A-Z of Entries

Me Volsey at tea 15.8.1804 & Ja(me)s W(ollstonecraf)t  & miss Smith / 18.8.1804 Volsey on water with Jas Wt, Everina, children, Wells & servants / 30.8.1804 Volsey, Everina & L(ouisa) H(olcrof)t dine / 5.9.1804 Volsey & Jas Wt (call) / 19.9.1804 Volsey & Jas Wt sup / 24.9.1804 Wts &c dine adv Volsey / 27.9.1804 call at Volsey's for M(ary) J(ane) adv Jas Wt / 8.10.1804 Volsey & J(ane) & H(arrie)t Rowan dine / 14.10.1804 Volsey at tea / 21.10.1804 Volsey & Mercier sup / 24.10.1804 theatre with Volsey / 28.10.1804 Volsey at tea / 31.10.1804 M(ary) J(ane…

call on EB & W Place 11.7.1800 / 25.7.1800 call, with C(urran), W Place / 26.7.1800 tea W Place / 1.8.1800 call on W Place

I suggest this was an address rather than a person's name. The only address in W Stewart's Dublin directory 1797 that fits was Warrington Place, Baggot St. One possibility is that Curran's mistress Mrs Fitzgerald lived there with their three children (see Fitzgerald). She later wrote to Godwin in terms that suggest they had met before (Bodleian Abinger c7 f32-3). It was clearly not where Mary Wollstonecraft's sisters Eliza Bishop & Everina were living,…

13.7.1807 write to W R, Bristol

Holdens 1811 directory for Bristol had nine entries fitting the initials W R, but only one Godwin would have been likely to write to, William Reid & Co insurance broker, Exchange-b. Wm Reid 1775 directory 3 Bush-st Bristol accomptant. About 1776 William Reid accomptant of Hot Wells freemason in Jehosophat lodge, Bristol. Directories 1793 and 1795 William Reid, All Saints-pass Bristol, broker. 1797 St Michaels-hill. 1798 and 1799 Paul-st, Kingsdown, Bristol insurance broker. Couldn't trace his family details.

21.7.1808 call on Morgan, R C L (W Twiss) / 2.8.1808 call on Morgan, R C L (State Trials)

This was Dr Thomas Morgan librarian of Dr Williams Library, originally in Red Cross Street. From the brackets it seems W Twiss was someone Godwin was researching and the only candidate I found was William Twiss DNB 1744/5-1827 military engineer but I have no idea why Godwin would be interested in him and he doesn't seem to have written any books. Godwin may have been enquiring about someone in the Dissenters' Register of births

W W 4.3.1798 on Bath coach / 20.2.1799 see at Mackintosh's lecture / 23.2.1799 Mackintosh's lecture / 3.3.1799 meet W W & B Allen / 21.4.1799 meet R Johnson & W W

I considered various candidates for W W. William Wordsworth ruled out by sitting under a tree at Alfoxden the day of the Bath coach. William Windham, Wilberforce, Winterbotham, Walker, Ward, Watts, Wells, or William Wedgwood hypothetical cousin of Josiah W working at his Bath shop (a William Wedgwood buried Burslem Staffs 27.4.1817 age 46). Also considered Dr William Watson DNB 1744-1824 MD FRS at bath 1795 but …

20.07.1796 Waddy at March's / 5.8.1800 Waddy at Wallace's trial in Ireland

John Waddy (Highfill, Burnim & Langhans) 1751-1814 actor in Norwich theatre, subscr to Norwich Public Library 1796. Irish and often took the part of the stage Irishman, so it could possibly have been  him in Ireland in 1800. But there was a Richard Waddy attorney who subscribed 1798 to Reports of Cases (in Irish courts), his will PCC 1802. A Dr Richard Waddy, yeoman of Wexford is mentioned in Dict Irish Biog as having arrested rebels Colclough and Harvey in 1798, and at Wallace's trial Godwin noted Waddy…

Wadstrom 31.3.1795 at Thelwal's / 12.6.1795 again

1799 (Hist Biog Literary & Scientific Magazine) Died at Paris of a pulmonary disorder under which he laboured several years, Citizen Wadstrom a man highly distinguished by his virtues and his talents. By birth a Swede, a partisan of Swedenborg. / Philip K Nelson "Carl Bernard Wadstrom: Mannes Bakomyten"./ Observations on the Slave Trade published 1789 London. Charles Berns Wadstrom gave evidence to House of Commons committee on slave trade 29.3.1791, 1.4.1791 on African drugs and manufactures. His "Plan for a Free Community in…

dine at Waghorn's, 10.3.1794 with Mackintosh, meet T Thomson & F Vaughan.

A coffee house near the Palace of Westminster frequented by MPs (Barrell & Mee, Treason Trials vol 7)

6.4.1809 call on Waithman / 21.12.1810 Wardmote St Brides; adv. (Waithman) / 6.3.1813 call on Waithman / 23.12.1819 Vestry; adv. Waithman / 22.12.1820 again

Robert Waithman DNB 1764-1833

Wake 11.3.1798 at Losh's, Bath / 3.11.1802 Wakes call / 5.11.1802 dine at Rev Wake's Portland St adv Careless / 8.11.1802 Wakes call / 19.11.1802 Wakes dine / 1.12.1802 meet Wake / 19.12.1802 Wakes call / 9.1.1803 call on Wake (not in) / 24.1.1803 Wake adv at theatre / 26.2.1803 Wake calls / 4.3.1803 dine at Wake's / 20.3.1803 Wake calls / 24.3.1803 write to Wake / 25.3.1803 W R Wake replied to Godwin Abinger c8 f15-16 / 31.3.1803 call on mrs Wake / 3.4.1803 Wake calls / 10.4.1803 Wakes call / 1.5.1803 meet Wake / 7.6.1803 call on Wakes (not in) / 21.6.1803 meet Wake / 2.4.1804 Wakes call…

13.4.1810 dine at St Paul's, w. Wakefield, Knowles &c / 5.11.1813 call on Place; adv. Wakefield / 28.2.1814 Place, Wakefield, &c call / 3.3.1814 again / 19.4.1814 call on Place: adv. Wakefield / 27.4.1816 (at Grasmere) call, w. Wordsworth, on Jackson; adv. Wakefield

Probably Edward Wakefield DNB 1774-1854 (or one of his family). The DNB says he formed a close friendship with Francis Place, who was next to him in the diary in all four entries above from 1813 and 1814. The first entry above in 1810 could as well have been his brother Daniel Wakefield DNB 1776-1846 barrister…

call on mrs Waldin with M(ary) J(ane) 8.1.1805

mrs Wale calls 22.1.1805

Mr W Wale was a neighbour of the Godwins at 50 Charlton St (Oracle & Daily Adv 15.6.1799) but I found out nothing more about him. See Pyne, Grace for a Wale connection with the friends of Godwin's wife from Somerset. Mrs S Wale was listed in Boyle's City Companion at 14 Bow Lane Cheapside in 1797 and 1800 and in Sun Fire 1804 and Holdens 1811 but none of those sources mentioned a trade. A Mrs Wale broker was at Stepcote Hill, Exeter in Holdens 1811. A William Wale cheesemonger was at 32 Millbank , Westminster (Sun Fire 1806) and William Wale grocer at 50…

mrs Walke 20.4.1790 at Webb's.

Most of the Walke wills in PCC are from Plymouth or Barbados (Thomas W 1800 Barbados, Elizabeth Jennet W 1810 Barbados, William W 1813 Plympton, Mary W 1829 widow of Portman Sq, John W 1835 grocer Plymouth, Andrew W 1847 yeoman Plympton, Edward W 1856 flour merchant Plymouth)

George W victaller St Olave Jewry will 1826 PROB31; William W 14 Regent St, City Rd gent Sun F 1839; Boyle's 1792 Walkey Esq 39 Rathbone Pl; W & Brown (& Fenn) ironmongers 29 Wood lane, London 1780-1

25.5.1794 Walker calls (after Smith breakfasts) / 1.6.1794 again / 15.6.1794 again / 4.10.1794 at Powell's (with Roberts) / 1.11.1794 at Hardy's trial (with Roberts M) / 23.11.1794 calls (after Smith breakfasts) / 7.12.1794 again / 20.12.1794 at Powell's (with Roberts) / 17.1.1795 at Powell's (with Thelwall, Bailey, Manning, Lee) / 31.1.1795 again (plus G Richter) / 2.2.1795 at Thelwall's (with Bailey & G Richter) / 7.2.1795 at Powell's (with Lee) / 14.2.1795  at Powell's (with Manning & Lee) / 12.3.1795 adv at Gerald's / 21.4.1795 at Anderson's / 3.5.1795 at Tooke's / 4.5.1795 to…

3.1.1800 Alex Walker calls (not in) / 4.1.1800 Alex Walker calls / 10.2.1800 Walker & M(arshall) sup / 26.4.1800 A Walker calls / 29.4.1800 Al Walker calls / 3.5.1800 call on A Walker / 4.5.1800 A Walker calls / 30.5.1800 again / 4.6.1800 again / 8.6.1800 again / 13.6.1800 again / 18.6.1800 again / 20.6.1800 again / 23.6.1800 again / 28.6.1800 Walker calls / 29.8.1800 A Walker calls / 10.9.1800 again / 16.9.1800 again / 30.9.1800 again / 26.10.1800 again / 27.10.1800 A Walker & M(arshall) dine / 28.10.1800 A Walker dines / 29.10.1800 A Walker breakfasts / 18.11.1800 A Walker calls…

19.5.1808 G Walker calls / 21.5.1808 write to G Walker / 23.5.1808 G Walker calls (not seen) / 24.5.1808 G Walker calls

Holdens Directory 1811; George Walker, publisher of music at half price, and warehouse for Hope's Hectic Pills, 106 Gt Portland-st, his will PCC 1847 / George Walker, attorney, 15, Craven-st, Strand

A very common name so no identity suggested, but an interesting outside possibility is that this was George Walker DNB 1772-1847 gothic novelist who satirised Godwin in The Vagabond 1799 and Timothy Thoughtless 1813

15.3.1790 Walker at B Hollis' / Walkers at B Hollis' 24.12.1799. In 1796 list for 1790 as  G Walker Notts, and in 1794 version. Underlined in both versions but not in list of 17 or list of 25 (see "the 1796 list"). 

Rev George Walker of Nottingham original member of Society for Constitutional Information 15.5.1780

Rev George Walker DNB 1734-1807. He was based in Nottingham till 1798, then Lancashire till his death. Not necessarily the 1799 Walkers entry, though at same host. There were four diary entries for G Walker in 1808 after his death

2.5.1792 Walker goldsmith / 5.5.1792 call on Dorset, Bulmer and Walker.

Probably part of the negotiations to bind John Robinson apprentice (see Dorset, Bulmer and Robinson)

22.12.1788 see John Walker.

J Walker was in Godwin's 1796 list near the end of 1788, crossed out, and in 1794 version as John Walker.
Since Godwin saw him after dining at George Robinson's this may well have been Robinson's brother-in-law 'the book-auctioneer of the trade' mentioned in the DNB article on the Robinson family of booksellers. But John Walker was a very common name.

17.7.1795 at Amelia Alderson's, John Walker & Capt Hamilton / 17.7.1805 John Walker at Joseph Johnson's / 27.11.1805 J Walker there,  see Walker
 

11.1.1809 call on Clark (…