Margaret Ethel Macdonald 1870-1911.

London & Lossiemouth: , 1911. First edition of Ramsay Macdonald's touching tribute to his wife, published in a small unnumbered edition the year of her death for private distribution, signed by the author on the front free endpaper. Macdonald was the first Labour Party prime minister, serving in both 1924, and from 1929 to 1935. The book (appended with orations from her funeral) gives an account of the life - though chiefly focusing on her personality and his relationship with her - of Margaret, like James Ramsay a keen and active socialist, a promoter of female trade unions, and an executive member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. Her death at only 41 from blood poisoning was a great distress to Ramsay, and he did not remarry. Octavo. Original black sheep, spine with gilt monograms MEM [Margaret Ethel Macdonald] and JRM [James Ramsay Macdonald], front cover lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Housed in an early paper sleeve, with inscription about book on spine and front. With 3 photogravure plates including frontispiece, with tissue-guards. Very light peripheral rubbing to sheep, but much fresher than usual, contents clean, paper sleeve fresh; an excellent copy.