Mitchison, Rosalind (1919–2002)
Mitchison, Rosalind (1919–2002)
English feminist historian. Born Rosalind Mary Wrong, April 11, 1919, in Manchester, England; died Sept 19, 2002, in Edinburgh, Scotland; dau. of Murray Wrong (Oxford mathematician); granddau. of George Mackinnon Wrong (Canadian historian); graduated with double 1st from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford; m. Murdoch Mitchison (professor of cell biology and zoology at Edinburgh University and son of Naomi Mitchison), 1947; children: 1 son, 3 daughters.
Was assistant lecturer in history at Manchester University (1943–46); collaborated with Leah Leneman on Girls in Trouble and Sex in the City (1948), pioneering contributions to history of sexuality in Scotland; at Edinburgh University, was assistant lecturer (1954–57), lecturer in social and economic history (1967–76) and professor of social history (1981–86); wrote The Life of Sir John Sinclair (1962); published the acclaimed A History of Scotland (1970), which became a standard history text; also wrote British Population Change since 1869 (1977), Lordship and Patronage: Scotland 1603–1745 (1983), People and Society in Scotland, 1760–1830 (1988) and The Old Poor Law of Scotland: The Experience of Poverty, 1574–1845 (1999); was leader of Scottish feminist historians.