28th July 1814: Percy Bysshe Shelley & Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin elope to Europe

After a developing and all-enveloping love affair that had lasted from the day they met in May, Percy Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin decided to elope to Europe in the early hours of Thursday 28th July 1814, accompanied by Mary's half-sister, Claire Clairmont. The entry below is from Shelley's journal: 

 
The night preceding this morning, all being decided - I ordered a chaise to be ready by 4 o'clock. I watched until the lightning & the stars became pale. A length it was 4. I believed it not possible that we should succeed: still there appeared to lurk some danger even in certainty. I went. I saw her. She came to me. Yet one quarter of an hour remained. Still some arrangements must be made, & she left me for a short time. How dreadful did this time appear. It seemed that we trifled with life & hope. A few minutes past she was in my arms - we were safe. we were on our road to Dover.

Mary was ill as we travelled. Yet in that illness what pleasure & security did we not share! The heat made her faint it was necessary at every stage that she should repose. I was divided between anxiety for her health & terror lest our pursuers should arrive. I reproached myself with not allowing her sufficient time to rest, with concieving any evil so great that the slightest portion of her comfort might be sacrifized to avoid it.

At Dartford we took four horses that we might outstrip pursuit. We arrived at Dove[r] before 4 o'clock. Some time was necessarily exp[ended] in consideration, in dinner - in bargaining with sailors & customs house officers. At length we engaged a small boat to convey us to Calais. It was ready by six o clock.

The evening was most beautiful. The sand slowly receded. we felt secure. There was little wind - the sails flapped in the flagging breeze. The moon rose, the night came on, & with the night a slow heavy swell and a fresher breeze which soon became so violent as to toss the boat very much .... Mary was much affected by the sea. She could scarcely move. She lay in my arms thro the night, the little strength which remained in my own exhausted frame was all expended in keeping her head in rest on my bosom. The wind was violent & contrary. If we could not reach Calais the sailors proposed making for Boulogne. They promised only two hours sail from the shore, yet hour after hour past & we were still far distant when the moon sunk in the red & stormy horizon, & the fast flashing lightning became pale in the breaking day.

We were proceeding slowly against the wind when suddenly a thunder squall struck the sail & the waves rushed into the boat. Even the sailors perceived that our situation was perilous, they succeeded [in] reefing the sail,―the wind had now changed & [w]e drove before a wind that came in violent [g]usts directly to Calais.

Mary did not know our danger. She was resting on between my knees that were unable to support her. She did not speak or look. But I felt that she was there. I had time in that moment to reflect & even to reason upon death. It was a thing of discomfort & of disappointment than [?terror] to me. We could never be separated, but in death we might not know & feel our union as now. I hope ― but my hopes are not unmixed with fear for what will befall this inestimable spirit when we appear to die.

The morning broke, the lightning died away, the violence of the wind abated. We arrived at Calais whilst Mary still slept. We drove upon the sands. Suddenly the broad sun rose over France.

26th June 1814: Percy Shelley & Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin meet in St Pancras Churchyard

In the evening of Sunday 26th June 1814, the poet Percy Shelley met his lover, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin at the grave of Mary's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft in St Pancras churchyard, London. Although this location had become a regular meeting place, it was most likely this night that Mary declared her love for Shelley, and according to their journal entries, that they first made love, despite being chaperoned by Mary's half-sister, Claire Clairmont.

5th May 1814: Percy Bysshe Shelley meets Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in London

On Thursday 5th May 1814, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley visited his mentor, the political philosopher William Godwin at the latter's home and bookshop at 41 Skinner Street, Islington. Shelley had been in contact with Godwin for some time, and was in fact his benefactor.

That day was to be the second time he had met Godwin's daughter, Mary, the child from Godwin's marriage to the feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft. On the previous occasion, in November 1811, Mary was 14 and Shelley 19, though he was already married at that time.

Their meeting was to be the dawn of a relationship that would transform both of their lives, and lead to the publication of one of the greatest works of science fiction, and of English literature.

18th September 1812: The Home Office is advised to watch Shelley's movements by the Solicitor to theTreasury

Mr Litchfield present his Compliments to Mr. Addington, and beg leave to acquaint him, that he had some conversations with Mr. Beckett upon the subject of the inclosed Letters from the Town Clerk of Barnstaple and that it did not appear either to Mr. Beckett or himself that any Steps could with propriety be taken with respect to Mr. Shelley in consequence of his very Extraordinary & [unaccountable] Conduct, but that it would be proper to instruct some person to observe his future Behaviour and to transmit the Information that may be obtained respecting him.

Lincolns Inn
18. Septr 1812

[To] The Right Honbl
J. A. Addington
&c &c &c

[Note in margin: "write to the Mayor of Barnstaple accordingly"]

14th September 1812: Shelley's 'Declaration of Rights' is found floating in a bottle near Milford Haven

Speedwell Revenue Cutter off St. Ives,
September 14th 1812

My Lord,

I have conceived it my duty under the particular circumstance of the case to lay before you the enclosed Paper with its envelope, having found the same in a Sealed Wine Bottle floating near the Entrance of Milford Haven on the 10th Inst. and I have to regret that the dampness of the paper when taken out, should be the cause of its present tattered state, tho every care was taken to preserve it.

I am more particularly induced to transmit it to Your Lordship, from understanding that a similar paper was taken up in a similar manner a few weeks since near Lymouth on the North Coast of Devonshire by the Preventive Revenue Boat Stationed at Porlock within the Port of Minehead.—This marks the circumstance more strongly; for as the Envelope points to a person of the name of Shelley living thereat, it may, if thought of sufficient importance, lead to discovery of the Parties concerned in this novel mode of disseminating their pernicious opinions, and which appear to me intended to fall into the hands of the Seafaring part of the People, many hundreds of which may thus reach that Class, and do incalculable mischief among them.

I have [etc]

John Hopkins.

Inspecting Commander
of Revenue Cruisers
Western District
Port of Milford

[To] The Right. Hon. The Lord Viscount Sidmouth
&c &c &c
London

9th September 1812: The Town Clerk of Barnstaple sends more information to the Home Office about the poet Shelley

Barnstaple Septr. 9th. 1812.

My Lord

Referring your Lordship to my Letter of 20th Ulto., and in addition to the Information therein contained, I beg to inform your Lordship that, not being enabled to obtain here sufficient Information respecting Mr. Shelley, I went Lymouth where he resided, and returned Yesterday — On my arrival there I found he with his Family, after attempting in vain to cross the Channel to Swansea from that Place, had lately left Lymouth for Ilfracombe, and on my following him there, found he had gone to Swansea, where I imagine it present is.—

The Day after his Servant Daniel Hill was apprehended in Barnstaple, Mr. Shelley came here to apply for his discharge, and on visiting him in Gaol, did not, I apprehend, express any Astonishment at his Situation, or reprove him for his Conduct, which appears rather extraordinary.—

In my letter of 20th Ulto. I mentioned that Mr. Shelley had been observed to drop a Bottle into the Sea, which on being picked up and broken, was found to contain a seditious Paper; on enquiring into this Circumstance at Lymouth, I found that that Paper was a Copy of one which I sent to your Lordship intitled the “Devil’s walk”, and which was taken from Daniel Hill on his Apprehension:—I have also learnt that Mr. Shelley has been often observed on the Beach in Company with a Female Servant (supposed a Foreigner) and that he frequently in her Presence only, has been observed to push out to Sea — from the Rocks, some small Boxes, and one Day being observed by a Man more curious than the rest, to put one of these small Boxes to Sea, the Man went out in a Boat and brought it in, and on opening it, he discovered a Copy of the other Paper which I sent to your Lordship intitled “Declaration of Rights”—This little Box I have seen, and observed it was carefully covered over with Bladder, and well resined and waxed to keep out the water, and in order to attract Attention at Sea there was a little upright Stick fastened to it, at each End, and a little Sail fastened to them, as well as some Lead at the Bottom to keep it upright.—This Box I have ordered to be safely taken care of.—From these Circumstances there can be no Room for Doubt but that the Papers found on Daniel Hill were given him by his Master.— I also learnt at Lymouth that Mr. Shelley had with him large Chests which were so heavy that scarcely three Men could lift them, which were supposed to contain Papers.—

Mr. Shelley is rather thin, and very young, indeed his Appearance is I understand almost that of a boy.—

Any further Intelligence which your Lordship wishes me to procure, I will immediately attend to, on hearing from your Lordship.

I have [etc]

Henry Drake
Town Clerk

20th August 1812: Shelley's servant, Daniel Healey, is arrested after distributing seditious literature in Barnstaple

My Lord

I am directed by the Worshipful the Mayor of this Town to address your Lordship, on the following Circumstances:

Last Evening a Man was observed distributing and posting some Papers about this Town intitled “Declaration of Rights”, and on being apprehended and brought before the Mayor, stated his name to be Daniel Hill, and that he is a servant to P.B Shelley Esq. now residing at Hooper’s Lodgings at Lymouth near Linton a small Village bordering on the Bristol Channel and about 17 Miles from Barnstaple: On being asked how he became possessed of these Papers, he said, on his Road from Linton to Barnstaple Yesterday, he met a Gentleman dressed in black, whom he had never seen before, who asked him to take the Papers to Barnstaple and post and distribute them, and on Hill’s consenting the Gentleman gave him 5 shillings for his Trouble — on interrogating Hill more particularly respecting his Master, he said he principally lived in London but in what Part of it he did not now know, but that he had lived with him in Sackville Street — that he married a Miss Westbrooke or Westbrooks a Daughter of Mr. Westbrooke of Chapel Street Grosvenor Square and that two Sisters of Mr. Shelley are now with her at Lymouth, and Mr. Shelley his Master's Father is a Member of Parliament.—This is all the Information the Mayor could get from Hill, but he has been informed that Mr. Shelley has been regarded with a suspicious Eye since he has been at Lymouth, from the Circumstances of his very extensive Correspondence and many of his Packages and Letters been addressed to Sir Francis Burdett — and it is also said that Mr. Shelley has sent off so many as 16 Letters by the same Post — The Mayor has also been informed that Mr. Shelley has been seen frequently to go out in a Boat a short distance from Land and drop some Bottles into the Sea, and that at one time he was observed to wade into the Water and drop a Bottle which afterwards drifting ashore, was picked up, and on being broken was found to contain a seditious Paper, the Contents of which the Mayor has not yet been able to ascertain but will apprize your Lordship immediately on learning further particulars.

Daniel Hill has been convicted by the Mayor in 10 penalties of 20£ each for Publishing and dispersing Printed Papers without the Printer’s name being on them under the act 39. Geo. 3. c. 79. and is now committed to the Common Gaol of this Borough for not paying the Penalties, and having no Goods on which they could be levied.

I have taken the liberty of transmitting to your Lordship a Copy of the Paper intitled “Declaration of Rights” and also another intitled “The Devils Walk” which was also found in Daniel Hill's Possession

I have [etc]
Henry Drake
Town Clerk

Barnstaple
Augt 20th 1812