Duncan Probert facts for kids
Duncan Probert (born April 13, 1961, died December 15, 2016) was a smart researcher who studied old British place-names and family names. He helped edit a big book called the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. He was also a member of the English Place-Name Society.
Duncan was especially known for his work on how the West Saxons and the Britons in the southwest of England got along in the early Middle Ages. He did a lot of research on Kingston place-names in England. His detailed studies of old documents called charters helped people understand how land was used long ago.
Life and Work
Before becoming a historian, Duncan Probert had many different jobs. He worked with numbers and biology at a research institute. He also made tiny model figures, drove a skip lorry, and was a school caretaker. He even worked as a computer programmer and did some building. Later, he started his own graphic design business.
In the 1990s, Duncan went back to school. He earned a degree in Medieval Studies from the University of Birmingham in 1998. He then got his PhD from the same university in 2002. After that, he became a research fellow and lecturer at different universities, including King's College, London.
Duncan also enjoyed historical re-enactment, especially from the Viking Age. He was known for being practical and believing that people could solve problems with their cleverness.
Duncan's Research
Duncan Probert's main work focused on understanding names. This included:
- Place-names: These are the names of towns, villages, rivers, and other places. Duncan studied how these names changed over time and what they tell us about history. For example, he looked closely at places named "Kingston."
- Family names: He helped create a huge dictionary of family names. This book explains where many family names in Britain and Ireland come from.
- Early Medieval Britain: He researched the relationship between different groups of people in early medieval Britain. This was a time long ago, after the Roman Empire, when England was just forming.
Important Studies
Duncan wrote many articles and a book. Here are some of his key contributions:
- PhD Thesis: His main research for his PhD was about "Church and Landscape" in southwest Britain from about 300 to 1200 AD. This looked at how churches and the land changed together.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names: He was a co-editor of this very important book. It helps people understand the history of their own family names.
- Articles: He wrote many articles for academic journals. These articles covered topics like:
* How languages changed in southwest England. * The meaning of "Kingston" place-names. * Old English words found in place-names. * Details about land and parishes in old Devon. * Names of peasants from the 11th century.
Maps and Databases
Duncan also made maps for many academic books. These maps helped people visualize historical information. He created maps for topics from ancient Nubia to the Boer War.
He also helped create a database called Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England: Domesday. This database helps researchers find information about people from the Anglo-Saxon period, especially those mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Images for kids
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Example of miniature figure painted by Duncan Probert with English penny for scale .
