Duncan Probert (born 13 April 1961, died on 15 December 2016) was a scholar of early medieval British place- and personal names, one of the editors of the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland,[1] and a council member of the English Place-Name Society from 2005 to his death. He was particularly noted for his work in his doctoral thesis and subsequent publications revising scholars' 'understanding of the relationship between the West Saxons and the Britons of the south west' in early medieval Britain.[2] This included major contributions to understanding Kingston place-names in England,[3] and 'searching'[4] and 'painstaking'[5] research showing 'how close scrutiny of charters and their bounds can allow detailed understanding of earlier land units and landscapes'.[6]
Example of miniature figure painted by Duncan Probert with English penny for scale .
Prior to beginning his career as a historian, Probert worked as 'a bio-mathematician at Grasslands Research, then after a succession of other jobs (at various times he made intricate miniature model figures, drove a skip lorry, was a school caretaker, a computer programmer, and even did some building work) he started his own graphic-design business in Stoke on Trent'. He returned to education in the 1990s, completing an Open University Arts Foundation course in 1994, taking a First in his BA in Medieval Studies at University of Birmingham in 1998, and proceeding directly to a PhD at the same institution, which he completed in 2002. During 2003-6 he was a British Academy fellow at Birmingham, and a visiting lecturer in Medieval History 2006-15, as well as a Research Associate on the ‘Family Names of the UK’ project at the University of the West of England 2012-14 and, from 2010 to his death, a research fellow at King's College, London. He also undertook historical re-enactment, mostly of the Viking Age.[7] He 'managed to combine the hard-headedness of real-world employment experience with an irrepressible belief in the power of human ingenuity to solve problems'.[8]
Probert was the honorand of a memorial volume of academic essays published in 2022.[9]
Worksedit
As of May 2016, it was 'hoped that his partner, Alison, and his friend and former supervisor, Steve Bassett, will be able to bring some of his unfinished pieces to publication in the future. Unfinished work includes a draft dictionary of Devon place-names.'[7]
PhD Thesisedit
‘Church and Landscape: a study in social transition in south-western Britain, c.300 to c.1200’, Birmingham University, Ph.D. thesis (2002).
Bookedit
[co-editor with several others], The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ed. P. Hanks et al. (Oxford: OUP, 2016).
Articlesedit
‘A model for evaluating lamb production systems’, Agricultural Systems 10 (1983), 213–44.
‘Mapping early medieval language change in south-west England’, Britons in Anglo-Saxon England, ed. N. J. Higham (Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2007), 233–44.
‘Towards a re-assessment of ‘Kingston’ place-names’, JEPNS 40 (2008), 7–22.
‘Two Devonshire “Cheritons”’, The Church in English Place-Names, ed. E. Quinton (Nottingham: EPNS Extra Series 4, 2009), 15–22.
‘New Light on Aldhelm’s letter to King Gerent of Dumnonia’, Aldhelm and Sherborne: Essays to Celebrate the Foundation of the Bishopric, ed. K. Barker (Oxford: Oxbow, 2010), 110–28.
[co-authored with Margaret Gelling], ‘Old English stoc “place”’, JEPNS 42 (2010), 79–85
‘The pre-Conquest lands and parish of Crediton minster, Devon’, Place-Names, Language and the Anglo-Saxon Landscape, ed. N. J. Higham and M. J. Ryan (Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2011), 175–94.
‘Wulfnoð, Olaf and the Domesday scribes’, Nomina 35 (2012), 1–19.
‘Algar son of Leofflæd and the earliest stratum of the fratres kalendarum of Exeter’, Notes & Queries 60 (2013), 26–8.
‘Peasant personal names and bynames from late-eleventh-century Bury St Edmunds’, Nomina 37 (2014), 35–71.
‘What has Ingold to Do with Domesday? An Exercise in Identification in Late Anglo-Saxon England’, Nottingham Medieval Studies 60 (2016), 1–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/J.NMS.5.111277.
Databaseedit
[co-authored with S. Baxter and C. P. Lewis], Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England: Domesday, 2nd edition (2016).
Cartographyedit
Probert was also noted for his cartographic work for a range of academic books, producing maps 'ranging in date from ancient Nubia to the Boer War'.[7] Examples include:
Simon Yarrow, Saints and their Communities: Miracle Stories in Twelfth Century England (Oxford: Clarendon, 2006)
C. P. Lewis, 'Danish Landowners in Wessex in 1066', in Danes in Wessex: The Scandinavian Impact on Southern England, c. 800-c. 1100, ed. by Ryan Lavelle and Simon Roffey (Oxford: Oxbow, 2016), pp. 172–211
External linksedit
Academia.edu page
Researchgate page
Referencesedit
^The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ed. by Patrick Hanks and others, 4 vols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016).
^Thomas Pickles, review of Aldhelm and Sherborne. Essays to Celebrate the Founding of the Bishopric. ed. by Katherine Barker and Nicholas Brooks (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2010) in The Antiquaries Journal, 92 (2012), 476-77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581512000959.
^C.P. Lewis, 'III The Central Middle Ages (900–1200): (i) British History', Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature, 94 (2011), 13-37.
^Stefan Jurasinski, review of Place-Names, Language and the Anglo-Saxon Landscape, ed. by N. J. Higham and Martin J. Ryan, Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies 10 (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2011, in Speculum, 89 (2014), 486-88 (pp. 487-88); DOI: 10.1017/S0038713414000372.
^Richard Jones, review of Place-Names, Language and the Anglo-Saxon Landscape, ed. by N. J. Higham and Martin J. Ryan, Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies 10 (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2011, in Landscapes, 12.2 (2011), 109-11. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1179/lan.2011.12.2.101.
^John Baker, review of Place-Names, Language and the Anglo-Saxon Landscape, Nicholas J. Higham and Martin J. Ryan, Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, 10 (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2011), in The Medieval Review (2011), no. 11.11.01, http://josotl.indiana.edu/index.php/tmr/article/view/17393/23511.
^ abcShaun Tyas, '' (9 May 2017). [Also published as Shaun Tyas, 'Obituary: Duncan Probert', Journal of the English Place-Name Society, 48 (2016), 104–108.
^Jonathan Jarrett, 'Duncan Probert', A Corner of Tenth-Century Europe (16 December 2016).
^Names, Texts, and Landscapes in the Middle Ages: A Memorial Volume for Duncan Probert, ed. by Steven Bassett and Alison J. Spedding (Donington: Tyas, 2022).
April 11, 2024
duncan, probert, born, april, 1961, died, december, 2016, scholar, early, medieval, british, place, personal, names, editors, oxford, dictionary, family, names, britain, ireland, council, member, english, place, name, society, from, 2005, death, particularly, . Duncan Probert born 13 April 1961 died on 15 December 2016 was a scholar of early medieval British place and personal names one of the editors of the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland 1 and a council member of the English Place Name Society from 2005 to his death He was particularly noted for his work in his doctoral thesis and subsequent publications revising scholars understanding of the relationship between the West Saxons and the Britons of the south west in early medieval Britain 2 This included major contributions to understanding Kingston place names in England 3 and searching 4 and painstaking 5 research showing how close scrutiny of charters and their bounds can allow detailed understanding of earlier land units and landscapes 6 Contents 1 Life 2 Works 2 1 PhD Thesis 2 2 Book 2 3 Articles 2 4 Database 2 5 Cartography 3 External links 4 ReferencesLife edit nbsp Example of miniature figure painted by Duncan Probert with English penny for scale Prior to beginning his career as a historian Probert worked as a bio mathematician at Grasslands Research then after a succession of other jobs at various times he made intricate miniature model figures drove a skip lorry was a school caretaker a computer programmer and even did some building work he started his own graphic design business in Stoke on Trent He returned to education in the 1990s completing an Open University Arts Foundation course in 1994 taking a First in his BA in Medieval Studies at University of Birmingham in 1998 and proceeding directly to a PhD at the same institution which he completed in 2002 During 2003 6 he was a British Academy fellow at Birmingham and a visiting lecturer in Medieval History 2006 15 as well as a Research Associate on the Family Names of the UK project at the University of the West of England 2012 14 and from 2010 to his death a research fellow at King s College London He also undertook historical re enactment mostly of the Viking Age 7 He managed to combine the hard headedness of real world employment experience with an irrepressible belief in the power of human ingenuity to solve problems 8 Probert was the honorand of a memorial volume of academic essays published in 2022 9 Works editAs of May 2016 it was hoped that his partner Alison and his friend and former supervisor Steve Bassett will be able to bring some of his unfinished pieces to publication in the future Unfinished work includes a draft dictionary of Devon place names 7 PhD Thesis edit Church and Landscape a study in social transition in south western Britain c 300 to c 1200 Birmingham University Ph D thesis 2002 Book edit co editor with several others The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland ed P Hanks et al Oxford OUP 2016 Articles edit A model for evaluating lamb production systems Agricultural Systems 10 1983 213 44 Mapping early medieval language change in south west England Britons in Anglo Saxon England ed N J Higham Woodbridge Boydell amp Brewer 2007 233 44 Towards a re assessment of Kingston place names JEPNS 40 2008 7 22 Two Devonshire Cheritons The Church in English Place Names ed E Quinton Nottingham EPNS Extra Series 4 2009 15 22 New Light on Aldhelm s letter to King Gerent of Dumnonia Aldhelm and Sherborne Essays to Celebrate the Foundation of the Bishopric ed K Barker Oxford Oxbow 2010 110 28 co authored with Margaret Gelling Old English stoc place JEPNS 42 2010 79 85 The pre Conquest lands and parish of Crediton minster Devon Place Names Language and the Anglo Saxon Landscape ed N J Higham and M J Ryan Woodbridge Boydell amp Brewer 2011 175 94 Wulfnod Olaf and the Domesday scribes Nomina 35 2012 1 19 Algar son of Leofflaed and the earliest stratum of the fratres kalendarum of Exeter Notes amp Queries 60 2013 26 8 Peasant personal names and bynames from late eleventh century Bury St Edmunds Nomina 37 2014 35 71 Two misread names in the Cornish folios of the Exeter Domesday Notes Queries 62 2015 517 19 DOI https doi org 10 1093 notesj gjv156 What has Ingold to Do with Domesday An Exercise in Identification in Late Anglo Saxon England Nottingham Medieval Studies 60 2016 1 30 DOI https doi org 10 1484 J NMS 5 111277 Database edit co authored with S Baxter and C P Lewis Prosopography of Anglo Saxon England Domesday 2nd edition 2016 Cartography edit Probert was also noted for his cartographic work for a range of academic books producing maps ranging in date from ancient Nubia to the Boer War 7 Examples include Simon Yarrow Saints and their Communities Miracle Stories in Twelfth Century England Oxford Clarendon 2006 Steven Bassett Anglo Saxon Warwick Midland History 34 2 2009 123 55 https dx doi org 10 1179 175638109X417332 C P Lewis Danish Landowners in Wessex in 1066 in Danes in Wessex The Scandinavian Impact on Southern England c 800 c 1100 ed by Ryan Lavelle and Simon Roffey Oxford Oxbow 2016 pp 172 211External links editAcademia edu page Researchgate pageReferences edit The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland ed by Patrick Hanks and others 4 vols Oxford Oxford University Press 2016 Thomas Pickles review of Aldhelm and Sherborne Essays to Celebrate the Founding of the Bishopric ed by Katherine Barker and Nicholas Brooks Oxford Oxbow Books 2010 inThe Antiquaries Journal 92 2012 476 77 DOI https doi org 10 1017 S0003581512000959 C P Lewis III The Central Middle Ages 900 1200 i British History Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature 94 2011 13 37 Stefan Jurasinski review of Place Names Language and the Anglo Saxon Landscape ed by N J Higham and Martin J Ryan Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo Saxon Studies 10 Woodbridge Boydell 2011 in Speculum 89 2014 486 88 pp 487 88 DOI 10 1017 S0038713414000372 Richard Jones review of Place Names Language and the Anglo Saxon Landscape ed by N J Higham and Martin J Ryan Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo Saxon Studies 10 Woodbridge Boydell 2011 in Landscapes 12 2 2011 109 11 DOI https dx doi org 10 1179 lan 2011 12 2 101 John Baker review of Place Names Language and the Anglo Saxon Landscape Nicholas J Higham and Martin J Ryan Publications of the Manchester Centre for Anglo Saxon Studies 10 Woodbridge Boydell 2011 in The Medieval Review 2011 no 11 11 01 http josotl indiana edu index php tmr article view 17393 23511 a b c Shaun Tyas Duncan Probert 1961 2016 9 May 2017 Also published as Shaun Tyas Obituary Duncan Probert Journal of the English Place Name Society 48 2016 104 108 Jonathan Jarrett Duncan Probert A Corner of Tenth Century Europe 16 December 2016 Names Texts and Landscapes in the Middle Ages A Memorial Volume for Duncan Probert ed by Steven Bassett and Alison J Spedding Donington Tyas 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Duncan Probert amp oldid 1214266724, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
