Joan Turville-Petre


Joan Elizabeth Turville-Petre was a noted academic at Oxford University, England, in the field of Anglo-Saxon, Icelandic and Scandinavian language studies.
Joan Turville-Petre was the daughter of Sam Blomfield of Colchester, Essex. In 1930 she began her studies at Somerville College, Oxford University and she maintained a lifelong connection with the college. She was a Tutor and Fellow from 1941 to 1946, a Lecturer in English from 1946 to 1965 and an Honorary College Research Fellow from 1965 until her death in 2006.
On 7 January 1943, Joan Turville-Petre married Gabriel Turville-Petre, a fellow Oxford academic working in the same field. J. R. R. Tolkien and his wife were among the guests. They had three sons: Thorlac Francis Samuel, Merlin Oswald and Brendan Arthur Auberon.
Joan Turville-Petre died at the age of 94. Her funeral was held at St Michael's, Aylsham on 23 March 2006.

Selected publications