It is with great sadness that the History announces the death of Dr Simon Healy. One of its longest serving members of staff, Simon joined the History in 1990, where, for the next thirty years, he worked on both the early Stuart House of Commons and House of Lords volumes, published in 2010 and 2021 respectively. During that time, Simon wrote no fewer than 334 articles. These ranged from major political figures like Lord Chancellor Bacon to obscure Welsh MPs and bishops. They also included groundbreaking studies of local electoral politics in north Wales and Yorkshire.
In addition to being well-read, Simon believed deeply in the importance of archival research and therefore immersed himself in the manuscript sources, much of it neglected by other historians. Simon’s enthusiasm for manuscript-based research was infectious. Friendly and good-humoured, with seemingly boundless energy, he eagerly shared his knowledge with those around him, not least those young postgraduate students whom he met at one of the IHR’s seminars or on his many trips to Kew. He will be greatly missed. Simon leaves behind him a wife (Lucy) and two young children.
