Mary Agnes Hamilton
Mary Agnes Hamilton was a notable British novelist, journalist, and political figure, born in 1884 in Manchester, England. She graduated with first-class honors from Newnham College, Cambridge, where she developed a strong interest in politics. Hamilton had a varied career, initially working as an assistant lecturer and later contributing to significant political committees, including her role as a Member of Parliament from 1924 to 1931. She also served as a governor of the BBC and headed the United States section of the Ministry of Information during World War II.
Hamilton's literary career included writing novels, biographies, and history books, with her works often exploring themes of women's experiences and social issues. Her novels, such as "Less Than the Dust" and "Yes," address the complexities of romance and women's roles in society, often set against the backdrop of war. Despite some criticism from contemporaries like Virginia Woolf, Hamilton's writing has been recognized for its psychological depth and social convictions. Throughout her life, she maintained connections with prominent intellectuals and was involved in various civic and literary organizations, contributing to the discourse on women's rights and democracy. Her legacy encompasses both her literary contributions and her advocacy for social change.
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Mary Agnes Hamilton
Author
- Born: 1884
- Birthplace: Manchester, Lancashire, England
- Died: February 10, 1962
Biography
Novelist Mary Agnes Hamilton was born to logic professor Robert Adamson and teacher Daisy Duncan in 1884 in Manchester, England. In 1902, she went to Newnham College, Cambridge, where she graduated with first-class honors. Here, her interest in politics grew. After graduating from Cambridge, she worked as an assistant lecturer in history at the University of Cardiff, followed by another as job assistant to Sir Philip Gibbs at The Review in London.
In 1905, she married economist C. J. Hamilton, secretary of the Royal Economic Society. As a Member of Parliament, she served on the Balfour Committee on Trade and Industry from 1924 to 1929, and on the Royal Commission on the Civil Service from 1929 to 1931. Hamilton served as a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) from 1933 to 1937. In 1940, she became head of the United States section of the Ministry of Information, which resulted in her In America To-Day (1932). In 1949, she was made a commander of the British Empire. Over time, she came to know such literary luminaries as Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Bertrand Russell, Lytton Strachey, J. M. Keynes and Aldous and Julian Huxley. She was also a founding member of the famous intellectual Soho Club, which provided opportunities to meet others interested in democracy.
While she earned a living as a journalist, the enormously prolific Hamilton also wrote biographies, history books, and novels. Although the famous British novelist Virginia Woolf denigrated Hamilton’s literary efforts, she praised Hamilton for her quick mind and social convictions. In her first novel, Less Than the Dust (1912), the protagonist Delia falls in love with her sister’s husband, Adam, but marries Tony, his half-brother, to protect her sister’s marriage. Her sister, however, runs away with Tony. Her second novel, Yes (1914), discusses the importance of marriage to women. After the protagonist Joan, who forgoes art in favor of Sebastian Mackay, is rudely awakened to life’s realities, she leaves for Paris where she rediscovers her love for art.
Throughout the 1920’s, Hamilton wrote reviews for Time and Tide, which provided women with a literary arena and helped raise their political consciousness. Numbered also among her prolific works are the biographies of John Stuart Mill (1933), a defender of women’s rights, and Sidney and Beatrice Webb: A Study in Contemporary Biography (1933). In British Trade Unions (1943), Hamilton traces the history of trade unions.
Hamilton’s novels deal with the influence of war on romance and of women’s ultimate rejection of romantic love. In her novels, women are put in situations where they are forced to question themselves and how they contribute to the patriarchal system that keeps them dependent on men. Her novels present psychological insights into the anguish caused by war and the resultant choices presented to all. Hamilton’s nonfiction deals primarily with the history Britain’s social climate.