Victor Watts,FSA, FRHistS (18 April 1938 – 21 December 2002) was a Britishtoponymist,medievalist, translator, and academic, specialising inEnglish place-names. He served asMaster ofGrey College, Durham from 1989 until his sudden death in 2002. He had been a lecturer in English atDurham University from 1962, honorary director of theEnglish Place-Name Survey from 1993, and editor of theJournal of the English Place-Name Society from 1996.

Watts was born on 18 April 1938. He was educated atBristol Grammar School, then an all-boysprivate school in Bristol. He studied atMerton College, Oxford, and at theUniversity of London.^[1]

In 1962, Watts jointedDurham University as a lecturer in English language.^[1] He was promoted tosenior lecturer in 1974.^[2] His first association withGrey 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 appointedMaster 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, leadingthe 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 theEnglish Place-Name Society, in succession toKenneth Cameron.^[4][5] He served as general editor of the society's survey volumes from 1994, and was also editor of theJournal 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 aFellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), and aFellow 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.

• 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

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from February 2020
• EngvarB from February 2020