3. Mary’s father turned out to be a decidedly un-radical ‘radical’ when he disowned Mary after her elopement. However, he still expected her and Shelley to provide him with money.
The day after the graveyard declaration, Shelley and Mary announced their love to William Godwin, Mary’s father. Knowing the social conventions of the time, they did not expect society to support their relationship. However, they did have hopes for Godwin’s support. In 1793, Godwin had written the radical book, “An Enquiry into Political Justice.” In the book, Godwin proposed the equal distribution of wealth throughout society and attacked the institutions of government, church, education- and marriage.
These radical beliefs were what had drawn Shelley to Godwin. However, they were also the idealistic views of a much younger man- not one who was twice married, with a family and a business. For the middle-aged Godwin, reputation was now all. So when his teenage daughter and her married lover announced their intention to be together, Godwin reacted conventionally- and forbade them from seeing each other.
In the end, it was all in vain. With the aid of Jane Clairmont, Shelley and Mary left London to elope to the continent on July 28, 1814. Although Jane’s mother followed the group in an attempt to persuade her daughter to come home, Godwin made no effort to recover Mary. ” I could not believe that you would enter my house under the name of benefactor, to leave behind an endless poison to corrode my soul,” he later bitterly wrote to Shelley.
When the couple returned to London late in 1814 because of money troubles, Godwin hoped his daughter would abandon Shelley and return home. When she did not, he cut all communication with her. “Hug your own Mary to your heart,” Mary wrote to Shelley, sadly after the break, “Perhaps she will one day have a father till then be everything to me, love.” Godwin did not acknowledge his daughter again until she was married. However, Shelley was his benefactor and had been supplying Godwin with money for his ailing printing business. So, even though he refused to acknowledge or support the couple socially, Godwin continued to make requests for financial aid through third parties.