Mary Eliza Haweis, née Joy was a British author of books and essays, particularly for women, and a scholar of Geoffrey Chaucer, illustrator and painter. The daughter of genre and portrait painter, Thomas Musgrave Joy, she was known for her art and literature. In her early life, she mainly focused on painting, drawing, and illustrating. Her artwork can be seen featured in her husband's works. After marriage, she became versed in literature and history. She both wrote and designed the covers of her own books. Some of her published works include Chaucer for Children (1877), Chaucer for Schools (1881), The Art of Beauty (1878), The Art of Dress (1879), The Art of Decoration (1881), and The Art of Housekeeping (1889), Beautiful Houses (1882), A Flame of Fire (1897). The genres of her work include journalism, politics, philosophy, essays, and fiction novels. She also left many printed articles and papers in manuscript on various subjects.