Ishbel MacDonald

Ishbel MacDonald
Ishbel MacDonald
Born	Ishbel Allan MacDonald (1903-03-02)2 March 1903 Holborn, London Borough of Camden, London, England
Died	20 June 1982(1982-06-20) (aged 79) Lossiemouth, Scotland
Resting place	Spynie Cemetery, Morayshire
Nationality	British
Other names	Ishbel Allan Ridgley Ishbel Allan Peterkin
Education	North London Collegiate School
Occupation	Official Hostess
Known for	Official Hostess to Ramsay MacDonald
Title	Independent Socialist
Political party	Labour
Spouses	Norman Ridgley ​ ​ (m. 1938; died 1950)​ James Peterkin ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 1956)​
Parents	Ramsay MacDonald (father) Margaret Ethel MacDonald (mother)
Relatives	Malcolm MacDonald (brother)

Ishbel Allan MacDonald (2 March 1903 – 20 June 1982)^[1] was the daughter of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Ramsay MacDonald^[2] and his wife Margaret MacDonald née Gladstone. Margaret's death in 1911^[3] – a year after their son David had died – left Ramsay a single father to his remaining five children. When, in 1924 he came to power as Prime Minister of the country's first Labour Government, it was Ishbel, as the eldest daughter, who her father decided should be his hostess at 10 Downing Street. At just 20 she became the youngest person ever to take on the role.