Dina Portway Dobson-Hinton FSA (1885 – 1968) was an English archaeologist and pioneering caver. As well as teaching and writing on prehistory and ancient history, she explored caves in the Mendip Hills and advocated for women in the magistracy.
Early life and education
editShe was born Dina Portway on 3 March 1885, the eldest of six children of stove manufacturer H. Portway. Educated at Bedford High School, she studied history at Newnham College, Cambridge between 1903 and 1906. Cambridge did not award degrees to women at that time, but she received her Litt.D. from Trinity College Dublin.[1]
Between 1906 and 1910, she taught at the High Schools of Edgbaston and Manchester.[1]
Caving
edit
Dobson-Hilton was reported to be the first woman to descend Eastwater Cavern in 1920 and the first woman to descend the forty-foot pot in Swildon's Hole in 1922.[2][3][4][5] She served as President of the Axbridge Archaeological Society and Caving Group.[1]
Archaeology
editDobson-Hinton wrote several works on prehistory and ancient history, her most notable being The Archaeology of Somerset (1931), and she was a prolific contributor to articles and reviews in journals.[6] From 1926 she gave radio talks on prehistoric archaeology.[7] She was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1934.[1]
During World War Two, in advance of the digging of an anti-tank ditch to defend Wells, she excavated the area.
Women in magistracy
editServing as Justice of the Peace for over thirty years (1937 – 1968) and on the Bristol City Council (1938 – 1947). In 1949, Dobson-Hilton toured Egypt, speaking about 'women in the British magistracy and women's institutes.'[8] She was also President of a branch of the Soroptomists Club.[1][9]
Radio
editDobson-Hilton also became a radio broadcaster and scriptwriter for the BBC. She worked on the Schools radio series How Things Began and for the Home and Light Service.[9]
Personal life
editShe married, first, John Dobson a Greek professor the University of Bristol[9] (who died in 1947) and second, Martin Hinton, a retired zoo keeper and palaeontologist who was one of the suspects in the Piltdown Man hoax (who died in 1961).[1][10] She had six children, including prominent businessman Richard Dobson.[1]
One obituary record states, "Her most important work was undoubtedly the inspiring of the younger generation." One of her protégés wrote in the Bristol Archaeological Research Group bulletin that "beginners turned naturally to her for advice. No one ever applied to her in vain."[11]
Select works
edit- The Archaeology of Somerset (1931)[12]
- A Book of Prehistory (1933)
- A Book of Ancient History (1934)
- Early Man (1950)
- Clothing and Costume (1955)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Lloyd, Oliver C. (1968). "Obituary - Dina Portway Dobson-Hinton, Litt.D., F.S.A." (PDF). University of Britsol Spelaeological Society. 11.
- ^ "British Caving Library". caving-library.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ Tratman, E.K. (Jun 1968). "Newsletter". Cave Research Group of Great Britain: 10–11.
- ^ Lloyd, O.C. (Jun 1956). "Mrs Dobson". Wessex Cave Club. 55.
- ^ Shaw, Trevor; Ballinger, Christine (2020). A Biographical Bibliography. Založba ZRC. ISBN 978-961-05-0444-3.
- ^ "Search results | JSTOR". www.jstor.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ Mizoguchi, Koji; Smith, Claire E. (2019-06-27). Global Social Archaeologies: Making a Difference in a World of Strangers. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-59675-5.
- ^ Catalogue descrip. 1948–1950.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Jan (2024-10-08). "Resurrecting Dina Dobson: Archaeologist, Educator and Radio Broadcaster". Women's History Network. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
- ^ New Scientist. New Science Publications. 1990. p. 16.
- ^ Sykes, C.M. (1977). "Archaeological Personalities: Dina Portway Dobson" (PDF). Bristol and Avon Archaeological Research Group Bulletin. 6 (2): 34.
- ^ Dobson, Dina Portway (1931). The Archaeology of Somerset. Methuen.