Mary Freeman (29 March 1924 – 4 March 2018), known professionally by her maiden name of Mary Whitear, was an English marine biologist and lecturer at University College London from 1947 to 1989. Freeman's research focused on the neurology, and the cellular structures of the skin of, fish and amphibians. She was known for her attempts to determine the skin colour of extinct animals such as the

ichthyosaur Ichthyosauria is an order of large extinct marine reptiles sometimes referred to as "ichthyosaurs", although the term is also used for wider clades in which the order resides. Ichthyosaurians thrived during much of the Mesozoic era; based on fo ...

and her meticulous drawings of fossils. Her husband was the zoologist Richard Broke Freeman. In retirement she took up the local history of

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

, Devon.

Life

Mary Freeman was born on 29 March 1924 in

Teignmouth Teignmouth ( ) is a seaside town, fishing port and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign, about south of Exeter. The town had a population of 14 ...

, Devon, as Mary Whitear. Her father was a headmaster and keen sailor, and she could sail and row from an early age. She was educated at Maynard School in Exeter. She then attended Bedford College London, and Cambridge University. She was appointed a lecturer

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

in 1947, and worked there until 1989. Freeman's research focused on the neurology, and the cellular structures of the skin of, fish and amphibians. She used histochemistry and scanning and transmission electron microscopy to investigate structures. She was known for her attempts to determine the skin colour of extinct animals such as the

and her meticulous drawings of fossils. She married her husband, the zoologist Richard Broke Freeman, in 1958. They had two sons together. Richard died in 1986. In retirement, from 1989, Freeman took up the local history of Tavistock, Devon. She was secretary to the Tavistock History Society for many years, and wrote for the ''The Devon Historian''. Freeman died on 4 March 2018.

References

External links

Mary Whitear's research
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Mary 1924 births 2018 deaths People from Teignmouth Academics of University College London English marine biologists Historians of Devon Women marine biologists Place of birth missing Place of death missing