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Mary MacCarthy

1882 – 1953

British writer

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About Mary MacCarthy

Lived 1882 – 1953 (aged 70–71). Mary MacCarthy was a British painter, novelist and writer.

alt=Photo of Mary MacCarthy with her son Michael in 1915. Taken by Lady Ottoline Morrell Mary, Lady MacCarthy (August 1882 – 29 December 1953) was a British writer; known for her involvement in the "Bloomsbury Group", and commonly called Molly.

Life She was born Mary Josepha Warre-Cornish in Lynton, Devon; the daughter of schoolmaster and man of letters Francis Warre Warre-Cornish by his wife, Blanche.

In 1906 she married the literary critic Sir Desmond MacCarthy, with whom she had two sons, Michael and Dermod, and a daughter, Rachel (later Lady David Cecil).

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.

She died at Hampton, Middlesex, of heart failure, and is buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, with her husband.

Selected works 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)

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Important facts

Born
1882
Birth century
Also known as
Mary Josepha MacCarthy, Molly MacCarthy, Mary Warre-Cornish, Mary Josepha Warre-Cornish

People in Mary MacCarthy's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mary MacCarthy's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Mary MacCarthy?

British writer (1882-1953)

When was Mary MacCarthy born?

Mary MacCarthy was born in 1882.

When did Mary MacCarthy die?

Mary MacCarthy died on 29 December 1953 in Middlesex.

What was Mary MacCarthy's occupation?

Mary MacCarthy was a painter, novelist and writer.

What nationality was Mary MacCarthy?

Mary MacCarthy was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Mary MacCarthy

· Wikidata: Q388781

· DBpedia: Mary MacCarthy

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mary MacCarthy. https://biography.guide/mary-maccarthy/

MLA: "Mary MacCarthy." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mary-maccarthy/.

Chicago: "Mary MacCarthy." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mary-maccarthy/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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