William Terence Martin Riches
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| Doctor William Terence Martin Riches | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 Tintern, Wales |
| 20242024 | |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Tennessee |
| 💼 Occupation | Lecturer in American Studies, Author |
| Known for | Anti-Brexit activism |
| Notable work | The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Judy Riches (married 1963) |
| 👶 Children | 2 |
William Riches was a retired lecturer in American Studies at the University of Ulster,[1][2][3], author of political works,[3][4] and most famously protested the separation of the United Kingdom from the European Union by declaring his home as an independent nation in 2017.[1][2][5]
Early Life
Riches was born in Tintern, Wales, in 1939.[2][6] He grew up around the Forest of Dean. In 1959, at the age of 20, he met his future wife Judith, whom he married in 1963.[2]
Career
Riches went overseas to pursue a PhD at the University of Tennessee.[2] Riches then moved to Northern Ireland to become a lecturer[1][3] at Ulster Polytechnic (later Ulster University) in 1973 with his wife and their 2 new children.[2]
Literary Works
The Conservative Political Tradition in Britain and the United States
In 1992, Riches with 2 other authors published the book 'The Conservative Political Tradition in Britain and the United States'. The book set out to define conservatism as a 'single but complex phenomenon', which in a review by Andrew Moravcsik of Harvard University, described the book as 'not wholly succeeding the goal'. Moravcsik criticized the book for not covering libertarian conservatism, instead focusing elsewhere (among other comments).[3][7]
The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance
In 1997, he published the book 'The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance' for students,[4][8][9] and it was part of the book series 'Study in Contemporary History'.[9] The book received positive reviews; In the book 'History: Review of New Books', Michael D. Cary comments that the book 'provides an excellent introduction to and review of the U.S. civil rights movement'.[10] On the American Studies Resource Centre (a digitised version of the recources at the Liverpool John Moores University), the book is described as presenting a 'coherent and very readable account of the American Civil Rights Movement'.[11]
Retirement
Riches and Judy retired to Newnham-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, close to where he grew up.[2]
Anti-Brexit Protesting
In July of 2017, William Riches gained media attention due to declaring his home as an independent republic, naming it the 'Independent Republic of Middlewatch'. He did this to oppose the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union,[1][5] saying that he 'cannot see a future for this country now', and that he 'doesn't understand why the older generation voted against their children'.[1] His wife, Judy, was the president, with himself as the vice president. There were plans to adopt the Euro, and to charge UK visitors to his home £50 for a European visa.[1][5]
William T. Riches died in 2024, aged 84.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hughes, Janet (16 July 2017). "Passport to Middlewatch: Academic declares his home an independent republic to avoid Brexit". Gloucester Live.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Kroll, Alexander (15 September 2025). "Obituary for Dr William T. Martin Riches, 1939-2024". Irish Association for American Studies.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Moravcski, Andrew (1992). "The Conservative Political Tradition in Britain and the United States (Foreword)". Oxford Academic.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Civil Rights Movement". Bloomsbury.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Anti-Brexit Supporter Declares Gloucestershire Home a Republic". BBC News. 18 July 2017.
- ↑ "The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance". University Libraries.
- ↑ "The Conservative Political Tradition in Britain and the United States". Gale Academic Onefile.
- ↑ "William Terence Martin Riches". Amazon. 7 November 2017.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "The civil rights movement". National Library of Ireland.
- ↑ "The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance (Studies in Contemporary History)". Abe Books.
- ↑ Jubb, Esther. "The Civil Rights Movement: Struggle and Resistance by William T. Martin". Wordpress.
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