Richard Lodge was born at Penkhull, Staffordshire, on 20 June 1855. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and then at Balliol College, Oxford. After graduating, he was appointed Fellow and Lecturer of Brasenose College, 1878, and Tutor in 1883. Lodge was the first Professor of History at Glasgow University, and was appointed in 1894 to the newly-founded Chair. He held the post until 1899 when he became Professor of History at Edinburgh University, a Chair which he held until his retiral in 1925. On his appointment at Edinburgh, the subject was still a fairly new one as a qualification for the Ordinary MA and as an Honours group and the Chair itself, like that in Glasgow, was only created in 1894. On his retiral, history at the University was thriving and it was through the efforts of Lodge that historical study in Scotland advanced to the level it did. Edinburgh became a centre of historical study and Lodge himself was an leading authority on 17th century English history and 18th century European diplomacy. His publications include The student's Modern Europe: a history of modern Europe; from the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, 1453 to the treaty of Berlin, 1878 (1885), Richelieu (1896), The history of England: from the Restoration to the death of William III, 1660-1702 (1910), and A history of modern Europe from the capture of Constantinople, 1453, to the Treaty of Berlin, 1878 (1914). Lodge was knighted in 1917. Professor Sir Richard Lodge died in 1936.
From the guide to the Lectures and Correspondence of Professor Sir Richard Lodge (1855-1936), 1889-1935, (Edinburgh University Library)
