The Hamiltons
Portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Hamilton
Elizabeth Hamilton, born in Belfast in 1758 and died in Harrogate, Yorkshire 1816, was a novelist and educationalist. In 1789, she moved to London to live with her brother, whose translation of a guide to Islamic law influenced her novel Translations of the Letters of a Hindoo Rajah(1796). Half of this novel is set in India, while the other half satirises English culture from the perspective of the Rajah, who has come to visit England. The introduction explores Hindu mythology, government, and society.
The Memoirs are an important early publication relating to Elizabeth Hamilton’s life, a major primary source for her biography. The correspondence indicates she considered joining her brother in India at one time. Once forgotten, she is now receiving much attention from postcolonial and feminist critics.
Relates to:
h PR4739.H2 MEMO -Memoirs of the late Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton : with a selection from her correspondence, and other unpublished writings
The Memoirs of the Late Mrs Elizabeth Hamilton
Translation of the letters of a Hindoo Rajah Cover
The Hedaya Cover
The Hedaya Spine
Her brother, Charles Hamilton (1752/53- 1792), born in Belfast, was an early orientalist in India, working under Warren Hastings. He translated the Islamic legal text known as the Hedaya, the basis for traditional Islamic law. The volumes on display are a modern Pakistani edition of Charles Hamilton’s important 1791 work of orientalist scholarship.
Relates to:
BP152 MARG (2 vols) - The Hedaya : commentary on the Islamic laws / translated by Charles Hamilton