. ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁G ale ▁Red fern ▁O wen ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁New castle ▁upon ▁Ty ne , ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁first ▁class ▁degree ▁with ▁hon ours ▁in ▁English ▁language ▁and ▁literature ▁from ▁New castle ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁and ▁a ▁Ph D ▁with ▁a ▁th esis ▁on ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁dress ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁also ▁from ▁New castle . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁teaching ▁at ▁her ▁former ▁school ▁and ▁at ▁New castle ▁University ▁while ▁a ▁student , ▁O wen ▁then ▁took ▁up ▁a ▁teaching ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester , ▁where ▁she ▁remained ▁until ▁ret iring ▁as ▁Professor ▁of ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁Culture ▁and ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Manchester ▁Centre ▁for ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁Studies ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁She ▁became ▁G ale ▁O wen - C ro cker ▁upon ▁her ▁marriage ▁to ▁Richard ▁Cro cker ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁She ▁is ▁now ▁Professor ▁Emer ita . ▁ ▁O wen - C ro cker ▁co - f ounded ▁and ▁co - ed ited ▁Vol umes ▁ 1 ▁through ▁ 1 4 ▁of ▁the ▁journal ▁Med ieval ▁Cl othing ▁and ▁Text iles ▁with ▁Robin ▁N eth erton , ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁ph ased ▁transition ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁editor ial ▁team ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁for ▁Volume ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁beyond . ▁She ▁was ▁editor - in - ch ief ▁for ▁Br ill ' s