David Hey

David G. Hey(18 July 1938 – 14 February 2016) was an English historian, and was an authority on surnames and thelocal historyofYorkshire.Hey was the president of theBritish Association for Local History,and was a published author of several books on local history and the derivation of surnames.

Early life

Hey was born to George and Florence (née Batty) Hey inCatshaw.When he was eleven years old the family moved toPenistone,where he attendedPenistone Grammar School.He graduated from theUniversity College of North Staffordshirein 1960.

Career

He taught at Matlock College of Education. During this teaching stint, he received a master's degree and doctorate fromLeicester University,finishing his studies in 1971. Hey's doctoral adviser wasW. G. Hoskins.Four years later, he left a research fellowship at Leicester to join the faculty ofSheffield University.In 1992 he became a chair professor and, in 1994, the dean of extramural studies. Hey was president of theBritish Association for Local Historyand the British Agricultural History Society, and led theBritish Record Societyas council chair.

Hey's interest in local history led to books on the town ofPenistoneand city ofSheffield,and also the counties ofYorkshireandDerbyshire.His research into surnames, which grew from local history, determined that many rare names originated in the 13th century, and that most people with such surnames still lived close to the area from where their surname came. Linking genetic studies with surname prevalence indicated that people did not move as much as social scientists thought at the time.On 12 April 2014, Hey delivered aMarc Fitch Lectureon "The Origins and Spread of Derbyshire Surnames."

Personal life

Hey was married in 1970 and had two children. He died on Valentine's Day 2016 from a brain tumor at the age of 77.

Selected publications

• 1996:The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-104493-9(as editor)
• 1997 (published online 2003):iew/10.1093/acref/9780198600800.001.0001/acref-9780198600800 The Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family HistoryISBN9780198600800
• 1998:A History of Sheffield.Carnegie Publishing.ISBN9781859360453
• 2002:A History of Penistone and District.Wharncliffe Books.ISBN978-1903425213
• 2003:Journeys in Family History: Exploring Your Past, Finding Your Ancestors,PRO Publications.ISBN978-1903365618
• 2005:A History of Yorkshire.Carnegie Publishing.ISBN9781859361221
• 2008:Derbyshire: a History.Carnegie Publishing.ISBN978-1859361672