Contents: introduction chapter I family and youth

Family history

Shelley's grandfather was Bysshe Shelley (21 June 1731 – 6 January 1815), who in 1806 became Sir Bysshe Shelley, 1st Baron of Goring Castle. On Sir Bysshe's death in 1815, Shelley's father succeeded to the baron and became Sir Timothy Shelley.

Shelley was the eldest of several legitimate children. Beery indicates that Shelley had an older illegitimate brother, but little is known about him, if he exists. His younger brothers: John (1806-1866), Margaret (1801-1887), Hellen (1799-1885), Mary (1797-1884), Hellen (1796-1796, died in infancy) and Elizabeth (1794-1831)) . .

Shelley had two children by Harriet's first wife: Eliza Jante Shelley (1813–1876) and Charles Bysshe Shelley (1814–1826). His second wife Maria had four children: a daughter born in 1815, who lived only ten days; William Shelley (1816-1819); Clara Everina Shelley (1817-1818); and Percy Florence Shelley (1819–1889). Shelley also declared herself the father of Helen Adelaide Shelley (1818–1820), who may have been an illegitimate or adopted daughter. His son Percy Florence became the third Baron of Goring Castle on the death of Sir Timothy Shelley in 1844.

In late December 1810, Shelley met Harriet Westbrook, a student at the same boarding school as the sisters. They corresponded frequently that winter and after Shelley had been expelled from Oxford. Shelley explained her radical views on politics, religion, and marriage to Harriet, and they gradually convinced each other that her father and school had crushed her. Shelley's romance with Harriet began a few months after her expulsion, when she was in a state of great emotional strain due to conflicts with her family, the unfounded belief that her cousin Harriet would be upset and suffer because of her severed relationship with Grove. from a deadly disease. Meanwhile, Eliza, Harriet Westbrook's sister, who is very close to Harriet, encouraged the young girl to become romantically involved with Shelley. Shelley's correspondence with Harriet intensified in July while she was on holiday in Wales, and she returned to London in early August in response to her immediate requests for protection. Putting aside his philosophical objections to marriage, he and sixteen-year-old Harriet left for Edinburgh on 25 August 1811 and were married there on the 28th.

Upon hearing of the escape, Harriet's father, John Westbrook, and Shelley's father, Timothy, suspended the bride and groom's pension. (Shelly's father believed that his son married in her presence because Harriet's father was a wealthy merchant and owned a tavern and café.)

Shelley and Harriet, who survived thanks to the loan, stayed in Edinburgh for a month, while Hogg lived under the same roof. The trio left for York in October and Shelley traveled to Sussex to sort things out with her father, leaving Harriet with Hogg. Shelley returned from a failed tour and saw Eliza move on to Harriet and Hogney. In Harriet Shelley's absence, Hogg confessed that he had tried to mislead her. Shelley, Harriet and Eliza soon left Hogg in York for Keswick in Lake County.

At the time, Shelley was also in a close, platonic relationship with Elizabeth Hitchener, a 28-year-old single, progressive teacher who corresponded with her. Calling Shelley " my soul sister" and "my other self", Hitchener became her trusted and intellectual companion as she developed her views on politics, religion, ethics, and personal relationships. Shelley invited him, Harriet and Eliza to join the common house, where all property would be divided.

Shelley and Eliza spent December and January in Keswick, where they visited Robert South, who admired Shelley's poetry. Soutine was taken away with Shelley, who, although there were political differences between them, prophesied wonderful things to her as a poet. Southey also reported that William Godwin, the author of Political Justice, which heavily influenced Shelley in his youth and which Shelley also admired, was still alive. Shelley wrote a letter to Godwin offering herself as a faithful student. Godwin, having changed many of his earlier radical views, advised Shelley to reconcile with his father, become a scholar before publishing anything else, and abandon his open plans for political propaganda in Ireland.

Meanwhile, Shelley met her father's patron, Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk , who helped restore Shelley's pension. With Harriet's pension also restored, Shelley now had funds for her business in Ireland. Their departure to Ireland was prompted by Shelley's scientific experiments, the shooting, and hostility from the host and her neighbors, who were concerned about her radical political views. As tensions mounted, Shelly claimed she was attacked by liars in her home, which may have been a real or imagined stress-induced episode. This was the first in a series of episodes in recent years in which Shelly claimed she was attacked by strangers during a personal crisis.

Early in 1812 Shelley wrote, published and personally distributed in Dublin three political tracts: an address to the Irish people; Proposals for the creation of a charitable association; and Declaration of Rights. He also addressed a meeting of O‘Connell's Catholic Committee where he called for the emancipation of Catholics, the repeal of the Act of Union, and an end to the oppression of the Irish poor. Shelley's subversion reports were sent to the Home Secretary .

After returning from Ireland, the Shelley family went to Wales, then to Devon, where they again found themselves under government control for distributing destructive literature. Elizabeth Hitchener joined the family in Devon, but fell out with Shelley a few months later and left.

In September 1812 , she settled in Tremadoc, Wales, where Shelley worked on "Queen Mab", a utopian allegory promoting atheism, free love, republicanism, and vegetarianism. The following year, the poem was published in a private edition of 250 copies, although a few copies were initially circulated due to the risk of being prosecuted for riots and religious slander.

In February 1813, Shelley said that he had been attacked at night in his house. The incident could have been real, a stress-induced hallucination, or a lie orchestrated by Shelley to avoid state control, creditors, and her meddling in local politics. Shelley and Eliza fled to Ireland and then to London.

In England, when Shelley was trying to make a financial deal with her father, her debts increased. Harriet gave birth to a daughter, Eliza Iante Shelley, on June 23, and relations between Shelley and his wife soured over the following months. Shelley was unhappy with Harriet's sister's influence on her, and Harriet became estranged from her due to Shelley's close friendship with the attractive widow Harriet Boinville and her daughter Cornelia Turner. After Jante's birth, Shellis ran away from creditors and moved frequently through London, Wales, Lake County, Scotland and Berkshire in search of a home.

In March 1814, Shelley married Harriet in London to dispel any doubts about the legality of their wedding in Edinburgh and secure the rights of their children. However, the Shelleys lived apart for most of the following months, and Shelley thought bitterly, "My anger and my heartless alliance with Harriet."

Shelley and Mary returned to England in September 1816, and in early October they learned that Mary's half-sister, Fanny Imlay , had committed suicide. Godwin believed that Fanny had fallen in love with Shelley, and Shelley herself was depressed and blamed her for her death, writing "Friend, I knew your secret grief / We would have divorced." The next tragedy occurred in December when Shelley's divorced wife Garriet Serpentine drowned . Harriet, who was pregnant at the time and lived alone, believed she had been abandoned by her new lover. In her suicide letter, she asked Shelley to take care of her son Charles, but leave her daughter in the care of her sister Eliza.

Shelley married Mary Godwin on December 30, despite her philosophical objections to the institution. The marriage was conceived by Shelley to help Harriet provide for her children and appease Godwin, who had refused to see Shelley and Mary because of their previous adulteries. After a long legal battle , the Cancer Court eventually placed Shelley and Harriet's children in foster care because Shelley left his first wife for Mary for no reason and was an atheist.

In March 1817 the Shelleys moved to Marlow, Buckinghamshire , where Shelley's friend Thomas Love Peacock lived . Claire and her baby Allegra entered Shelley's house, both displeased with Mary. Shelley's generosity in money and increasing debts, as well as Godwin's frequent requests for financial assistance, led to financial and family stress.

On September 2, Mary Clara gave birth to a daughter, Everina Shelley. Shortly thereafter, Shelley left for London with Claire, adding to Mary's resentment towards her half-sister. Shelley was arrested in London for two days for her debts and the lawyers met with Mary in Marlow over Shelley's debts.

He participated in the literary and political circles that surrounded Leigh Hunt, and during this time became acquainted with William Hazlitt and John Keats. Shelley's main work at the time was " Laon and Cytna ", a long poem depicting miscegenation and attacks on religion. It was hastily removed after publication for fear of prosecution for religious libel, and in January 1818 it was revised and republished under the title "Islamic Revolt". Shelley also published two political tracts under a pseudonym: "A Proposal to Put Reform to a Vote". royal(March 1817) and public address on the occasion of the death of Queen Charlotte ( November 1817). In December, he wrote Ozymandias, one of his finest sonnets, as part of a competition with his friend and partner Horace Smith.