Agnes Poynter

The MacDonald sisters were four British women of partial Scottish descent, born during the 19th century, notable mainly for their marriages to prominent men. Their names were Alice, Georgiana, Agnes, and Louisa. They were the daughters of Reverend George Browne Macdonald (1805–1868), a Wesleyan Methodist minister, and Hannah Jones (1809–1875). The MacDonald family consisted of eleven children—seven daughters and four sons—including Mary (1834–1836), the firstborn; Henry (1836–1891), known as Harry; Alice (1837–1910); Caroline (1838–1854); Georgiana (1840–1920); Frederic William (1842–1928); Agnes (1843–1906); Louisa (1845–1925); Walter (1847–1847); Edith (1848–1937); and Herbert (1850–1851).

Alice MacDonald was born on April 4, 1837, in Sheffield. She married John Lockwood Kipling in March 1865; he was appointed as Architectural Sculptor and Professor of Modelling at the School of Art and Industry in Bombay, which is now the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art. Alice became the mother of Rudyard Kipling, born on December 30, 1865, on the school campus. Rudyard Kipling would go on to become a renowned author.

Georgiana MacDonald was born on July 28, 1840, after her family relocated to Birmingham due to her father’s appointment by the Methodist Conference. She married Edward Burne-Jones, a member of the Birmingham Set of artists and writers, in 1859. They had three children: Philip, Christopher (who died in infancy), and Margaret. Georgiana later became the mother-in-law of John William Mackail and the grandmother of Denis Mackail and Angela Thirkell.

Agnes MacDonald was recognized as a talented pianist and was considered to be the most attractive of the sisters. In 1866, she married Edward Poynter, who would become President of the Royal Academy. Their double wedding also included her sister Louisa, who married industrialist Alfred Baldwin. Agnes and Poynter's marriage was characterized by Poynter’s frequent painting and intense work ethic. Agnes is thought to have died in 1906 from cancer, despite an operation in 1903. She may have served as inspiration for figures in Burne-Jones’ 1864 painting "Green Summer."

Louisa MacDonald was a writer, and her marriage to Alfred Baldwin in 1866 linked her to the Baldwin political family; their son, Stanley Baldwin, served three terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Louisa experienced health issues following her son's birth, including miscarriages and periods of depression. She traveled extensively in search of cures during the 1870s and published works such as "A Martyr to Mammon" (1886) and "The Story of a Marriage" (1889). Her condition worsened after her husband's death in 1908, but she remained active in her community, commissioning stained glass windows from Edward Burne-Jones for Wilden church. She passed away in 1925. Louisa was also the grandmother of Oliver and Arthur Baldwin, the second and third Earls Baldwin of Bewdley.

The MacDonald sisters' personal lives intersected with notable cultural and political figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries through their marriages and family connections. Their biographies reflect the social and artistic networks of Victorian Britain, with ties to prominent artists, writers, and politicians.