Biography of William Godwin 1756-1836
On 03 Mar 1756 William Godwin was born.
On 29 Mar 1797 William Godwin (age 41) and Mary Wollstonecraft (age 37) were married probably because Mary Wollstonecraft (age 37) was pregnant with Mary Godwin aka Shelley who was born five months later and who Mary Wollstonecraft (age 37) wanted to be legitimate.
On 10 Sep 1797 [his wife] Mary Wollstonecraft (age 38) died from childbirth eleven days after the birth of [his daughter] Mary Godwin aka Shelley.
On 21 Dec 1801 William Godwin (age 45) and Mary Jane de Vial (age 33) were married. She was pregnant at the time; the second marriage of his precipitated by pregnancy. The child died young.
1802. James Northcote (age 55). Portrait of William Godwin (age 45).
In 1803 [his son] William Godwin was born to William Godwin (age 46) and [his wife] Mary Jane de Vial (age 35).
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The upshot came on the 28th of July, when [his future son-in-law] Shelley aided [his daughter] Mary (age 16) [Mary Godwin aka Shelley (age 16)] to elope from her father's house, [his illegitimate step-daughter] Claire Clairmont (age 16) deciding to accompany them. They crossed to Calais, and proceeded across France into Switzerland. Godwin (age 58) and his [his former wife] wife were greatly incensed. Though he and Mary Wollstonecraft had entertained and avowed bold opinions regarding the marriage-bond, similar to Shelley's own, and had in their time acted upon these opinions, it is not clearly made out that Mary Godwin had ever been encouraged by paternal influence to think or do the like. Shelley and she chose to act upon their own likings and responsibility - he disregarding any claim which Harriet had upon him, and Mary setting at nought her father's authority. Both were prepared to ignore the law of the land and the rules of society. The three young people returned to London in September.
1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. [[his son-in-law] Percy Bysshe Shelley] The death of Harriet having removed the only obstacle to a marriage with [his daughter] Mary Godwin (age 19), the wedding ensued on the 30th of December 1816, and the married couple settled down at Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
On 08 Sep 1832 [his son] William Godwin (age 29) died.
On 07 Apr 1836 William Godwin (age 80) died.
On 17 Jun 1841 [his former wife] Mary Jane de Vial (age 73) died.
Cansisk's Monumental Inscriptions Volume 1 Old St Pancras Churchyard. Churchyard St Pancras Old Church. [his former wife] Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman; Born 27th April 1759: Died 10th September, 1797.1
William Godwin, Author of Political Justice. Born March 3rd 1756: Died April 7th 1836, Aged 80 years.
Mary Jane (deceased), Second Wife of William Godwin, Died June I7th 1841, Aged 75 years.
Note 1. This well-known writer was bom in 1759. The place of her birth is uncertain, but is supposed to have been at a farm in Epping Forest. At an early age she engaged herself in the occupation of tuition, for which she was eminently qualified. Unhappily, her sentiments on religious subjects were most exceptional, and she had imbibed principles hostile to that system which has been long established for the regulation of civil society. It was well, therefore, that after a few years she declined the employment of tuition, and confined herself to her pen. Having a contempt for the institution of marriage, she entered into a connection with Mr. Imlay, an American merchant, whom she met at Paris in 1792, and made with him a tour in the north of Europe, of which she gave an account in an interesting volume of letters in 1796. In consequence of the desertion of this gentleman, she resolved upon destroying herself (having failed in the attempt a few months before) ; she went by water from London Bridge to Putney, and deliberately jumped off Putney Bridge in the month of October, 1795. She was baffled in her attempt this time ; her clothes having buoyed her up, she was rescued 'by some watermen. In July, 1796, Mrs. Wollstonecraft took a house at Somers Town, in the parish of St. Pancras, not long after which she formed a connection with the well-known author of "Political Justice," &c. Their sentiments were perfectly in unison, and they both had so thorough a contempt for the rite of marriage, that it was only in consequence of her pregnancy, and the apprehension that she might incur that exclusion from the society of many valuable and esteemed friends which custom awards ip cases of this kind, that they were induced to comply with that ceremony. In April, 1797, Mr. and Mrs. Godwin took a house in the Polygon, Somers Town, where on the 10th of September following Mrs. Godwin died, eleven days after having given birth to a daughter. She was the mother of the future wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet.