Tributes paid to American historian who was killed in Edinburgh after being struck by a van

William Noel, 58, who was described as a ‘funny, kind and amazing’ man passed away on April 29

Tributes have been paid to a renowned American historian who died in a crash in Edinburgh last month.

Dr William Noel, from Philadelphia, was struck by a Citroen Relay van on Trinity Crescent April 10. The 58-year-old was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after sustaining serious injuries and died on April 29.

Born in the UK, Dr Noel was a librarian at Princeton University at the time of his death, and was known for his work in Medieval history and culture. In 2013 he was recognised as a White House Open Science Champion of Change by the Obama Administration.

William Noel, 58, died after being struck by a van in Edinburgh on April 10. Photo: Facebook

Writing on social media, one relative said: “He was funny, kind, amazing, interesting and so much more. I believe he surely left an impact on everyone he met. Will was family and a friend and I will miss him.”

A former colleague wrote: “I will be forever grateful for him helping me believe in myself and combat what I now know as imposter syndrome. He built a confidence in me I didn’t know I had and now I have my dream job at Vassar College as Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology Services. I thought I’d have the opportunity to thank him but as we now know tomorrows are not guaranteed. I will miss him dearly.”

Colleagues at Princeton University described Dr Noel as a ‘visionary leader and scholar’ who ‘helped shape the field of early book history and brought the subject of medieval manuscripts to hundreds of thousands of people.’

Writing in joint memoriam they said: “While his energy, warmth, and generosity will be profoundly missed, we take some comfort in the fact that he instilled the same spirit in many of his colleagues.

“Will made such an incredible impact on those of us who were fortunate enough to work with him. Even with his many talents and accomplishments, Will carried himself lightly and was quick to laugh and see the humour in situations. He was a joyous and caring person whose boundless curiosity and kindness made all of us better people for having had him in our lives.”

They added: “Will was very proud of his family, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to Lynn Ransom and Henry Noel, his wife and son, and to his brother Robert Noel, his sister Emma Kennerley, and other members of his extended family.”

Dr Noel studied at Downing College at Cambridge University before going to gain a PhD in 1992. Paul Binski, a professor at Cambridge University, said he was a ‘valued friend and a continuator of Cambridge’s tradition of medieval manuscript study’. He added: “Will was an energetic and charming force for manuscript studies with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and his death has been greeted with dismay by the medievalist community.”