Mary Wollstonecraft's Life

Mary Wollstonecraft's birth

Mary was born this day in Spitalfields, London, England. Her parents were Elizabeth Dixon and Edward John Wollstonecraft. She was the second of seven children. Her father was ultimately and unsuccessfully man in the professional world and was abusive to his wife, often hitting her. Mary protected her mother as best as any child could but this would influence her view on marriage in a negative way. 

Eliza Wollstonecraft's Escape

After Mary's father failed to take care of the household, Mary was forced to take up the mantle of head of household. In order to escape the toxic environment that her parents had created, Eliza got married and had a child. It is unclear whether Eliza was suffering from postpartum depression or if her husband was abusive, but Mary encouraged her to leave her husband and child behind. This had severe social ramifications for Eliza, unfortunately. 

“Mary Wollstonecraft.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 May 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft#cite_note-Furniss_65-32.

Death of Francis Blood

Francis "Fanny" Blood was Mary's childhood friend. At one point in her life, Mary even lived with the Blood family. Fanny eventually got married to Hugh Skeyes and moved to Portugal. Mary tried to follow her friend there to take care of her, as she was never in good health, but Fanny ended up passing away in childbirth anyway. This destroyed Mary and her death was a part of her inspiration for her novel, Mary: A Fiction.

Arrival in Paris

After an embarrassing rejection from Henry Fuseli, a painter who was already married, Mary decided to go to France, despite being warned of how dangerous the brewing revolution was. She stayed with other British people (among the group being Helen Maria Williams), and began to take speak with people leading the revolution. She mostly spoke with the more moderate Girondins. 

Birth of Fanny Imlay

Wollstonecraft fell in love with a man named Gilbert Imlay, an American, while in Paris, France. The relationship was never one destined for marriage, as Imlay never wanted it, even when Mary got pregnant. She gave birth to Fanny Imlay, likely named after her childhood friend, in Le Havre, France. As Imlay was known as an adventurer and never wanted the family life, he eventually abandoned both of them. 

Departing for London

Although Mary didn't particularly want to go back to London, she wanted to try one last time to win back the father of her first child, Fanny. After rejecting her once again, Mary tried to commit suicide, twice. She even went as far as trying to recover a treasure ship for him, her work, Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, would come of this venture but she would never win his affection back. 

Marriage

As Mary got back into the literary world as an author, a man named William Godwin who had fallen for her through her work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Neither of them wished to marry, but after Mary became pregnant, they married so that the child would be legitimate. They had separate residences but it is said that they had a relatively stable and healthy relationship. 

Birth of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin

Wollstonecraft gave birth to her second child, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, better known as Mary Shelley. Mary would go on to write the well-known novel, Frankenstein, among others. 

Mary Wollstonecraft's Death

After giving birth to her second daughter, Mary fell ill. During the birth, the placenta became infected, and not a fortnight later, she passed from Septicaemia. Her husband, although meaning well, published  Memoirs of the Author of Vindication of the Rights of Woman, among other unfinished texts, which unintentionally ruined her reputation for many years to come as her relationship practices were well outside the norm.