Victor Watts, (18 April 1938 – 21 December 2002) was a British

toponymist Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

medievalist The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vo ...

, translator, and academic, specialising in English place names. He served as

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

of Grey College, Durham from 1989 until his sudden death in 2002. He had been a lecturer in English at

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

from 1962, honorary director of the English Place-Name Survey from 1993, and editor of the ''Journal of the English Place-Name Society'' from 1996.

Early life and education

Watts was born on 18 April 1938. He was educated at

Bristol Grammar School Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a 4–18 mixed, independent day school in Bristol, England. It was founded in 1532 by Royal Charter for the teaching of 'good manners and literature', endowed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorn ...

, then an all-boys

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

in Bristol. He studied at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

, and at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

Academic career

In 1962, Watts jointed

as a lecturer in English language. He was promoted to

senior lecturer Senior lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Israel senior lecturer is a faculty position at a university or similar institution. The position is tenured (in systems with this concep ...

in 1974. His first association with Grey College, Durham was as a pastoral tutor. Then, from 1984 to 1989, he served as the college's senior tutor and vice-master. In 1989, he was appointed

of Grey College. He was, by his death, one of the longest serving head of college at Durham University. He additionally served as Dean of Colleges, leading the university's 15 colleges, between 1999 and 2002. Outside of his university, he held a number of positions. He was an active member of the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland: he served successively as vice-president and then president of the society between 1983 and 1991. In 1993, he was appointed honorary director of the English Place-Name Survey, and therefore of the

English Place-Name Society The English Place-Name Society (EPNS) is a learned society concerned with toponomastics and the toponymy of England, in other words, the study of place-names (toponyms). Its scholars aim to explain the origin and history of the names they stu ...

, in succession to Kenneth Cameron. He served as general editor of the society's survey volumes from 1994, and was also editor of the ''Journal of the English Place-Name Society'' from 1996.

Personal life

Watts had three children with his first wife, Mary Watts: two daughters and a son. Having divorced Mary, he later married Elaine; this marriage brought two stepsons. Watts died on 21 December 2002, aged 64. He had had a heart attack.

Honours

Watts had been elected a

Fellow of the Royal Historical Society A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

(FRHistS), and a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

(FSA).

Selected works

* * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Victor 1938 births 2002 deaths Toponymists British medievalists Masters of Grey College, Durham Academics of Durham University People educated at Bristol Grammar School Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Alumni of the University of London Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 20th-century British translators