Mairin Mitchell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mairin Mitchell
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Mitchell in 1920
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Marian Houghton Mitchell
20 May 1895 Darlington, County Durham, England
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| Died | 5 October 1986 (aged 91) Holy Cross Priory, Cross-in-Hand
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| Education | St Winifred's School Bedford College, London |
| Occupation | Journalist, author, and translator |
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Mairin Mitchell (born May 20, 1895 – died October 5, 1986) was a British and Irish writer and journalist. She wrote mainly about politics, ships, and history. She also translated books from Spanish into English. Mairin was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, which means she was recognized for her work in geography.
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Mairin Mitchell's Early Life
Mairin Mitchell was born in Darlington, England. Her father, Dr. Thomas Houghton Mitchell, was a doctor from Ireland. Her mother was Gertrude Emily Pease. They got married in Darlington in 1894. Mairin's grandfather, Edward Thomas Pease, was a wealthy wine merchant.
Mairin had three younger siblings: twin sisters Edith and Gertrude, and a brother named Edward. She went to a boarding school for girls called St Winifred's in Bangor, North Wales. She also studied at Bedford College, London.
Sadly, Mairin's brother Edward died near the end of the First World War. He was serving in the Royal Air Force. Her mother passed away in 1935, and her father in 1946.
Mairin Mitchell's Career as a Writer
After the First World War, Mairin Mitchell wanted to become a writer. She lived in London and met a group of people who believed in anarchism. This is a political idea about societies without government. She remembered talking about big ideas like Karl Marx and the future of Ireland. She felt it was good for young people to question things and rebel.
One day, Mairin decided to take a job as a secretary on a ship called the SS Minnedosa. This ship belonged to Canadian Pacific and sailed to Canada. While in Canada, she was welcomed into the Iroquois community at Kahnawake. After her trip, she returned to England and continued working for Canadian Pacific.
Mairin became a journalist and wrote for Irish newspapers from London. She also wrote poems and books. She chose to use the Irish version of her first name, Máirín. In one of her books, A Shuiler Sings (1932), she signed her name in Irish as "Máirín Ní Mhaol Mhicheil".
In the 1930s, Mairin wrote to Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, an important Irish activist. They discussed meetings for women writers and other important topics. Mairin later wrote a tribute to Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, saying how much she would be missed.
Books and Travels
In 1935, Mairin published a book called Traveller in Time. It was a fantasy story set in Ireland in 1942. In the book, a character invents "Tempevision" to watch events from the past. A newspaper called An Gaedheal praised the book. It also mentioned that Mairin was a very active member of the Gaelic League in London. This group promotes the Irish language.
Mairin also wrote about her travels. In 1937, she visited Budapest in Hungary. She wrote an article about her experiences there.
Her book Storm over Spain (1937) was reviewed by the famous writer George Orwell. He said it was a good analysis of the Spanish Civil War. Mairin wrote to Orwell to thank him, but she also told him they had different political views. She also clarified that she was Irish, not English.
From 1937 to 1939, Mairin traveled a lot in Europe. She visited France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. Her book Back to England (1940) describes these trips and her thoughts on Britain in 1940. During the Second World War, Mairin worked as an interpreter in seaports.
In 1941, Mairin wrote Atlantic Battle and the Future of Ireland. She wrote this book while working at sea. In it, she described herself as a British citizen with Irish parents. She supported Éamon de Valera's policy of neutrality for Ireland during the war. She believed the war in the Atlantic would greatly affect Ireland. She hoped for a united Ireland that would join an alliance with Britain and the United States.
By 1946, Mairin Mitchell became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. This is a group that supports geographical exploration and research. She also started writing for the Encyclopædia Britannica, a well-known encyclopedia.
Her book The Maritime History of Russia 848–1948 (1949) was about Russia's history with the sea. It was also published in French and Turkish.
Later Life and Basque Country
After the Second World War, Mairin lived for long periods in the Basque Country in Spain. She became friends with important Basque people. She wrote two biographies about Basque explorers who sailed the Pacific Ocean: Juan Sebastián Elcano and Andrés de Urdaneta. Her book Elcano the First Circumnavigator (1958) was for general readers but based on a lot of research.
Her last book, published in 1986, was about Berengaria of Navarre, a Basque queen who married Richard I of England.
Mairin Mitchell died on October 5, 1986, at the age of 91. She passed away at Holy Cross Priory in England.
Mairin Mitchell's Legacy
From March 2022 to February 2023, an exhibition about Mairin Mitchell was held in the Basque Country in Spain. It was organized by the Biscay Provincial Council to celebrate her influence there. The Irish Examiner newspaper noted that Mairin was "honoured abroad but unknown at home." This shows how much she was appreciated in the Basque Country.
Selected Works
- Books
- A Shuiler Sings (1932) – a collection of poems about Ireland.
- Traveller in Time (1935) – a fantasy story set in Ireland.
- Storm over Spain (1937) – about the Spanish Civil War.
- Back to England (1940) – about her travels in Europe and thoughts on Britain.
- Atlantic Battle and the Future of Ireland (1941) – about the war at sea and Ireland's future.
- The Maritime History of Russia 848–1948 (1949) – about Russia's sea history.
- Elcano the First Circumnavigator (1958) – about the explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano.
- The Bridge of San Miguel (1960) – a fictional story about the first European sighting of the Pacific Ocean.
- Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, O.S.A. (1964) – about the explorer Andrés de Urdaneta.
- Berengaria: Enigmatic Queen of England (1986) – about Queen Berengaria.
- Articles
- "Catalonia and her People", The Irish Press, 1934
- "An Irishwoman in Hungary", The Irish Press, 1935
- "A Great Irishwoman", tribute to Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington in The Irish Democrat, 1946
- "Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese explorer", in Encyclopædia Britannica
Translations by Mairin Mitchell
Mairin Mitchell translated several books from Spanish into English:
- José de Arteche, The Cardinal of Africa, Charles Lavigerie, Founder of the White Fathers (1964)
- Fray Maria Pablo Garcia Gorriz, The Visigothic Basilica of San Juan De Banos and Visigothic Art (1973)
Her own book, The Maritime History of Russia, was translated into French and Turkish.
Images for kids
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St Winifred's, Bron Castell, Bangor, the school Mairin attended.
