Edith Olive Anthony Checkland , born in June 1920 , was the only child of Robert Anthony, a naval petty officer, and Edith Philipson, who was the daughter of John Philipson, the High Chief Ruler of the Independent Order of the Rechabites. Olive went to Birmingham University to study geography in 1938 , and it was there that she met her future husband, Sydney Checkland . The pair were married in 1942 , and had five children. Sydney Checkland became the first Professor of Economic History at the University of Glasgow , Scotland in 1957 , a position he held until 1982 . Olive was very much part of the department and became involved in historical research in the 1970s, and worked on several Scottish social themes, including philanthropy in Victorian Scotland. She also collaborated with her husband on many projects, producing published findings of their work. Olive became an honorary research fellow at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and after her husband Sydney died in 1986 , her interests began to expand to include research on Japan, and through this she gained a respected position in the field. Olive Checkland wrote several books, including Japan and Britain After 1859 (2002), Japanese Whisky, Scotch Blend (1998) and Isabella Bird and a Woman's Right (1996). She died on the 8th September 2004 .
From the guide to the Papers of Edith Olive Anthony Checkland, 1920-2004, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, Scotland, Early 20th Century, (Glasgow University Archive Services)
