Annette Jocelyn Otway-Ruthven facts for kids
Annette Jocelyn Otway-Ruthven (born November 7, 1909 – died March 18, 1989) was an Irish historian. She was an expert in the history of Ireland during the Middle Ages. She was also one of the first women to become a professor at Trinity College Dublin.
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Her Family Background
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Annette Otway-Ruthven's father was Captain Robert Mervyn Bermingham Otway-Ruthven. He was from Castle Otway in County Tipperary. Her mother was Margaret Casement from County Wicklow. Annette had three sisters and one brother. Sadly, two of her sisters passed away when they were young. She was also related to Roger Casement through her mother's family.
Her Journey in Academics
Annette Otway-Ruthven studied history at Trinity College Dublin. She was chosen as a Scholar of the college in 1928. She earned her first degree in 1931. She then continued her studies at Girton College at the University of Cambridge. There, she wrote her PhD paper called The King's Secretary and the Signet Office in the XV Century.
She came back to Trinity College in 1938. She worked as a lecturer, teaching medieval, modern, and economic history. In 1951, she became the Lecky Professor of History. This was a very important teaching role. From 1965, she led a new department for medieval history. Under her leadership, it became one of the best departments in the college. In 1968, Trinity College made her one of its first female Fellows. This was a special honor.
When Annette started at Trinity in 1938, women professors were not always treated the same as men. She felt this was unfair. She once said that women were paid less for the same work.
One of her former students, James Lydon, later became her colleague. He said that her work on Irish history was amazing. He also remembered how kind she was to students who were having a tough time. Another famous student of hers was F. S. L. Lyons. He later became the Provost (head) of Trinity College Dublin.
Her Important Books and Work
Annette Otway-Ruthven was very interested in Ireland in the 1100s. She studied how the arrival of the Anglo-Normans changed the country. She wrote many articles and books. Her most famous book was A History of Medieval Ireland, published in 1968. This book was a huge step forward in understanding Irish history.
She also translated old documents. For example, she translated parts of the Domesday Book from Cambridgeshire in 1941. She also worked on the Liber Primus Kilkenniensis. She helped publish old papers called Dowdall deeds in 1960. She also worked on a collection of papers known as the Talbot de Malahide papers.
Annette Otway-Ruthven also helped put back together old Irish records. These records were lost when the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed in 1922. She worked hard to find copies of these records in London. Her efforts were very important when this project was finished much later.
She joined the Irish Manuscripts Commission in 1943. She was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 1941. In 1951, she became a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. She was also part of an international group that studied the history of parliaments.
Her Personal Life and Later Years
Annette Otway-Ruthven enjoyed hobbies outside of history. She was an amateur botanist, which means she loved studying plants. She grew rare plants in her garden in Rathgar. She was also very good at needlework.
After she retired in 1980, she faced a serious health challenge. She became very ill and could not move or speak easily. She spent the rest of her life in a nursing home. She passed away on March 18, 1989.
Her important papers are kept at Trinity College. The college also has a painting of her by the artist Derek Hill. Trinity College is also home to the Castle-Otway Harp. This old Irish musical instrument was at Castle Otway for many years, even though it's not known if it was directly linked to her family.
