Margaret Oliphant - The Curate in Charge: 'To have a man who can flirt is next thing to indispensable to a leader of society''

The life of Margaret Oliphant Wilson is marked by both literary success and profound personal tragedy. After publishing her first novel in 1849, she established a writing career while facing the loss of three children and the death of her husband from tuberculosis. Despite these hardships, she continued to write prolifically to support her family. Her later years were filled with further losses, including the deaths of her remaining children, leading to a decline in her health and spirit. She passed away in 1897, leaving behind a significant literary legacy.