Payne (John Howard and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) Correspondence, 1825-1831
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- John Howard Payne and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley correspondence
- Dates:
- 1825-1831
- Creators:
- Payne, John Howard, 1791-1852 and Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851
- Abstract:
- A collection of letters between American actor John Howard Payne and English author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
- Extent:
- 1.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. John Howard Payne and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
A series of letters between John Howard Payne and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Payne became infatuated with Mary Shelley after the death of her husband in 1822 and wished to marry her, but he lost interest when he realized she hoped only to use him to attract the notice of his friend, Washington Irving. John Payne never married. The letters discuss the British theater, society, and events and people in their lives.
- Biographical / historical:
-
John Howard Payne (1791–1852) was an American actor, poet, playwright, and writer who had nearly two decades of a theatrical career and success in London; he is best known today for creating the song "Home! Sweet Home!" (1822).
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley, British novelist, was born in August 1797 to political philosopher William Godwin and philosopher and women's right advocate Mary Wollstonecraft, who died 11 days after Mary Shelley's birth. In 1801, William Godwin married Mary Jane Clairmont. In 1814, Mary Shelley began a relationship with author Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married. After traveling through Europe with Percy Bysshe Shelley and her stepsister, Claire Clairmont, they arrived back in England. Mary Shelley was pregnant, but the baby, a girl, was born prematurely and died. Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley married in 1816, after his wife died by suicide. The Shelleys would have three more children, with only their son Percy Florence Shelley (1819-1889) living past infancy. In 1818, Mary Shelley published, anonymously, Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus. Her name first appeared in the second edition published in 1821. In 1822, Percy Bysshe Shelley died when his sailboat sank during a storm while they were living in Italy. Mary Shelley returned to England the next year and continued to publish novels until her death in 1851 at the age of 53.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from William K. Bixby, 1918.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Huntington Library staff in the 1920s; in October 2025, Gayle M. Richardson created the finding aid.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged chronologically.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-11-25 13:10:49 -0800 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. John Howard Payne and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191