Sheila Ramsay Lochhead (; 7 December 1910 – 22 July 1994) was a hostess, prison visitor and writer. In 1924 her widowed father,

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

, became Britain's Prime Minister. Her sister Ishbel MacDonald, became his political hostess and then Sheila took on the role. Sheila later became a

prison visitor A prison visitor is a person who visits prisons to befriend and monitor the welfare of prisoners in general, as distinct from a person who visits a specific prisoner to whom they have a prior connection. Prisons may also have a visiting committee. ...

, leading the

National Association of Official Prison Visitors The National Association of Official Prison Visitors (NAOPV) is a British charity which coordinates the work of United Kingdom Official Prison Visitors (OPVs) and provides them with training and support. The Association was formed in 1924, but ...

for three years.

Biography

Lochhead was born Sheila MacDonald in 1910, she was one of six children of

, the future

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

, and his wife Margaret MacDonald (), a social reformer and women's rights activist. MacDonald was head girl at the

North London Collegiate School North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is a private day school for girls in England. Founded in Camden Town, it is now located in Edgware, in the London Borough of Harrow. Associate schools are located in South Korea, Jeju Island, Dubai, Vietnam ...

. She then studied

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Philosophy, politics and economics, or politics, philosophy and economics (PPE), is an interdisciplinary undergraduate or postgraduate degree which combines study from three disciplines. The first institution to offer degrees in PPE was the Unive ...

Somerville College, Oxford Somerville College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. It began admitting men in 1994. The colle ...

where she won a hockey blue and graduated with a 2:1. She reportedly hoped, at one time, to enter politics. In 1924, her widowed father had become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Along with her sister Ishbel, she became her father's hostess while he was at

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. Colloquially known as Number 10, the building is located in Downing Street, off Whitehall in th ...

, including when he was sent abroad on missions. Sheila found time to do this while also working at Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Sheila married Andrew Van Slyke Lochhead in 1948. The couple had three children together and lived in

Swansea, Wales Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea (). The city is the twenty-eighth largest in the United Kingdom. Located along Swansea Bay i ...

. Lochhead had worked in prisons and she wanted them reformed. She was chair of the

for three years and wrote a history of prison visiting in 1993 titled "''Outside-in: A Study of Prison Visiting''". She and her husband lived , and she organised a home for the homeless and a hostel for people who had been in prison. Lochead died in 1994, a year after a stroke left her half paralysed. Her husband Andrew survived his wife for eight years, and died in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lochhead, Sheila 1994 deaths 1910 births 20th-century British women writers People educated at North London Collegiate School British socialists British prison reformers Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford British political hostesses Children of prime ministers of the United Kingdom