A historian and former Oxford college warden who was a renowned expert on the history of Spain and Latin America has died aged 96.

Sir Raymond Carr was the fox-hunting warden of St Antony’s College, holding the post from 1968 to 1987.

He had also held fellowships at All Souls and New College and was – albeit briefly – Oxford University’s first Professor of Latin American History.

His expertise as a historian and love of fox hunting from childhood eventually converged in English Fox Hunting: A History, his book published in 1976.

It was the culmination of many years on the chase with the Exmoor Foxhounds, he was a West Country man, and was pictured in a bowler on the book’s back inside cover.

Although critically acclaimed, in an interview with the Oxford Mail he only described it as “an approximation to social history... to have written an authoritative book would have taken me years longer”.

It was followed by Fox Hunting, in 1982.

Sir Raymond’s first book, Spain 1808-1939, was published in 1966 and was largely considered his greatest work for its authoritative take and relatable style.

He had first become interested in the country in 1950 when on a honeymoon with his wife Sara Strickland.

He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours of 1987 and his other honours included the Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso el Sablo and the Order of Infante Dom Henrique.

Albert Raymond Mailard Carr was born in Bath on April 11, 1919. He grew up in Dorset and was a pupil at a state school in Brockenhurst.

After winning a scholarship to Christ Church in Oxford, he gained a first in modern history in 1941.

At first he taught at Wellington College, Berkshire, but returned to Oxford after the Second World War to become a fellow at All Souls College.

While there he met Sara Strickland, the granddaughter of the 11th Earl of Wemyss, and in 1950 the pair married.

They had four children – Adam, Matthew, Laura and Charles – and gained a reputation for throwing lavish parties at their Oxford home.

In 1952 Sir Raymond moved to New College as a fellow teaching modern history. He established the Centre for Latin American Studies at St Antony’s in 1964, with the help of the Ford Foundation.

After the publication of Sir Thomas Parry’s report on the future of university libraries –known as the Parry Report – in 1967, Latin American studies became part of Oxford University and Sir Raymond became first to take the post of Professor of Latin American History.

But in 1968 he was elected warden of St Antony’s College and by Oxford rules had to give up his professorial chair, after only nine months.

He was reported at the time to have claimed it was the shortest tenure in the history of Oxford professorships.

Sir Raymond took up fox hunting seriously in 1964.

and after that owned hunters at his Exmoor holiday home, riding with colleagues in the Exmoor Foxhounds as often as college business allowed.

He said in interviews that he enjoyed both its element of danger, as well as the opportunities it gave him to experience landscapes.

When he retired as warden at St Antony’s in 1987, students and colleagues presented him with a cheque - of an undisclosed but “handsome” sum - to buy a horse.

Sir Raymond retired to a new home in Devon and resumed riding with the Dulverton West hunt there.

He was made an honorary fellow at St Antony’s in 1988 and after the death of his wife ion 2004 moved to London.

He died on April 19 and is survived by his sons Adam and Charles and his daughter Laura.

His son Matthew died of cancer in 2010.His funeral details are not yet known.