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Catherine Jane Hamilton (1841–1935) was an author and journalist who also wrote under the
pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
, Retlaw Spring.


Life

She was born to a family with Irish roots in
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...
, second daughter of Richard Hamilton (1805/6–1859), vicar of
Kilmersdon Kilmersdon is a village and civil parish on the north eastern slopes of the Mendip Hills in Somerset between the towns of Radstock and Frome. It is located on the B3139 between Wells and Trowbridge in Wiltshire. The settlement is recorded in Wil ...
, and his wife, Charlotte, née Cooper (1809–1882). She was baptised on 12 April 1841. As a child Hamilton was raised at the old vicarage but suffered a bout of typhoid fever and was extremely ill. Her father moved the family to a better house when she was eleven as a result. She was educated at home with her sister by governesses and learned French, Latin and Greek due to her father's influence. She taught in the local Sunday school and helped her father as he lost both his hearing and sight. His death in 1859 left the family unable to survive and they had to rely on relatives for support. They moved to
Ballickmoyler Ballickmoyler or Ballicmoyler () is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. It lies southeast of Portlaoise, at the junction of the N80 national secondary road and the R429 regional road. Public transport During the week Ballickmoyler is serv ...
, Queen’s County, Ireland where her mother's family had a home. Hamilton lived in Ireland for many years. Her sister married a widower, Wrigley Grimshaw, in 1875. Hamilton was living with her for the census in 1901.


Career

Hamilton published over twenty-five books including drama, poetry and fiction. Initially, she wrote under the pen name but after 1880, she started signing her work as C. J. Hamilton. Hamilton wrote religious fiction for children as well as shorter tales in illustrated journals aimed at children. She also wrote fiction for a wide number of journals such as '' Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine'' and '' Young Englishwoman'', ''
Dublin University Magazine The ''Dublin University Magazine'' was an independent literary cultural and political magazine published in Dublin from 1833 to 1882. It started out as a magazine of political commentary but increasingly became devoted to literature. The magazine ...
'', ''
The Graphic ''The Graphic'' was a British weekly illustrated newspaper, first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Ltd. Thomas's brother Lewis Samuel Thomas was a co-founder. The premature death of the latt ...
'', ''
St. Paul's Magazine ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
'', ''
The National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
'' and ''
London Society ''London Society'' was a Victorian era illustrated monthly periodical, subtitled "an illustrated magazine of light and amusing literature for the hours of relaxation". It was published between 1862 and 1898 by W. Clowes and Sons, London. The m ...
''. Hamilton wrote a series on notable women writers, actors and intellectuals which was eventually produced in volumes for publication. She was employed by the '' Weekly Irish Times'' from 1906 and ''
Pall Mall Gazette ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood. In 1921, '' The Globe'' merged into ''The Pall Mall Gazette'', which itself was absorbed i ...
'' from 1913. She was a member of the Women Writers' Club and the
Institute of Journalists The Chartered Institute of Journalists is a professional association for journalists and is the senior such body in the UK and the oldest in the world. History The ''Chartered Institute of Journalists'' was proposed during a meeting in Manchest ...
. By 1906, Hamilton had returned to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
where she remained for about ten years. She then moved to
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and Bury St Edmunds. She died 28 February 1935, in
Freckenham Freckenham is a small rural village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in East Anglia, in the country of England. Geographically, it is relatively flat and has the River Kennet, a tributary of the River Lark locally known a ...
.


Selected works

* Notable Irishwomen, (1904) * Women writers:their works and ways, (1892) * Famous love matches * Marriage Bonds, (1878) * Hedged with Thorns: or, Working, Waiting and Winning. London: Ward, Lock, 1875 * Marriage Bonds: or, Christian Hazell's Married Life. London: Ward, Lock, 1879 * The Flynns of Flynnville. London: Ward, Lock, 1880 * Mr. Bartram's Daughter: An Every-Day Story. Derby: Bemrose and Sons, 1882 * True to the Core: A Romance of '98. 2 vol. London: F. V. White, 1883 * Rivals at School: or, A Lesson for Life. London: Sunday School Union, 1888 * Dr. Belton's Daughters. London: Ward, Lock, 1890 * The Battle of the Waves: or, The Herring Boat. London: R.T.S., 1890 * The Merry-go-Round. London: R.T.S., 1894 * From Hand to Hand: or, The Adventures of a Jubilee Sixpence. London: Partridge, 1895 * The Strange Adventures of Willie Norman. London: R.T.S., 1898 * A Flash of Youth. London: Sands, 1900 * Frank and Flo on their Travels. London: R.T.S., 1901 * The Macsorley Talisman, The Graphic Christmas 1876 * Two drawing room plays, Defeated: A Tale eeton's Christmas Annualby Hannah Lynch (London: London : Ward, Lock & Co. 1885])


References


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Catherine Jane 1841 births 1935 deaths 19th-century Irish novelists 20th-century Irish novelists Irish women novelists 19th-century British novelists 20th-century British novelists British women novelists Irish journalists Irish women journalists 19th-century British journalists 20th-century British journalists British women journalists Pseudonymous women writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers