-
BORN
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin is born in London. She is the only child of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the political philosopher William Godwin. -
MOTHER DIES
Mary Wollstonecraft dies as a result of complications from childbirth. -
GAINS STEP FAMILY
William Godwin marries a widow named Mary Jane Clairmont, who moves in with her two children, Charles and Claire. -
BABY BROTHER BORN
Mary Jane Godwin gives birth to William Godwin, Jr. -
MOVES TO SCOTLAND
Mary goes to Dundee, Scotland, to live with the family of William Baxter, a friend of William Godwin. There, she forms her first close friendship with the Baxter's youngest daughter, Isabel. -
MEETS PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
Mary possibly meets P. B. Shelley when he and Harriet dine with the Godwins. -
2nd TIME MEETING
They possibly meet for the second time. -
ELOPE TO FRANCE
MWS and PBS elope to France, accompanied by Claire Clairmont. William Godwin refuses any communication with his daughter for the next two and a half years. -
TRIP TO LONDON
Mary, Percy and Claire return from Switzerland to London. -
HOGG "PLEASED" WITH MARY
PBS introduces MWS to his Oxford friend, Thomas Jefferson Hogg. Shelley records in his journal that Hogg is "pleased with Mary." -
CHARLES SHELLEY'S BIRTH
Charles Shelley born to PBS and Harriet Shelley (former wife), their second child. -
HOOG AND MARY
T. J. Hogg, with Shelley's encouragement, declares his love to MWS. She reciprocates his affection, but not physically, due to her pregnancy. Shelley and Claire may also be conducting an affair over the next few months. -
MARY'S CLARA IS BORN
MWS gives birth two months prematurely to daughter, Clara. -
MARY'S CLARA DIES
MWS's premature daughter Clara dies. -
MARY'S WILLIAM IS BORN
MWS gives birth to a son, William. -
MOVE TO GENEVA
MWS, PBS, their son William, and a pregnant Claire journey to Italy. Claire is pursuing Byron, who left England on 23 April. They are in Paris by 8 May, and arrive at the Hotel de Sécheron, Geneva -
MAISON CHAPUIS
PBS meets Byron, who had recently arrived in Switzerland with his physician Dr. John W. Polidori. By June 1, MWS, PBS, Claire, and William move into Maison Chapuis. -
THE BIRTH OF A MONSTER
16-17 Jun MWS begins to write Frankenstein. -
JOURNEY TO CAMOUNIX
21-27 Jul MWS, PBS, and Claire travel to Chamounix. MWS's description of this journey, as well as those Shelley made of his previous tour, provides material for Frankenstein. -
MY STORY
MWS's journal entry reads "Write my story"; this is the first extant written reference to Frankenstein. -
BACK TO LONDON
MWS, PBS, William, and Claire leave Geneva and return to England, arriving in Portsmouth on 8 September. Over the next few months, MWS and the pregnant Claire remain in Bath, residing at Abbey Churchyard, while Shelley returns to London. -
FORMER WIFE DEAD
News reaches PBS that Harriet Shelley had committed suicide. She had been missing since 9 November, and her pregnant body was found in the Serpentine river on 10 December. -
WEDDING
MWS and PBS marry at St. Mildred's church, London; in urging this marriage, William Godwin abandons his long silence and reconciles with his daughter. The Shelleys live with the Hunts and the Godwins over the next month. -
THE MONSTER IS ALIVE
MWS completes Frankenstein -
PUBLISHED!
Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus (London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, and Jones) is published in three volumes. Both PBS's publisher, Charles Ollier, and Byron's publisher, John Murray, had declined to publish the novel. -
AUTHORSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED!
MWS writes Walter Scott, who had favorably reviewed Frankenstein for Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine but had conjectured that PBS wrote the book. She thanks him for his review and acknowledges herself as the novel's author. -
MARY AND PERCY'S CLARA DIES
Clara Everina (May and Percy's girl) dies in Venice from dysentery she had contracted during the hurried journey to Este. -
ANOTHER BIRTH
MWS gives birth to a son, Percy Florence. -
FRENCH TRANSLATION
Jul The first translation of Frankenstein is published in France: Frankenstein; ou le Prométhée Moderne (Paris: Corréard), translated by Jules Saladin. -
DEATH
PBS and Edward Williams sail to Leghorn in Shelley's boat, the Don Juan, to meet the Hunts. On 8 July, they return and, sometime during the voyage, drown in the Gulf of Spezia. Their bodies are found ten days later. -
BURIAL
PBS's body is cremated at Viareggio. Williams' body is cremated the day before. -
DISTURBING FINDING
PBS's ashes are interred in the Protestant Cemetery, Rome. Attempts to bury PBS's remains with those of his son are thwarted when an adult skeleton is discovered in the child's grave. -
THE PLAY
Presumption; or The Fate of Frankenstein, a play by Richard Brinsley Peake, opens at the English Opera House for a run of 37 performances. MWS sees a production on 28 August. -
MARY SHELLEY: AUTHOR
A second edition of Frankenstein (London: G. and W. B. Whittaker) is published in two volumes. The text is probably corrected by William Godwin, and the title page names "Mary W. Shelley" as the author. -
(APP) PERCY BYSSHE POSTHUMOUS
Posthumous Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley (London: John and Henry L. Hunt), a volume of PBS's unpublished poems, is published. MWS edits the volume and writes a signed preface. On 23 June, MWS learns that a displeased Sir Timothy Shelley will halt Percy Florence's allowance until she both stops publication and promises not to publish any more of PBS's writings in Sir Timothy's lifetime. -
Period: to
MARY'S WRITING
(APP) Mary dedicates to editing and publishing Percy Bysshe's poems and works, and also devotes herself to writing and travelling. -
MARY'S DEATH AND BURIAL
MWS dies at age 53 in her home at Chester Square, London. Lady Jane Shelley arranges for the remains of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin to be moved from St. Pancras to the churchyard at St. Peters, Bournemouth, and on 8 February, MWS is buried between her parents. -
MARY'S SON DIES
Percy Florence Shelley dies.