Mary Catherine Hume-Rothery
Mary Catherine Hume-Rothery was a notable Victorian writer and activist, born on December 14, 1824, into a politically engaged family. Her father, a radical member of Parliament, influenced her progressive views, which she further developed through her connections with reform-minded individuals, including Charles Augustus Tulk. Hume-Rothery published her first poetry collection, *The Bridesmaid, Count Stephen, and Other Poems*, in 1853, receiving mixed critiques, notably from George Eliot. Following personal tragedies, including the death of her first child during childbirth, Hume-Rothery became an advocate for women's rights in healthcare, emphasizing the need for female practitioners. Her 1871 book, *Women and Doctors: Or, Medical Despotism in England*, reflects her commitment to this cause. In addition to her literary work, she was an active opponent of oppressive health laws and contributed to women's suffrage movements. Hume-Rothery published fourteen books throughout her lifetime, transitioning from poetry to moralistic writing that sought to inspire and educate women. She passed away in 1885 after battling breast cancer, leaving behind a legacy as an influential figure in both literature and women's rights.
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Subject Terms
Mary Catherine Hume-Rothery
Poet
- Born: December 14, 1824
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: February 14, 1885
Biography
Mary Catherine Hume-Rothery was born on December 14, 1824, to Joseph and Maria Hume. Her father was a radical member of Parliament, and the family spent much of its time in London. Hume considered herself an urban woman, and was influenced by her father’s reform agenda. As a young woman, Hume spent a great deal of time with the family of Charles Augustus Tulk, another reform-minded member of Parliament. They often discussed the work of Emanuel Swedenborg.
Tulk died in 1849, and Hume produced a memoir of her mentor appearing in 1850. In 1853, Hume-Rothery produced her first volume of poetry, The Bridesmaid, Count Stephen, and Other Poems. The volume generally received favorable reviews; however, George Eliot famously found Hume-Rothery’s poetry to be dreadful. In 1854, Hume’s father took ill, and spent the winter dying at Burnley Hall in Norfolk. His daughter wrote her blank-verse drama Normiton during this time.
Hume traveled to Italy for an extended stay after her father’s death; however, after her return to London, she spent much time writing. Several of the works she published during this period were extremely moralistic. In 1863, she produced The Golden Rule, and Other Stories for Children with the intention of providing moral education for children.
In 1864, she married the Reverend William Rothery and moved to Manchester. The experience of having a male doctor attend the birth of her first child, who died during the birth, influenced Hume-Rothery deeply, and she fought for the rest of her life for women to be in attendance at childbirth. The result of this experience also resulted in her book, Women and Doctors: Or, Medical Despotism in England, which appeared in 1871.
Although Hume-Rothery wrote little during her time in Manchester, she nevertheless began working for women’s rights and suffrage. The material conditions of women’s lives affected her deeply. Both Hume-Rothery and her husband worked tirelessly against the 1864 Contagious Disease Act that required compulsory vaccination. She also began editing The National Anti-Compulsory-Vaccination Reporter. At the same time, Hume-Rothery continued to protest professionalized male health care, calling instead for women midwives and doctors to provide care for women and children.
In 1883, Hume-Rothery contracted breast cancer and she died in 1885. During her life, she published fourteen books on various subjects. While she turned away from writing poetry later in her life, she nevertheless continued to use writing as a means to influence her generation of women. For both her mid-century poetry and her late-century activism, Mary Catherine Hume-Rothery is remembered as an important Victorian writer.