Marianne-Caroline Hamilton facts for kids

Marianne-Caroline Hamilton (born 1777, died 1861) was an Irish artist and writer. She was known for her detailed memoirs, which are like personal journals or life stories. Her memoirs were published in 2010.

Early Life and Education

Marianne-Caroline Hamilton was born in 1777 in Rossana, County Wicklow, Ireland. She was the second daughter of William Tighe, a landowner and a member of Parliament. Her mother was Sarah Tighe.

Marianne-Caroline spent much of her childhood in England, especially in Harrow and London. Her younger brother went to boarding school there. However, she loved holidaying in Ireland more. She enjoyed the open spaces and freedom she found there.

She received a very good education at home. She had several teachers, including governesses, an arithmetic master, and her brother's tutor who taught her Latin. But Marianne-Caroline's favorite subject was art. She even admitted to skipping Latin classes sometimes just to draw!

Her family traveled a lot. They visited France, Flanders, and Holland. In 1795, her family moved back to Ireland. She had a special drawing teacher named John Inigo Spilsbury. With his help, she became a very skilled artist, almost like a professional.

Family Life and Home

In April 1801, Marianne-Caroline married Charles Hamilton. He was from Hamwood House in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland. Charles worked as a land agent for the Dukes of Leinster, managing their large properties.

Marianne-Caroline and Charles had six children: Sarah, Caroline Elizabeth, Mary, Charles William, William Tighe, and Frederick John Henry Fownes. She taught her children herself at home. This meant she had less time to paint. Her writings show that she was very involved in managing Hamwood House and its beautiful gardens.

Writing and Legacy

Marianne-Caroline Hamilton was also a talented writer. She copied many poetry albums, which included poems from famous writers like Thomas Moore. Her cousin, Mary Tighe, who was also her sister-in-law, also contributed to these albums. A poet named Thomas Campbell even wrote a poem about her art called The stanzas on painting.

She wrote a history of her own family. This included stories about Theodosia and Mary Blachford, and Sarah Ponsonby. Sarah Ponsonby left all her personal papers to Marianne-Caroline when she died.

Hamilton wrote in a funny and sometimes critical way. She described the lives of the wealthy Anglo-Irish families of her time. Some of her well-known writings include Domestic happiness as acted in the city: a tragic comic farce, The Kingston to Holyhead packet, and Society.

Her family memoir was bought by the National Library of Ireland in the 1970s. It was purchased from the family of her descendant, William Howard. In 2010, this memoir was published as a book called Reminiscences of Marianne-Caroline Hamilton (1777–1861).

Marianne-Caroline Hamilton passed away at her home in Dublin on July 29, 1861. Some of her drawings are still kept at Hamwood House today. Her artwork has been used in books about Irish art history by experts like Desmond Fitzgerald and Professor Anne Crookshank. Her great-granddaughter, Letitia Marion Hamilton, also became a well-known artist.