Tom Hamilton

Dr. Tom Hamilton is a Professor of Early Modern European History at Durham University's Department of History, affiliated with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies as a Barker Senior Research Fellow. His research focuses on 16th- and 17th-century France, particularly the Wars of Religion (1562–1598), examining their social, cultural, and legal aftermath. He leads the 'Forging Social Solidarities during Religious Wars' project under Durham's Inventing Futures initiative. His work analyzes criminal archives to explore marginalized voices and legal practices, with key publications including Pierre de L’Estoile and his World in the Wars of Religion (2017) and A Widow’s Vengeance after the Wars of Religion (2024).

• Education: BA from the University of Cambridge, PhD from the University of Oxford
• Prior roles: Departmental Lecturer at Oxford, Research Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge
• Visiting positions: Max Planck Institute for Legal History (Frankfurt), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (Paris)

Research interests include criminal justice, gender, sexuality, and the intersection of law and society in early modern France. His awards include the Nancy Lyman Roelker Prize and R. Gapper Book Prize shortlist. He supervises graduate students on early modern French history topics.

Publications span over 50 articles and books, emphasizing legal culture, war's societal impact, and archival methodologies. He co-edits French History and contributes to public-facing platforms like History Today and podcasts.