Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Liddell, Dorothy Mary

1890 – 1938

Dorothy Liddell was born at Benwell, Northumberland to John Liddell and his wife Emily (née Berry) one of their six children.  In 1904 the family moved to Sydmonton Court near Newbury and four years later to Sherfield Manor near Basingstoke.

During World War I the manor house was used as a hospital for the wounded and Liddell was a nurse there. Following the death of her brother Aidan in August 1915 (he was a military pilot and recipient of the Victoria Cross) she joined the Red Cross in Belgium and was awarded an MBE for her war service.

Dorothy Liddell was unable to get any formal education in archaeology, but worked from 1925-29 at Windmill Hill, Avebury with Alexander Keiller (who, from 1924-34, was married to her younger sister Veronica).  Following this apprenticeship, she was invited by the Hampshire Field Club to excavate at Chilworth Ring, Southampton (1928), Lodge Farm Roman Villa, North Warnborough (1929), Meon Hill near Stockbridge (1934), and Choseley Farm, near Odiham (1937).

Liddell was also engaged by the Devon Archaeological Society, working for them at Hembury hill fort, where she was mentor to 17 year-old Mary Nicol, later to become Mary Leakey.

Dorothy Liddell became ill during the work at Choseley Farm and died at the young age of 47.  She is buried, with her parents and brother, near to the Holy Ghost Chapel, Basingstoke.

Sources

Hampshire Field Club and internet

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

Dorothy Liddell was an extremely capable excavator who directed a number of projects for the Hampshire Field Club.  

Relevant published works

• Liddell, Dorothy (1930) Notes on two excavations in Hampshire,Proc Hants Field Club & Archaeol Soc10, pp 224 – 236

• Liddell, Dorothy (1932) Report of excavations at Meon Hill,Proc Hants Field Club & Archaeol Soc12, pp 126 – 162.

• Liddell, Dorothy (1934) Report of excavations at Meon Hill – second season, 1933,Proc Hants Field Club & Archaeol Soc13, pp 7 – 54.

Critical Comments

Other Comments

Dorothy Liddell was buried in the Holy Ghost Cemetry, image below, in Basingstoke in the same plot as that of her brother Captain John A LIddell, V.C.

Contributor

Dave Allen, October 2021

Key Words

Archaeology, Windmill Hill, Chilworth Ring, Lodge Farm Roman Villa, Meon Hill, Choseley Farm

Any queries or further suggestions for this part of the list should be addressed to celebrating@hantsfieldclub.org.uk.

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