Matthew Davies

Matthew Davies serves as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London, and holds the title of Professor of Urban History. His academic career includes roles as Pro-Dean at the School of Advanced Study (2012-16) and Director of the Centre for Metropolitan History (pre-2012). He holds a BA (1990) and DPhil (1994) from the University of Oxford, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA, 2018).

Research focuses on medieval and early modern urban history, particularly London's economic structures, governance, and digital heritage mapping. Major projects include the Heritage Lottery-funded 'Layers of London' (2016–present), digitizing historical maps with crowd-sourced content, and the 'Records of London's Livery Companies Online' (ROLLCO). His work integrates GIS technologies to analyze urban development, as seen in projects like 'Locating London's Past' (JISC).

Notable publications include *London and Middlesex Hearth Tax of 1666* (2014) and edited volumes on guild histories. Awards include Fellowships from the Royal Historical Society and Society of Antiquaries, alongside visiting roles at prestigious institutions like the Folger Library and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität.

Supervision expertise spans late medieval and early modern topics, particularly London's mercantile communities. He has overseen doctoral research such as Xu Yang's thesis on early modern London merchants (2022). Active in academic governance, he chairs the Isobel Thornley Fund Committee and advises the Museum of London's academic programs.

Current initiatives emphasize public engagement through digital platforms, with ongoing collaborations involving museums, archives, and community groups to democratize historical access. His research bridges archival scholarship with modern digital methodologies, creating accessible resources for both scholars and the general public.