Mary Jane Godwin
Mary Jane Godwin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Jane de Vial 1768 Exeter, England |
| Died | 17 June 1841 London, England |
| Other names | Mary Jane Clairmont |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, publisher, bookseller |
| Known for | Publisher of The Juvenile Library; stepmother to Mary Shelley |
Mary Jane Godwin (born de Vial; also known as Mary Jane Clairmont; 1768 – 17 June 1841) was an English writer, publisher, and bookseller. She became the second spouse of William Godwin and was stepmother to Mary Shelley.
Early life
Mary Jane de Vial was born in Exeter in 1768, probably the daughter of merchant Peter de Vial and his wife Mary (née Tremlett). She was proficient in multiple European languages and claimed to have traveled extensively throughout the Continent.
By 1795, she was residing in Bristol, where she had her first son, Charles. Three years later, in nearby Brislington, she gave birth to a daughter named Clara (later Claire). To avoid the social stigma associated with illegitimacy, she portrayed herself as the widow of Charles Abram Marc Gaulis, a Swiss merchant she alleged to have met in Cadiz. The surname Clairmont was adopted by her and her children. It appears Gaulis fathered Charles although they never formalized their union. Legal documents uncovered in 2010 revealed that Claire’s biological father was Sir John Lethbridge, 1st Baronet of Sandhill Park near Taunton. Between 1799 and 1800, Mary Jane was incarcerated for debt in Ilchester.
By 1801, under the name Mrs Clairmont, she lived in Somers Town, London, close to the philosopher William Godwin—then widowed with two daughters, Fanny Imlay and Mary Shelley.
Marriage to William Godwin
Mary Jane wed William Godwin on 21 December 1801, shortly before their first son William was born; he died during infancy. They later had a second son, also named William Godwin the Younger, born in 1803.
Although facing financial hardships and despite Mary Jane’s lack of popularity among Godwin’s acquaintances, their marriage endured. Claire Clairmont commended Mary Jane’s "affection and devotion" to Godwin as steadfast until his passing. Mary Shelley expressed mixed sentiments toward her stepmother but acknowledged her efforts to provide support during her lifetime. The diarist Henry Crabb Robinson referred to Mary Jane as "a meretorious wife."
Their marriage lasted 35 years until William Godwin’s death in 1836. For some time, they resided in grace-and-favour housing within the Palace of Westminster after Godwin assumed the role of Office Keeper and Yeoman Usher of the Receipt of the Exchequer.
The Juvenile Library
Mary Jane Godwin was engaged in literary society and fluent in French; she worked as both a translator and editor specializing in children’s literature.
In 1805, Mary Jane and William launched a bookshop and publishing firm. From 1807 onward known as M. J. Godwin & Co., it released significant works including The Swiss Family Robinson (initially titled Family Robinson Crusoe) and Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb. Mary Jane oversaw operations of the enterprise, which remained profitable despite recurring debts that ultimately led to bankruptcy and loss of the shop.
Death and legacy
Mary Jane Godwin passed away at her London residence on 17 June 1841 and was interred in St. Pancras churchyard beside her husband. When William Godwin’s and Mary Wollstonecraft’s remains were relocated to the Shelley family vault in Bournemouth, Mary Jane’s body was not moved.
Her reputation suffered partly due to critical views from her stepdaughter and the high esteem held for Godwin’s first wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, resulting in a diminished appreciation of her contributions. It is now acknowledged that Mary Jane Godwin occupied a distinctive role as the sole significant female publisher within London’s early nineteenth-century literary scene.
Among the five children she raised, all pursued careers as writers or educators. The eldest and youngest died before her: Fanny in 1816 and William in 1832. Charles Gaulis Clairmont became Chair of English Literature at Vienna University and instructed members of royal families; his unexpected death in 1849 profoundly affected Emperor Maximilian. Mary eloped with poet Percy Shelley and authored Frankenstein. Claire joined them, engaged in a liaison with Lord Byron, and bore Mary Jane’s first grandchild, Allegra Byron, who died aged five. Subsequent grandchildren included Percy Florence Shelley—Mary’s only surviving child—and Charles’s own son and daughter.