Nicola Phillips

Nicola Phillips is a Lecturer in 18th Century British History & Gender at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her expertise spans gender, legal, and cultural history, with a focus on Britain and transatlantic connections to America.

Research Interests: A historian of Georgian Britain, she explores intersections of gender, legal agency, and socio-cultural dynamics. Her recent work examines rhetorical strategies in legal advocacy and the role of emotion in transatlantic courtroom practices. She leads digital humanities projects, including the Re-Creating Advocacy in the C18th Court of King's Bench, which uses augmented reality to reconstruct historical legal environments.

Collaborations & Projects: Her ongoing project An Eloquence of Lawyers analyzes advocacy, gender, and emotion across Britain and America (1770–1830). She has held roles as Director of the Bedford Centre for the History of Women and Gender and contributed to public history initiatives, including collaborations with the National Trust, Royal Mail, and The National Archives.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

Education & Supervision: She teaches undergraduate and MA modules on Georgian society, gender history, and historical research methods. Nicola supervises PhD students in 18th-century gender history, law, and public history, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches.

Labs & Teams: Nicola collaborates with the Engaged Humanities Lab at Royal Holloway and external institutions like Parliamentary Archives and The National Archives. Her work bridges academia, digital technology, and public engagement to reimagine historical legal spaces.