Godwin, Mary

Submitted by edpope on

20.6.1793

William St. Clair in The Godwins and the Shelleys supposes Harriet is Joseph Godwin's wife but gives no good reason for it. The simplest evidence against it is the burial record of Mary Godwin at St Botolph Aldgate aged 78 years of St James Clerkenwell on 12.3.1834, 7 days after Godwin's diary notes Mrs Jo Godwin dies. She was probably buried there in error as her husband (and his brother John) had been buried at St Botolph Aldersgate. The instances of Mrs Jo Godwin are then 20.6.1793, 27.10.1795, 30.9.1796, 6.11.1797, 17.8.1802 (when her daughter Harriet is also present), 12.10.1803, and 22.12.1805 and all entries after that date currently coded as Harriet Godwin. Also on 27.8.1802 and 24.9.1802 she seems to have been referred to as MG. At John Godwin's funeral on 22.12.1805 Harriet was probably not present (see Godwin Harriet).
Mary Jex, daughter of James and Rachel, bapt. 19.10.1756 St John Sepulchre Norwich.
For her marriage in 1776 and baptisms of 6 children see Godwin, Joseph. Their son Charles presumably died young, the other five children all appeared in the diary.
In her 1788 letter to Godwin (Abinger c.1 f78), Ann Godwin complained of her son Joseph "that can use a woman as he has, an agreeable woman his own choice & brought him some fortune".