Chris Wickham: key obituary facts
Is Chris Wickham dead? Yes. Chris Wickham died on October 9, 2026, at age 76.
Cause of death: Chris Wickham's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Chris Wickham known for?
He was a British historian (born 1950).
More about Chris Wickham
Born: 18 May 1950.
Gender: male.
Occupation: historian, university teacher, medievalist.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Education: Keble College.
Employer: University of Oxford, University of Birmingham.
Awards: Wolfson History Prize, Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, Fellow of the British Academy, Serena Medal, Corresponding Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize.
Spouse: Leslie Brubaker.
Also known as: C. J. Wickham, Christopher Wickham, Christopher John Wickham, Christopher J. Wickham.
Title: Chichele Professor of Medieval History.
Chris Wickham, a British historian and academic, died on October 9, 2026, aged 76.
Born Christopher John Wickham in Rossett, Wales, on May 18, 1950, he attended Millfield before studying at Keble College, Oxford, from 1968 to 1975. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1971 and completed a doctorate in 1975.
His academic career began at the University of Birmingham in 1977, where he spent nearly three decades. He served as lecturer from 1977 to 1987, senior lecturer until 1989, and reader from 1989; in 1993, he became professor of Medieval History. He was Professor of Early Medieval History from 1997 to 2005. That year Wickham joined Oxford as Chichele Professor of Medieval History and a Fellow of All Souls College; he held the professorship until 2016 and was emeritus professor. His honors included the Wolfson History Prize and fellowships of the British Academy and Learned Society of Wales. He was also a corresponding fellow of the Medieval Academy of America and received the Serena Medal and Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize. Wickham was married to Leslie Brubaker. His books included The Donkey and the Boat (2023), Las formas del feudalismo (2020) and Das Mittelalter (2018).