and society in
the early-modern period, but also he studied the critical links between
environmental change and human society long before these issues became
the high-profile topics that they are today. His research had an unusual
breadth in its combination of detailed archival investigation with an
excellent understanding of environmental change and its impacts on human
societies. His books are likely to continue to be seen as authoritative
sources for many years to come, and his scholarship was formally
recognized by the award of DSc (Edinburgh University 1989) and an
Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 1998
for ‘distinguished service to geography in Scotland’.
Ian was a
committed and enthusiastic teacher who always willingly carried a full
teaching load. He often volunteered to fill teaching gaps, even on
occasion turning his hand to physical geography. Students enjoyed his
classes and seemed to view him as the archetypal geography professor:
very knowledgeable if slightly (and endearingly) eccentric! Ian was also
a committed field instructor, teaching on more than his fair share of
field courses, and he always tried to incorporate field teaching in his
modules. Ian also had a very strong commitment to the discipline of
Geography and to his department. He undertook most major administrative
tasks at various points during his career and was always supportive of
his colleagues.
Beyond the department Ian worked with a wide
range of colleagues elsewhere in the university, particularly in
History, Modern Languages (Ian had a strong interest in the historical
geography of France) and in the Centre for North-West Regional Studies.
He also undertook extramural teaching, especially through his work with
the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society
where he edited the society’s journal for several years. Ian Whyte will
be much missed by all his friends and colleagues in Lancaster and
elsewhere. He is survived by his wife Kathy, with whom he collaborated
on some of his research and publications, and by his daughters Rebecca
and Ruth.
A funeral for Ian will take place at 12.00 noon on
Friday 4 October 2019 at St. James’ Parish Church, Brindle, Lancashire,
PR6 8NG, followed by a buffet at Shaw Hill Golf Club.
Colin G
Pooley |
back
