Janet Hamilton

Janet Hamilton was a nineteenth century Scottish poet.

Was born as Janet Thomson at Carshill, Shotts parish, Lanarkshire, 12 Oct. 1795, the daughter of a shoemaker. In her childhood the family moved to Hamilton, and then to Langloan, in the parish of Old Monkland, Lanarkshire. For a time her parents became farm labourers, and Janet, remaining at home, span and worked at the tambour-frame. Her father at length settled down in business for himself as a shoemaker, and John Hamilton, one of his young workmen, married Janet in 1809. They lived together at Langloan for about sixty years, and had a family of ten children. Having learnt to read as a girl, Janet Hamilton in her early years became familiar with the Bible, with Shakespeare and Milton, with many standard histories, biographies, and essays, and with the poems of Allan Ramsay, Robert Fergusson and Robert Burns. Before she was twenty she had written numerous verses on religious themes. but family cares prevented further composition until she was about fifty-four. Then she began to write for Cassell's ‘Working Man's Friend.’ During her last eighteen years she was blind, and her husband and her daughter Marion read to her, while her son James was amanuensis. She was visited in those years by many notable people, including a son of Garibaldi, of whom she afterwards spoke with affectionate recollection. She died on 27 Oct. 1873, having never been ‘more than twenty miles from her dwelling.’ A memorial fountain has been placed nearly opposite her cottage.

Works

* "Poems and essays of a miscellaneous character on subjects of general interest". 1863 Glasgow
* "Poems of purpose and sketches in prose of Scottish peasant life and character in auld lang syne, sketches of local scenes and characters : with a glossary" 1865. Glasgow.
* "Poems and Ballads". With introductory papers by G. Gilfillan and A. Wallace. 1868. Glasgow
* "Poems, essays, and sketches". 1870. Glasgow A compilation of the best of the 1863 and 1865 poetry books.
* "Pictures in Prose and Verse; or, Personal recollections of the late Janet Hamilton" .. together with several hitherto unpublished poetic pieces. 1877. Edited by John Young. Glasgow.

References

* "Pictures in Prose and Verse; or, Personal recollections of the late Janet Hamilton" .. together with several hitherto unpublished poetic pieces. 1877. Glasgow. Pages 1-41
* Poems, sketches and essays. 1880. Glasgow. Introduction to Janet Hamilton's life and character by Rev. George Gilfillan.
* "Janet Hamilton. and other papers". By Joseph Wright. 1889 Edinburgh
* Wilson, James Grant. "Poets and Poetry of Scotland. Volume 2" 1876 Pages 149-151.
* Murdoch, Alexander G. "Recent and Living Scottish Poets." 1883 Pages 334-337.
* Eyre-Todd, George. "Glasgow poets". 1903 Pages 224-233.
* Edwards, D. H. "One Hundred Modern Scottish Poets". 1880 Pages 248-259