Clare Gittings, a pioneering scholar who passed away from a stroke at age 71, authored a landmark study that reshaped our understanding of death's social history. Her work, "Death, Burial and the Individual in Early Modern England" (1984), meticulously documented how death evolved from a vibrant, communal event often marked by "merry mourners" to a more private and less collective experience in modern society.
Early Academic Contributions and Scholarly Focus
Gittings' fascination with mortality began early, leading her to publish a successful guide titled "Brasses and Brass Rubbing" at just 16 years old. This publication explored various forms of memorialization, ranging from skeletal depictions to the enigmatic "wild man of the woods." After earning an MLitt from Oxford University in 1978, she dedicated her research to examining church memorials, with a particular interest in emotionally resonant verses composed by widows rather than formal scholars or clergy.
A Vibrant Career in Education and Art
Beyond her academic pursuits, Clare Gittings was known for her lively and engaging personality, often describing impressive or unusual things as "very splendid." She served as an education officer and later learning manager at the National Portrait Gallery from 1989 to 2013, where she made primary schoolchildren feel welcome by greeting them with "Hello people!" and discussing artworks on equal terms. Her colleagues celebrated her vast knowledge, noting in verse her expertise "from Henry Tudor to Windsor Liz."
Diverse Professional Experiences and Later Life
Prior to her tenure at the gallery, Gittings experienced a period of exploration that included volunteering with VSO in the Maldives alongside her partner, criminologist Malcolm Ramsay, from 1986 to 1988. She also taught at Sumners primary school in Harlow, Essex, for seven years, though she grew frustrated with the increasing emphasis on rote learning. In retirement in Hertford, she researched the town's connections to slavery and prepared a lecture series on "Portraiture in Britain: Highlights Across Six Centuries," which Ramsay delivered posthumously.
Born in Chichester, West Sussex, Clare grew up in a literary household with biographer parents Robert Gittings and Jo Manton. She attended Midhurst grammar school, studied English and American studies at the University of East Anglia, and completed her master's at St Anne's College, Oxford. Throughout her life, she was a cherished aunt and a beloved figure among family and friends, leaving a legacy that bridges academic rigor with heartfelt humanity.
