Sheila Lochhead
British prison visitor
About Sheila Lochhead
Lived 1910 – 1994 (aged 83). Sheila Lochhead was a British prison visitor.
Sheila Ramsay Lochhead (; 7 December 1910 – 22 July 1994) was a hostess, prison visitor and writer. In 1924 her widowed father, Ramsay MacDonald, 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, leading the National Association of Official Prison Visitors for three years.
Biography Lochhead was born Sheila MacDonald in 1910. She was one of six children of Ramsay MacDonald, the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and his wife Margaret MacDonald , a social reformer and women's rights activist.
MacDonald was head girl at the North London Collegiate School. She then studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Somerville College, Oxford 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 became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Along with her sister Ishbel, she became her father's hostess while he was at 10 Downing Street, including when he was sent abroad on missions. Sheila found time to do this while also working at Wormwood Scrubs Prison. 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.
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Important facts
People in Sheila Lochhead's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sheila Lochhead's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sheila Lochhead?
British prison visitor (1910-1994)
When was Sheila Lochhead born?
Sheila Lochhead was born on 7 December 1910 in London.
When did Sheila Lochhead die?
Sheila Lochhead died on 22 July 1994 in Swansea.
What was Sheila Lochhead's occupation?
Sheila Lochhead was a prison visitor.
What nationality was Sheila Lochhead?
Sheila Lochhead was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sheila Lochhead. https://biography.guide/sheila-lochhead/
MLA: "Sheila Lochhead." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sheila-lochhead/.
Chicago: "Sheila Lochhead." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sheila-lochhead/.
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