MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT’S CHRONOLOGY
28 octubre 2009 by rorueso
1759 April 27, Wollstonecraft was born in London to John Edward Wollstonecraft and Elizabeth Dickson. Mary had an older brother named Edward and five younger siblings, Eliza, Everina, Henry, James and Charles.
1759-1768 The Wollstonecraft family moved frequently during this time, with father Edward John attempting farming in Epping, Whalebone and Essex.
1768 Having by now moved to a farm near to Beverly,Yorkshire, Mary’s education followed the common course of day-school. However, she becomes friendly with a neighboring clergyman Mr. Clare. It is at Mr. Clare’s home where she first begins to develop intellectually.
1775 Wollstonecraft meets Francis (Fanny) Blood, who became her closest friend and companion until Blood’s death.
1776 The Wollstonecraft family move again, this time to a farm in Wales.
1777 The next move is a return to London. Mary now eighteen, was able to exert some pressure upon her father to live in the village of Walworth which was close to both the capital and her friend Fanny Blood. She also insisted upon a room of her own for quiet and study.
1778 Mary leaves the family home to become a companion to Widow Dawson of Bath.
1780 Wollstonecraft is called home to be with her failing mother.
1782 Elizabeth Dickson Wollstonecraft dies. Mary’s sister Eliza marries Meredith Bishop. Mary moves in with Fanny Blood.
1784 Wollstonecraft is called to nurse her sister Eliza after the difficult birth of her daughter and some sources say, the abuse of the husband. Wollstonecraft, Fanny Blood, Everina and Eliza open a school in Islington. Wollstonecraft becomes acquainted with Dr. Richard Price and other liberals.
1785 24 of February, Fanny Blood marries Hugh Skeys in Lisbon. She soon becomes pregnant and a few months later sends for Wollstoncraft. 29 of November, Fanny dies in Wollstonecraft’s arms during childbirth. Her child dies as well.
1786 Wollstonecraft returns to England to find the school had suffered badly from her absence. She closes the school and writes her first work, a pamphlet entitled Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. She then accepts the position of governess to the daughters of Lord Kingsborough in Ireland.
1788 Wollstonecraft spends the summer with the Kingsborough family at Bristol Hot-Wells. She writes her first book, Mary:A Fiction. This is followed by the children’s book ‘Original Stories from Real Life’, and a translation of Jacques Necker’s ‘On The Importance Of Religious Opinions’. She also begins working for her publisher, Joseph Johnson, at ‘The Analytical Review’, plus beginning translation of Christian Gotthilf Salzmann’s ‘Elements Of Morality For The Use Of Children’.
Her work with Salzman’s book led to correspondence and a later reciprocation when Salzmann translated her work ‘A Vindication of The Rights of Woman’.
1789 Johnson publishes Wollstonecraft’s ‘The Female Reader’ no copies have apparently survived.
1790 Wollstonecraft completes and publishes her translation of Salzmann’s Elements…, writes ‘A Vindication Of The Rights Of Men’ partly in response to Edmund Burke’s ‘Reflections on The Revolution In France’.
1791 Wollstonecraft establishes a comfortable home on Store Street and begins the writing of ‘A Vindication of The Rights of Woman’. Wollstonecraft meets William Godwin several times over the course of the year, but neither party is impressed with the other.
1792 ‘A Vindication of The Rights of Woman’ is published by Johnson. Mary leaves for France.
1793 Meets the American businessman Gilbert Imlay and moves to the suburbs of Paris for safety. Wollstonecraft and Imlay do not marry him, but she is registered as his wife at the American Embassy in Paris for protection during the revolution. Wollstonecraft becomes pregnant. Imlay leaves for Le Havre on a business trip.
1794 Wollstonecraft travels to Le Havre to join Imlay. Daughter Fanny is born May 14. Imlay returns to Paris and is followed by Wollstonecraft and Fanny a short time later. Imlay leaves Wollstonecraft and Fanny. Johnson publishes her ‘Historical and Moral View Of The Origin and Progress of The French Revolution’.
1795 Wollstonecraft and her daughter Fanny follow Imlay to London. On discovering his infidelity, she becomes suicidal. Imlay thwarts her first attempt. Wollstonecraft leaves on a business trip for Imlay with her child and a nurse to Sweden Norway and Denmark. She returns to find Imlay involved with an actress and attempts suicide by jumping off Putney Bridge.
1796 ‘Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark’, is published by Joseph Johnson. Wollstonecraft meets William Godwin again and the two become lovers.
1797 The two writers keep separate houses to work in during the day, but entertain guests in the evening at 29 The Polygon.
29 March, Wollstone and Godwin marry.
30 August, Mary Wollstonecraft Goodwin is born.
10 September, Wollstonecraft dies 10 days after giving birth’.
1798 Goodwin’s biography ‘Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft’ is published.