John Bramble Obituary
John Bramble, my previous academic mentor, has passed away at the age of 78. He was part of a group of Latin scholars who used modern critical approaches to invigorate the study of ancient Latin texts from the late 1960s up to the 1980s.
John was born to Clifton Bramble, a finance manager in Manchester Corporation’s transport department, and Louisa (nee Murray), an administrator for the Co-operative Wholesale Society in Salford. He received his education at Manchester Grammar School and earned a first-class classics degree from Cambridge University. Furthermore, he completed postgraduate work on the Roman poet Lucan’s epic about the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. In 1967, he was a junior research fellow at Peterhouse, and shortly after, he moved to Oxford and became a classics fellow at Corpus Christi College.
Along with his friend Oliver Lyne, John brought a fresh perspective to Latin literature in Oxford. During his unconventional tutorials, he introduced exciting and new ways of analyzing Latin literature. His students often alternated reading a Latin poem with listening to Jimi Hendrix to explore how the latter’s rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner shed light on Horace’s role as an Augustan propagandist.
Although not a prolific writer, John made valuable contributions to the study of Roman poets such as Catullus, Lucan, and Persius. He was also passionate about motorbikes and gardening, and he played a crucial role in appointing David Leake as Corpus Christi’s gardener. David created one of the least conventional college gardens, with high bamboo and meandering marrows in the front quad.
In 1986, John retired from Corpus Christi College due to health reasons. He spent many productive years in active retirement, creating beautiful gardens in his various homes, and exploring his intellectual interests in different places. His curiosity led him to explore the reception of oriental religion and mysticism in modern society. And, he published the book Modernism and the Occult in 2015, which showcased his expertise.
John was spiritually attached to Tibetan Buddhism, spending significant amounts of time on retreats at the Kagyu Samye Ling monastery in Eskdalemuir in Scotland. In his last home in Totnes, Devon, he became a regular visitor to the town’s Golden Buddha Centre, cultivating his interests in Buddhism.
John is survived by his sister, Christine.
