Gwendolyn Vaughn Shand, social worker and author, was born 5 September 1891 at Windsor, N.S., the only daughter of merchant Clifford Shand and Henrie (Vaughn) Shand. She received her early education at Windsor Academy and obtained her BA and MA from Acadia University, Wolfville. She worked as a teacher at the Halifax School for the Deaf and Dumb and later served as vice principal at Hants County Academy. In 1918 she began studying social work at McGill and later the Carnegie Institute for Technology, Pittsburgh, where she received her second MA in 1923. She worked for various welfare and charity organizations in Montreal and Pittsburgh before returning to Windsor in the 1930s following her father's illness. In 1937 she went to England to study anthropology at the London School of Economics. Shand returned to Nova Scotia during the Second World War and worked for the Welfare Council of Halifax, where she remained until 1958. Following her retirement, Shand spent time in Corning, N.Y. with her brother Errol, and in Windsor at the Shand family home, Ferry Hill. There she became interested in the history of Hants County, particularly Windsor. Her book, Historic Hants County, dealing with the mercantile and industrial life of the area, was published in 1979. Shand also participated in organizing the West Hants Historical Society (1973) and was appointed honourary president. She died 5 August 1982 at Windsor.