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Dorothy Whitelock

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211: 344:(tutor in 1935, full fellow 1937, vice principal 1951). In 1940, she was elected a Leverhulme Fellow and in 1946 became a University Lecturer in Old English at Oxford. In 1945, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. She served as President of the Viking Society for Northern Research in 1940–1. She was elected vice-president of the Society for Medieval Archaeology from its formation in 1957, serving until 1963. In 1957, she returned to Cambridge, and Newnham, as the 336:
Whitelock went on to postgraduate work, as Marion Kennedy Student at Newnham (1924–26), Cambridge University Scandinavian Student at Uppsala (1927–29), and the first woman to receive the Allen Scholarship at Cambridge (1929–30). These labours led to her first book, her 1930 translation and commentary
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Notwithstanding these successes, Whitelock found herself frustrated by a male-dominated academy which often favoured male scholars at the expense of talented female academics. In 1945, following her failure to secure a professorship at the University of Liverpool, Whitelock applied for the
395:, who himself became the Elrington and Bosworth Professor between 1999 and 2018). Under her direction, the 'Department of Anglo-Saxon and Kindred Studies' relocated in 1967 from the Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology to the Faculty of English and became the 372:, addressed a series of supportive letters to her, encouraging her to persevere. A key part of her work was lobbying for Oxford's women's colleges to have the same status as men's, finally achieved only in 1959. 364:. She was unsuccessful; Tolkien himself had voted against her. In the face of such opposition she was tempted to abandon the academy altogether but her close friends, the leading Anglo-Saxon historians 396: 717: 316:
Whitelock was born in Leeds to Edward Whitelock and his second wife Emmeline Dawson. Edward died in 1903 but despite financial struggles, Dorothy Whitelock was able to attend the
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on thirty-nine Anglo-Saxon wills. In the same year, she became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (she was later elected to its council from 1945 to 1948).
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During the 1950s, Whitelock returned to her work with renewed vigour, producing a series of important works culminating with her most famous book,
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from 1967 to 1979. In her later years she lived with her sister. She had strokes in 1980 and 1981, and died on 14 August 1982.
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at the age of 19, where she was one of only four students in her year to study for Section B of the English Tripos under
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Whitelock retired in 1969, but continued to publish scholarship and serve the academic community, chairing the
440: 341: 254: 180: 41: 268: 403: 317: 121: 418: 321: 190: 133: 612:, ed. by Jane Chance (Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005), pp. 553-62 (at pp. 559-60). 552:, ed. by Jane Chance (Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005), pp. 553-62 (at pp. 554-55). 320:. Whitelock was a promising student at school and it came as no surprise when in 1921 she went up to 258:(11 November 1901 – 14 August 1982) was an English historian. From 1957 to 1969, she was the 625:, ed. by Jane Chance (Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005), pp. 553-62 (at p. 559). 565:, ed. by Jane Chance (Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005), pp. 553-62 (at p. 556). 510:, ed. by Jane Chance (Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005), pp. 553-62 (at p. 553). 621:
Jana K. Schulman, 'An Anglo-Saxonist at Oxford and Cambridge: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-1982)', in
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Jana K. Schulman, 'An Anglo-Saxonist at Oxford and Cambridge: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-1982)', in
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Jana K. Schulman, 'An Anglo-Saxonist at Oxford and Cambridge: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-1982)', in
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Jana K. Schulman, 'An Anglo-Saxonist at Oxford and Cambridge: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-1982)', in
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Jana K. Schulman, 'An Anglo-Saxonist at Oxford and Cambridge: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-1982)', in
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in 1955. Her achievements were finally recognised in 1956, when she was elected a fellow of the
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Loyn, Henry (2002). "XXII Dorothy Whitelock 1901-1982". In Lapidge, Michael (ed.).
361: 305: 273:, which she edited. It is a compilation of translated sources, with introductions. 380: 221: 637: 656: 384: 392: 159: 164: 128: 89: 67: 544: 542: 216: 93: 71: 539: 297: 63: 718:
Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America
328:. She gained a First in Part I and a Second in Part II. 340:
In 1930 she became a lecturer in English language at
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Rawlinson and Bosworth professorship of Anglo-Saxon
417:from 1967 to 1978 and elected a President of the 728:Elrington and Bosworth Professors of Anglo-Saxon 654: 224:. 'Nowell Codex', Cotton Vitellius A.x.v. 129 r. 708:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 399:. A photograph of her hangs on the wall there. 389:Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon 346:Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon 260:Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon 640:at the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 486:. Oxford: British Academy. pp. 246–437. 673:People educated at Leeds Girls' High School 397:Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic 441:"In Memoriam: Dorothy Whitelock (1901-82)" 530: 209: 713:Fellows of the Royal Historical Society 655: 568: 483:Interpreters of Early Medieval Britain 688:Academics of the University of Oxford 683:Fellows of St Hilda's College, Oxford 678:Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge 574: 479: 475: 473: 471: 469: 467: 465: 463: 461: 435: 433: 292:(1967), in which she argued against 360:, a chair that had been vacated by 13: 723:20th-century British women writers 623:Women Medievalists and the Academy 610:Women Medievalists and the Academy 584:Proceedings of the British Academy 563:Women Medievalists and the Academy 550:Women Medievalists and the Academy 508:Women Medievalists and the Academy 391:(in which capacity she supervised 331: 14: 739: 631: 458: 430: 278:The Beginnings of English Society 698:20th-century English historians 615: 214:First page of the fire-damaged 693:Fellows of the British Academy 602: 555: 524: 513: 500: 1: 577:"Dorothy Whitelock 1901–1982" 535:. Cambridge University Press. 424: 311: 646:of Dorothy Whitelock at the 377:English Historical Documents 269:English Historical Documents 7: 531:Whitelock, Dorothy (1930). 10: 744: 419:English Place Name Society 342:St Hilda's College, Oxford 322:Newnham College, Cambridge 191:Newnham College, Cambridge 181:St Hilda's College, Oxford 134:Newnham College, Cambridge 648:National Portrait Gallery 266:. Her best-known work is 204: 173: 152: 144: 139: 127: 117: 112: 108: 100: 78: 49: 23: 703:English women historians 402:Whitelock was awarded a 318:Leeds Girls' High School 276:Her other works include 122:Leeds Girls' High School 286:The Audience of Beowulf 264:University of Cambridge 196:University of Cambridge 520:Waterstone's catalogue 445:Old English Newsletter 225: 408:1964 Birthday Honours 326:Hector Munro Chadwick 271:, vol. I: c. 500-1042 213: 575:Loyn, Henry (1985). 358:University of Oxford 186:University of Oxford 302:Life of King Alfred 113:Academic background 296:'s assertion that 226: 220:manuscript in the 533:Anglo-Saxon Wills 493:978-0-19-726277-1 415:Sylloge Committee 366:Sir Frank Stenton 304:was a forgery by 229:Dorothy Whitelock 208: 207: 25:Dorothy Whitelock 16:English historian 735: 626: 619: 613: 606: 600: 599: 597: 595: 581: 572: 566: 559: 553: 546: 537: 536: 528: 522: 517: 511: 504: 498: 497: 477: 456: 455: 453: 451: 437: 362:J. R. R. Tolkien 257: 252: 245: 238: 85: 60:11 November 1901 59: 57: 44: 21: 20: 743: 742: 738: 737: 736: 734: 733: 732: 653: 652: 634: 629: 620: 616: 607: 603: 593: 591: 579: 573: 569: 560: 556: 547: 540: 529: 525: 518: 514: 505: 501: 494: 478: 459: 449: 447: 439: 438: 431: 427: 381:British Academy 334: 332:Academic career 314: 294:V. H. Galbraith 250: 243: 236: 232: 222:British Library 200: 169: 96: 87: 83: 74: 61: 55: 53: 45: 28: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 741: 731: 730: 725: 720: 715: 710: 705: 700: 695: 690: 685: 680: 675: 670: 665: 651: 650: 641: 633: 632:External links 630: 628: 627: 614: 601: 567: 554: 538: 523: 512: 499: 492: 457: 428: 426: 423: 333: 330: 313: 310: 206: 205: 202: 201: 199: 198: 193: 188: 183: 177: 175: 171: 170: 168: 167: 162: 156: 154: 153:Sub-discipline 150: 149: 146: 142: 141: 137: 136: 131: 125: 124: 119: 115: 114: 110: 109: 106: 105: 102: 98: 97: 88: 86:(aged 82) 82:14 August 1984 80: 76: 75: 62: 51: 47: 46: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 740: 729: 726: 724: 721: 719: 716: 714: 711: 709: 706: 704: 701: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 684: 681: 679: 676: 674: 671: 669: 666: 664: 661: 660: 658: 649: 645: 642: 639: 636: 635: 624: 618: 611: 605: 589: 585: 578: 571: 564: 558: 551: 545: 543: 534: 527: 521: 516: 509: 503: 495: 489: 485: 484: 476: 474: 472: 470: 468: 466: 464: 462: 446: 442: 436: 434: 429: 422: 420: 416: 411: 409: 405: 400: 398: 394: 390: 386: 385:Bruce Dickins 382: 378: 373: 371: 368:and his wife 367: 363: 359: 355: 349: 347: 343: 338: 329: 327: 323: 319: 309: 307: 303: 299: 295: 291: 290:Genuine Asser 287: 283: 279: 274: 272: 270: 265: 261: 256: 249: 242: 235: 230: 223: 219: 218: 212: 203: 197: 194: 192: 189: 187: 184: 182: 179: 178: 176: 172: 166: 163: 161: 158: 157: 155: 151: 147: 143: 140:Academic work 138: 135: 132: 130: 126: 123: 120: 116: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 91: 81: 77: 73: 69: 65: 52: 48: 43: 39: 35: 31: 22: 19: 622: 617: 609: 604: 592:. Retrieved 587: 583: 570: 562: 557: 549: 532: 526: 515: 507: 502: 482: 448:. Retrieved 444: 412: 401: 393:Simon Keynes 376: 374: 350: 339: 335: 315: 301: 289: 288:(1951), and 285: 281: 277: 275: 267: 228: 227: 215: 174:Institutions 160:Anglo-Saxons 84:(1984-08-14) 18: 668:1982 deaths 663:1901 births 165:Old English 101:Nationality 657:Categories 450:2 November 425:References 312:Early life 282:After Bede 145:Discipline 129:Alma mater 56:1901-11-11 638:Biography 590:: 543–554 118:Education 90:Cambridge 68:Yorkshire 644:Portrait 594:23 April 284:(1960), 280:(1952), 406:in the 356:at the 306:Leofric 262:at the 248:FRHistS 217:Beowulf 148:History 104:British 94:England 72:England 38:FRHistS 490:  580:(PDF) 370:Doris 298:Asser 253: 251:, 246: 244:, 239: 237:, 64:Leeds 40: 36: 32: 596:2017 488:ISBN 452:2018 79:Died 50:Born 404:CBE 387:as 300:'s 255:FBA 241:FSA 234:CBE 42:FBA 34:FSA 30:CBE 659:: 588:70 586:. 582:. 541:^ 460:^ 443:. 432:^ 410:. 348:. 308:. 231:, 92:, 70:, 66:, 598:. 496:. 454:. 58:) 54:(

Index

CBE
FSA
FRHistS
FBA
Leeds
Yorkshire
England
Cambridge
England
Leeds Girls' High School
Alma mater
Newnham College, Cambridge
Anglo-Saxons
Old English
St Hilda's College, Oxford
University of Oxford
Newnham College, Cambridge
University of Cambridge

Beowulf
British Library
CBE
FSA
FRHistS
FBA
Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon
University of Cambridge
English Historical Documents
V. H. Galbraith
Asser

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