Alexander Hamilton Thompson, (7 November 1873 – 4 September 1952) was a historian. He was Professor of Medieval History at the University of Leeds from 1924 to 1939.
Early life and education
Thompson was born on 7 November 1873 at Clifton, Bristol, the son of The Reverend John Thompson, Vicar of St Gabriel's, Bristol, and his wife Annie Hastings (née Cooper, daughter of Canon David Cooper). He attended Clifton College from 1883 to 1890 and Totnes School for a year. He gained a minor scholarship to read Classics at St John's College, Cambridge from 1892 to 1895. He received his BA in 1895, later promoted to MA in 1903.
Academic career
After graduating, Thompson tutored in Europe until 1897, when he returned to Cambridge as an extramural teacher; he was a lecturer for the Cambridge University Extension course until 1919. During this period, he began publishing books on English literature, the history and architecture of the English parish church and military architecture in medieval England.
Thompson was appointed a lecturer in English at Armstrong College, Newcastle upon Tyne (then part of Durham University, now Newcastle University) in 1919. He was promoted to Reader in Medieval History and Archaeology in 1921.
In 1922, Thompson moved to the University of Leeds, where he was appointed Reader in Medieval History and promoted to Professor two years later. He was head of the Department of History at Leeds from 1927 until his retirement in 1939. During this period, he published studies of buildings and editions of medieval records.
