John Gallagher

Dr. John Gallagher is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the School of History, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, University of Leeds. He joined the university in 2017 after serving as a Research Fellow in History at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. His academic journey began with a BA in History and French from Trinity College Dublin, followed by an MPhil and PhD in History from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Gallagher's research focuses on the social and cultural history of the early modern period, with particular expertise in language, migration, and education. He has secured funding from prestigious organizations including the Arts & Humanities Research Council, Mellon Foundation, British Academy, and Leverhulme Trust. His current major project explores migration and multilingualism in early modern London, examining how migrant communities navigated linguistic diversity in urban settings. He also co-leads the "MAPS: Multilingual Archives in Premodern Societies" project with Professor Natalia Filatkina of Universität Hamburg.

Dr. Gallagher's research output reveals consistent themes across his publications, with a strong emphasis on linguistic practices, cultural exchange, and the social dynamics of early modern communities. His work spans diverse topics from the history of insult and offense to migrant eating habits, from annotated books to Mediterranean piracy, demonstrating his interdisciplinary approach to understanding the early modern world.

• Philip Leverhulme Prize in History (2023)
• Co-Editor of The Historical Journal
• Editorial board member of 'Polyglot Encounters' book series
• Advisory board member of History Today
• BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker

Dr. Gallagher is an active supervisor with current postgraduate researchers including Rosalyn Cousins, Juliet Atkinson, and Chris Toole. He teaches across all levels in the School of History, emphasizing research-led teaching that engages students directly with early modern sources. He also runs an extracurricular study group called "Languages for Historians" to support students in multilingual research and is passionate about engaging students in debates over historical approaches and methodologies.