Victor Watts

Victor Watts, FSA, FRHistS (18 April 1938 – 21 December 2002) was a British toponymist, medievalist, translator, and academic, specialising in English place-names. He served as Master of Grey College, Durham from 1989 until his sudden death in 2002. He had been a lecturer in English at Durham University 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.

Watts was born on 18 April 1938. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School, then an all-boys private school in Bristol. He studied at Merton College, Oxford, and at the University of London.^[1]

In 1962, Watts jointed Durham University as a lecturer in English language.^[1] He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1974.^[2] His first association with Grey College, Durham was as a pastoral tutor.^[3] Then, from 1984 to 1989, he served as the college's senior tutor and vice-master.^[2] In 1989, he was appointed Master of Grey College.^[1][3] He was, by his death, one of the longest serving head of college at Durham University.^[2] He additionally served as Dean of Colleges, leading the university's 15 colleges, between 1999 and 2002.^[2]

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.^[1] In 1993, he was appointed honorary director of the English Place-Name Survey, and therefore of the English Place-Name Society, in succession to Kenneth Cameron.^[4][5] 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.^[4]

Watts had three children with his first wife, Mary Watts: two daughters and a son.^[1][2] Having divorced Mary, he later married Elaine; this marriage brought two stepsons.^[1]

Watts died on 21 December 2002, aged 64.^[1] He had had a heart attack.^[1]

Watts had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA).^[1]

• Boethius (1969). The Consolation of Philosophy. Translated by Victor Watts. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0140447804.
• Watts, Victor (2002). A Dictionary of County Durham Place-names. Nottingham: English Place-Name Society. ISBN 978-0904889659.
• Watts, Victor, ed. (2004). The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names: based on the collections of the English Place-Name Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521362092.
• Fuller, David, ed. (2005). Pearl. Translated by Victor Watts. London: Enitharmon Press. ISBN 978-1904634201.