Mme Hamsley

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-07-06 Diary Coverage: Up to 1874-03-21

Identity

Woman in Marie's social circle who went on carriage ride with Machenka and a violin-playing gentleman.

Diary References

1874

• March 21: Machenka tells Marie about going in open carriage with Mme Hamsley and a gentleman who played violin throughout 4-hour journey.

Context

• Part of social group that has balls and "bataclans"
• Marie envies their entertainments
• Society friend of Machenka
• English name suggests British connections

Related Entries

• #Machenka - Companion on carriage ride

Research Notes

• Hamsley possibly English resident in Nice
• Musical carriage rides show leisure class entertainments
• Marie sees their life as fun but "small and ugly"

Uncle Étienne's companion (1880–1882)

The Mon Journal t.14 index identifies her as «Hamsley (Mme), maîtresse de Babanine Etienne : 73, 102, 297, 306-307», i.e. the companion of Marie's maternal uncle Étienne (Stepan) Babanine. In May 1880 Marie writes: «Après quinze ans de mariage il a lâché sa femme pour Mme Hamsley avec laquelle il voyage» (088.0386). In January 1881 the uncle arrives in Paris «de Nice où il s'est installé avec Mme Hamsley» (091.0020). On 21 March 1881 his wife Marie (Machenka) reaches Paris «après avoir passé un mois à Nice où son volage époux se cachait d'elle avec la Hamsley» (091.0333). In Nice in March 1882 Mme Hamsley is present, «très pâle», when the family discusses uncle Georges's death (094.0319), and in April «maman et ma tante se voient avec la Hamsley»; she and Étienne board the Bashkirtseffs' compartment (094.0400). Whether she is the Mme Hamsley of Machenka's carriage ride in Nice in March 1874 (above) is not stated, but Machenka's acquaintance with her then makes it likely (0.7).