Mary (Molly) MacCarthy
Encyclopedia
Mary MacCarthy was a British writer, known for her involvement in the "Bloomsbury Group
".
Mary MacCarthy was the daughter of the teacher and man-of-letters Francis Warre Warre-Cornish
. She was commonly called Molly.
In 1906 she married the literary critic Desmond MacCarthy
, with whom she had one daughter, Rachel.
Though prevented by progressive hearing-loss from full participation in group conversation, she was active in the Bloomsbury group, as demonstrated by her formation of its Memoir group and Novel group, and by coining the term "Bloomsberries" to describe its members.
Her sister Cecilia married William Wordsworth Fisher
later Admiral. Her daughter Rachel married the biographer David Cecil
.
Bloomsbury Group
The Bloomsbury Group or Bloomsbury Set was a group of writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists who held informal discussions in Bloomsbury throughout the 20th century. This English collective of friends and relatives lived, worked or studied near Bloomsbury in London during the first half...
".
Mary MacCarthy was the daughter of the teacher and man-of-letters Francis Warre Warre-Cornish
Francis Warre Warre-Cornish
Francis Warre Warre-Cornish was a British scholar and writer. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. He was a master and subsequently Vice-Provost of Eton, from 1893 to 1916.-Works:...
. She was commonly called Molly.
In 1906 she married the literary critic Desmond MacCarthy
Desmond MacCarthy
Sir Desmond MacCarthy was a British literary critic and journalist.-Early life and education:MacCarthy was born in Plymouth, Devon, and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge he got to know Lytton Strachey, Bertrand Russell and G. E...
, with whom she had one daughter, Rachel.
Though prevented by progressive hearing-loss from full participation in group conversation, she was active in the Bloomsbury group, as demonstrated by her formation of its Memoir group and Novel group, and by coining the term "Bloomsberries" to describe its members.
Her sister Cecilia married William Wordsworth Fisher
William Wordsworth Fisher
Admiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher, GCB, GCVO was a Royal Navy officer who captained a battleship at the Battle of Jutland and became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet...
later Admiral. Her daughter Rachel married the biographer David Cecil
Lord David Cecil
Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil, CH , was a British biographer, historian and academic. He held the style of 'Lord' by courtesy, as a younger son of a marquess.-Early life and studies:...
.
Sources
- The Bloomsbury Group: A Collection of Memoirs and Commentary, ed. S. P. Rosenbaum (University of Toronto Press, revised edition, 1995).
- Clever hearts: Desmond and Molly MacCarthy: a biography, by Hugh and Mirabel Cecil (Gollancz, 1990).
Selected bibliography
- A Pier and a Band (1918)
- A Nineteenth Century Childhood (1924)
- Fighting Fitzgerald and Other Papers (1930)
- Handicaps: Six Studies (1936)
- The Festival, Etc. (1937)