My Dearest Martha: The Life and Letters of Eliza Hillier
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We often learn about the commerce, diplomacy, and military campaigns of the British empire without reference to the intimate side of life in these times—the development of self, the position of women, and the importance of family. In this book, the story of empire, so often told from a man’s perspective, is given a unique vantage point through Eliza Hillier’s letters to her younger sister, Martha. Written largely from Hong Kong, Shanghai, England, and Siam, the letters allow us to become a member of her family and follow the daily tribulations associated with the life of a young British woman in the port cities of Asia. We are thus able to share Eliza’s experiences as she leaves home to embark on married life, starts and raises a family, grieves at the abrupt and tragic loss of her husband, Charles Batten Hillier, and then sets about re-building her life.
At once a reflection on the daily components of empire, an entertaining narrative of familial relationships, and the story of one woman’s inner feelings, My Dearest Martha guides us through the vagaries of life for a family who were very much a part of imperial careering and missionary circles in East and Southeast Asia. The letters are complemented by images and commentary from the author, a descendant of Eliza, providing context and depth, which together give us a fuller picture of British colonial life in the mid-1800s from a perspective that will resonate with readers around the world.
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Dr Andrew Hillier is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Bristol. He is the author of Mediating Empire: An English Family in China 1817–1927(Renaissance Books, 2020) and has published articles in the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History and Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong. He is an active contributor to the Historical Photographs of China Project (www.hpcbristol.net/), launched by the University of Bristol in 2006, which locates, digitises, and archives historical photographs of China.