GODWIN DIARY
2.8.1790 H proposes Gazr to M. This H is identified as Holcroft in GD website in the event tag but not coded to him. 8.10.1797 H calls. Several times Godwin used H rather than Ht to mean Holcroft, this one not coded in GD website
The entries from 1805 and 1806 below show Holcroft and Godwin falling out over what Holcroft considered a character based on him in Godwin's novel Fleetwood. Ht was Godwin's abbreviation for Thomas Holcroft. Note the use of brackets when Godwin accidentally saw Holcroft. Godwin also used brackets when he saw famous people at the theatre. I take them to mean "saw but didn't speak".
15.2.1805 sup at Ht's, w. Mercier. Fleetwood published / 28.2.1805 note from Ht : call on Nicholson (not seen) : send to Kentish Town : Lamb calls / 3.3.1805 write to Ht : call on Nicholson / 4.3.1805 write to Nicholson on Ht / 12.3.1805 again / 14.10.1805 (meet Ht) / 23.10.1805 again / 23.11.1805 theatre, adv. (Ht) & mrs Foulkes / 18.4.1806 call on Lamb (adv. Ht)
There were no further mentions of Holcroft until a few days before his death, when Holcroft's sister-in-law Elizabeth Mercier called on Godwin who went straight to see Holcroft. Godwin then called each day but only got to see Holcroft one more time. George Tuthill was a doctor as well as a good friend of Holcroft's. William Hazlitt and Henry Crabb Robinson were calling on Godwin, perhaps for news of Holcroft. Hazlitt was a regular caller on Godwin at the time but Robinson not.
19.3.1809 E Mercier calls : call on Ht; adv. Tuthil / 20.3.1809 call on Ht (not seen) (adv. Harwood, Thelwal & Dawe) / 21.3.1809 call on Ht; adv. Harwoods : Hazlit calls & H Robinson (not seen) / 22.3.1809 Hazlit calls : call on Ht (not seen) / 23.3.1809 Hazlit, H Robinson & Dawe call : call on L(ouisa) Ht; adv. Harwoods, mrs Nicholson & Lambs. Ht dies
The days after Holcroft's death were full of collective grieving. Clipstone Street was where Holcroft's house was. Godwin took tea with William Nicholson, William Harwood and George Tuthill several days running. Sarah Nicholson, Mary Lamb, Margaret Dawe and Mary Jane Godwin rallied round the widowed Louisa Holcroft. It looks like a collection taken at the funeral came to £83 and was entrusted to Sharon Turner DNB 1768-1847. Godwin called on Thomas Hardy DNB 1752-1832 probably to help arrange a memorial meeting for Holcroft at the Crown & Anchor, and ended up seeing more of John Thelwall than he had for years. W N & G T at the Crown & Anchor were Nicholson and Tuthill. Ralph may have been the artist George Keith Ralph DNB 1752-1811+. Godwin had first called on him on 18.2.1809 so probably not in connection with Holcroft, but he attended both the funeral and the Crown & Anchor, so may have been a friend or admirer of Holcroft.
24.3.1809 Ralph calls : tea L Ht's, w. M J / 26.3.1809 call on L Ht; adv. mrs Nicholson, M(ary) Lamb & Tuthil : H Robinson au soir / 27.3.1809 tea Nicholson's, adv. Harwood : Clipstone Street, for M J; adv. M(argaret) Dawe / 28.3.1809 tea Nicholson's, w. Harwood; adv. Tuthill / 29.03.1809 tea Nicholson's, w. Harwood & Tuthil : Clipstone Street, for M J; adv. M Dawe / 1.4.1809 Funeral of Ht, w. Shield, Nicholson, Harwood, Buchan, Lamb, Thelwal, Dawe & Ralph : Sh.Turner's, w. Harwood, Thelwal & £83. R Cloud sups; adv. C Mercier / 2.4.1809 Call on Hardy : tea Nicholson's, w. Harwood & Tuthil; adv. L & F(anny) Ht / 3.4.1809 Nicholson calls : call on Nicholson, w. M J : sup at L Ht's, w. M J; adv. E M(ercie)r / 4.4.1809 tea Nicholson's / 5.4.1809 Crown & Anchor; present, W N, G T, Thelwal, H Robinson, Lamb, Stodart, Collier, Le Maitre, Hardy, Ralph, Spyring & Dawe : dine at Thelwal's / 6.4.1809 tea, adv. H Robinson: tea Nicholson's. Hardy calls / 9.4.1809 Mrs Ht & V Ht breakfast; adv. Dawe / 10.4.1809 Nicholson calls / 11.4.1809 call on Lambs; adv. L Ht : Nicholson calls / 13.4.1809 meet Nicholson, at L Ht's : dine at Thelwal's, w. Nicholson, Wolcot, Mortimer, Soane, Brittons & miss Pate
SOCIETY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION
Thomas Holcroft proposed Society for Constitutional Information 28.9.1792 by Sharpe (probably William Sharp engraver DNB 1776/7-1840 but could also have been William Sharpe of Leadenhall St or Richard Sharp DNB 1759-1835 who were both also SCI members then) 2nded John Horne Tooke
AMENDMENTS TO OXFORD DNB
THOMAS HOLCROFT (1745-1809)
CURRENT TEXT "He was survived by his fourth wife"
SUGGESTED CHANGE <He was survived by his fourth wife, with whom he had six children, all baptised together at St Marylebone on 1 March 1809. His widow married the playwright *James Kenney* in 1812.>