Ward was educated at the Rock Terrace School for Young Ladies in England and by her parents in Oxford where her father was a lecturer in history. In 1872, she married Humphry Ward, a writer and editor, and they continued to live in Oxford. She began contributing articles to various magazines and in 1881, after having moved to London, she published her first book, Milly and Olly, a children's book that proved very popular. Her husband joined the staff of the Times and Mary also contributed articles and reviews. In 1884, she published her first novel, Mrs. Bretherton, under the pseudonym of Mrs. Humphry Ward, which she continued to use throughout her career. She was a prolific writer who continued to publish works until her death in 1920. In 1903, her book, Lady Rose's Daughter, topped the best-seller list in America and again in 1905, she had equal success with The Marriage of William Ashe. During the First World War, Mary toured the front and produced a number of war-related works on behalf of the government. Her other works include Robert Ellsmere (1888), Marcella (1894), Sir George Tressady (1896), Eleanor (1900), Fenwick's Career (1906), Daphne (1909), The Case of Richard Meynell (1911), The Coryston Family (1913), A Great Success (1915), England's Effort (1916), Towards the Goal (1917), Missing (1917), A Writer's Recollections (1918) and Harvest (1920). |
