Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Rutherford, James

27 January 1906 - 11 April 1963

Born in Dunston, near Gateshead, Rutherford was the son of a railway worker. He was educated in the Newcastle area and attended the University of Durham, from where he graduated with an MA in history. Postgraduate study was undertaken at the University of Michigan, with the subject of his PhD thesis being South Africa’s federal government in the late nineteenth century.

Returning to England in 1928, he was employed until 1933 at Southampton’s University College as an assistant lecturer in history. He then applied for the position of chair in history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Despite being only 28 and lacking in experience his application was successful. Rutherford's lecturing style was well received by the younger students but by others he was seen as being relatively unapproachable. The focus of his research was nineteenth century New Zealand history. He published extensively, with his most notable work being a lengthy biography of Sir George Grey, the former Governor of New Zealand.

During the Second World War, Rutherford served with the New Zealand Army. Once the War was over he was posted to the reserve and resumed his academic career. However, dogged by ill health he died at the relatively young age of 57.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rutherford_%28historian%29

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

Although his contribution was relatively modest, in editing the letters and papers of the sea captain Thomas Stockwell, who died in 1614, Rutherford assisted in making known to a wider audience, what were described in a report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission as “a collection of writings deserving the attention of social antiquaries and chroniclers” (Hampshire Advertiser, 14.03.1931).  

Relevant published works

• His two Southampton Record Society publications were:

  • 32 The Miscellaneous Papers of Captain Thomas Stockwell 1590 – 1611: Vol 1 1591-1605 (Southampton: Cox and Sharland, 1932)
  
  
  • 33 The Miscellaneous Papers of Captain Thomas Stockwell 1590 – 1611: Vol 2 1607-1614 (Southampton: Cox and Sharland, 1933)

Critical Comments

Other Comments

One interesting observation concerning his successful application for the post at the University of Auckland was that two local candidates, Bill Airey and John Beaglehole, were not favoured since they were considered to be too radical! Moreover, ‘the selection panel at the time favoured academics that were educated in Britain, seeing them as superior to those who had received degrees from New Zealand universities’ (Wikipedia).

Contributor

Roger Ottewill (29.11.2022)

Key Words

University College Southampton, Southampton Record Society, Captain Thomas Stockwell

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