The oldest woman in Scotland at the University of Glasgow

By rachaelegan on April 16, 2012 • ( 0 )

To mark the passing of the oldest woman in Scotland, who died last week at the age of 110, we thought we would take a look back at her time here at the University of Glasgow.

Janet Sheed Roberts (née Gordon) died peacefully at her home in Dufftown last week. She was born in Cabrach, in Moray, in the summer of 1901 and was the granddaughter of William Grant, who founded the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown in 1886.

Janet Sheed Gordon's matriculation slip (R8/5/45/14)

Janet first matriculated at the University of Glasgow in 1924-25 aged 23, after completing her MA at Edinburgh University, and studied Law here for four years. During her time at theUniversity of Glasgow, Janet also studied Forensic Medicine as one of only 5 women in Professor Glaister’s class in 1927-28. Janet was awarded a first class certificate for Geology in the same year and so studied a range of subjects while here.

Janet's First-Class certificate (SEN10/70, p767)

After graduating she practised law for a number of years for the firm of McGrigor Donald and this was where she met her future husband, Eric Lloyd Roberts (1909-1980). Eric Lloyd Roberts also studied here at the University of Glasgow, graduating with an MA in 1930 and then an LLB in 1932.

She returned to the University to marry her husband, as they wed at the Universityof Glasgow Memorial Chapel on the 9^th August 1938.

BBC Scotland covered the story last week.