Life Stories
Vincent Anthony Gillespie FBA
Vincent Anthony Gillespie (1972 BA English Language and Literature, Honorary Fellow) died on 13 March 2025 aged 71.
It is with sadness that the family announces the death of Vincent Gillespie, who died at his home in Thame with family at his side.
Vincent was born in 1954 in Liverpool, the son of Florence and Tony Gillespie. He attended St Matthew’s Primary School, and then St Edward’s College where he learned to play double bass, going on to play with the Merseyside Youth Orchestra. As an impoverished undergraduate he was able to earn a little money playing with a jazz band at public events. The Sea Scouts had also played a big part in his childhood and teenage years, opening him up to new experiences and building up his confidence.
The big turning point for Vincent was winning a place to read English at Oxford. The first year at Keble was something of a culture shock, but music helped him integrate, and then he discovered that he could make people laugh, so gradually he felt at home. In 1975 he graduated from Keble with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature. Inspired by his tutor Malcolm Parkes to engage more fully with Medieval Literature he went on to achieve a DPhil in the subject under the supervision of Douglas Gray. During those postgraduate years Vincent found time for acting and directing, most memorably directing a production of Richard II in Keble Chapel.
Vincent’s first teaching job was at the University of Reading, 1977- 1980. While there he married Peggy whom he had met during his first year at Keble. In 1980 he was appointed Fellow and Tutor in English at St Anne’s College, Oxford, where he spent 24 very happy years. In 2004 he became the J R R Tolkien Professor of Medieval Language and Literature, and a Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall (and informally, member of the high table ‘breakfast club’). There followed visiting Professorships to The University of California at Berkeley and to the University of Otago in New Zealand. In 2013 Vincent was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. Throughout he published widely.
Teaching, as well as mentoring young academics, were priorities for Vincent. He taught Old English, Middle English, Chaucer, Langland, Medieval Literary Theory and Aesthetics, Early Modern Literature and Modern British Drama. He generally lectured from a few bullet points written on cards, pacing about as he did so.
Somehow he also managed to find time to be a Curator of the Bodleian Libraries (2005-11) and Chair of the English Faculty Board (1995-97) among a list of other demanding administrative roles. Serving on the Board of the Oxford Playhouse from 1994 to 1999 gave Vincent the chance to contribute again to theatre.
Time for pleasure was limited but what Vincent enjoyed most was family, theatre, concerts, fine dining and fine wines, the company of friends, and the occasional successes of Everton Football Club. If he could combine several of these at once that would count as a good day. Christian teaching and contemplation were recurring themes in his research, and it is to be hoped that Vincent’s own faith helped sustain him through the challenges of his long illness. He is mourned by his ex-students, colleagues, and friends, and by family, especially Peggy, Thomas, Edward, Kate and Holly, and his grandsons Gabriel and Asa.
Kindly provided by his wife Peggy Gillespie