Mary Hamilton, courtier and bluestocking, held a post in the household of George III's daughters, and her diaries and correspondence offer wonderful insights into royal, aristocratic and literary circles. The diaries, extending with gaps from 1782-97, fill 1,200 pages, and there are 3,000 pages of letters from her relatives and friends, and 6 commonplace books. Her wide circle of friends included leading literary and intellectual figures of the day, such as Hannah More, Fanny Burney, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Horace Walpole and Sir Joshua Reynolds. The collection, which is largely unpublished, was acquired by the John Rylands Library after an export licence was withheld.
Item Provenance
Sotheby's 13 July 2006, lot 111.