Royal Armouries London

Malcolm Mercer is Curator of Tower History at the Royal Armouries Museum, based at the Tower of London.

Biography

Malcolm Mercer is a specialist in late medieval English cultural, military and political history. He came to the Royal Armouries from Canterbury Cathedral Archives in 2009 where he was Senior Research Archivist and directly responsible for collections development.

However, his expertise in the medieval records of central government was developed principally at The National Archives. In his role as Senior Medieval Records Specialist he worked on a wide range of research projects and initiatives that facilitated much greater access to both traditional and non-traditional users.

Malcolm’s research interests have traditionally centred upon late medieval political culture, particularly the fifteenth century gentry and their participation in warfare. He has published a number of articles on the nature of loyalty as well as a monograph about gentry motivation and behaviour during the Wars of the Roses.

At the Royal Armouries, Malcolm is actively exploring medieval arms and armour production in England with a particular emphasis on the role of the Tower of London. He is also taking an active interest in the Tower Armouries collections in the 19th century and more generally the nature of arms and armour collecting.

Malcolm currently sits on the Council of the List & Index Society, closely associated with The National Archives, which has a long established tradition of publishing lists, texts, and editions of manuscripts for the wider historical community. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Asiatic Society.