Duchess

Born Margaret Wolfe Hamilton in County Cork, she became known to readers around the English-speaking world as "The Duchess", the pen name under which many of her novels appeared. Her fiction was especially popular in the late 19th century for its lively dialogue, romance, and social comedy.

After marrying Edward Hungerford, she continued writing and built a remarkably successful career. Her books were first published anonymously and later associated with both Mrs. Hungerford and The Duchess, and titles such as Molly Bawn helped make her a widely read author of light, entertaining fiction.

She died on January 24, 1897, but her name still lingers in literary history. Part of her lasting reputation comes from Molly Bawn, which is often credited with helping fix one of the best-known phrases in English about beauty and perception.