Jane Wilde Hawking

Jane Wilde Hawking. An English author and educator, she is best known for her long marriage to the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and her subsequent memoir detailing their life together. Her own academic career focused on medieval Spanish poetry, and she has been a prominent advocate for Motor neurone disease charities and the interface between science and religion.

Early life and education

Jane Beryl Wilde was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, to a family with a strong background in the civil service. She attended St Albans High School for Girls, a noted independent school, before pursuing higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern languages from the University of London, studying at Westfield College. Her academic interests later led her to complete a Doctor of Philosophy at Westfield College, where her research specialized in medieval Iberian poetry, particularly the works of the Leonese poet Gonzalo de Berceo.

Marriage to Stephen Hawking

She first met Stephen Hawking at a New Year's Eve party in 1962 while he was a graduate student at Cambridge and she was studying at London. They married in July 1965 at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, shortly after his diagnosis with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of Motor neurone disease. During their marriage, she provided crucial support, managing his increasing care needs as his condition progressed and his scientific fame grew through works like A Brief History of Time. The pressures of his illness, his celebrity, and her own academic and personal aspirations placed significant strain on the relationship. The marriage ultimately ended in divorce in 1995, after which Stephen Hawking married his nurse, Elaine Mason.

Academic and literary career

Alongside her responsibilities, she maintained her own scholarly work, teaching language and lecturing. Her doctoral thesis on medieval Spanish literature was a significant achievement in its own right. She gained widespread public recognition for her autobiographical memoir, Music to Move the Stars: A Life with Stephen (1999), which she later revised and re-published as Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen (2007). This candid account of their life together formed the basis for the Academy Award-winning film The Theory of Everything, in which she was portrayed by actress Felicity Jones. She has also published other works, including a novel, Silent Music, and a book for children co-written with her daughter, Lucy Hawking.

Advocacy and public life

Following her experiences, she became a dedicated supporter of organizations dedicated to Motor neurone disease research and patient care, such as the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Her public speaking often addresses the challenges faced by caregivers and families. A committed Christian, she has also frequently engaged in dialogues and written on the relationship between science and religion, arguing for their compatibility, a theme that contrasted with her former husband's atheistic views. She has participated in events at institutions like the University of Oxford and the Royal Institution.

Personal life and later years

During her marriage, she developed a close friendship with family friend and church organist Jonathan Hellyer Jones, who later became her second husband following her divorce; they married in 1997 and remained together until his death in 2022. She and Stephen Hawking had three children: Robert, Lucy, and Timothy. In her later years, she has continued to write, make occasional public appearances, and support her family. She resides in the United Kingdom and has reflected publicly on her unique life journey in various interviews and literary festivals.

Category:1944 births Category:English biographers Category:Alumni of Westfield College, University of London Category:People from St Albans