Mary Shelley's literary link to Bath to be honoured with a plaque

Frankenstein began as a short story referred to by Lord Byron as a “Pygmalion” tale of making a human. With encouragement from her husband, Mary Godwin (Shelley) decided to write a longer version of that nightmare pygmalion. At first it was believed that Mary wrote the full novel of her famous tale Frankenstein during a spooky night telling stories with Lord Byron and her husband Percy Shelley. In 2016, however, it came to light that Mary had written much of the book two years previously while staying in Bath, home of the famous English Roman baths.

Outside of the famous Pump Room and Roman baths is the only surviving part of the print shop where Mary lodged in rooms upstairs. The area is now in use as an electricity substation after the shop’s demolishment in the 19th century. The celebratory plaque will be beside a trap-door hidden in the flagstones, as close as possible to where the living quarters of Mary Shelley once stood.

The plaque will be unveiled by an author of a recent study of Frankenstein, Christopher Frayling, who has been campaigning for a plaque for years.

The plaque may look much like this one situated in London.

Mary Godwin was staying in Bath, Somerset, in 1816 with Percy Shelley and Claire Clairmont, Mary Godwin’s step-sister who was newly-pregnant with Lord Byron’s baby. Their time in Bath was a brief but traumatic five months. As if it was a nightmarish Richard Curtis movie, they endured a birth, a wedding, and two suicides during their stay. Through handwritten correspondence and Mary’s diaries we now know that, despite the drama surrounding her at this time, Mary Godwin prepared herself with new notebooks and started in earnest to write her novel:

“I was awakened this morning by my pretty babe, and was dressed time enough to take my lesson from Mr. West, and (thank God) finished that tedious ugly picture I have been so long about.

I have also finished the fourth chapter of Frankenstein, which is a very long one, and I think you would like it. And where are you? and what are you doing?

My blessed love. … in the choice of a residence, dear Shelley, pray be not too quick or attach yourself too much to one spot. … A house with a lawn, a river or lake, noble trees, and divine mountains, that should be our little mouse-hole to retire to. But never mind this; give me a garden, and absentia Claire, and I will thank my love for many favours.”

After the suicide of Percy Shelley’s first wife in the December of their stay in Bath, including the tragic news that she was heavily pregnant, Mary and Percy were free to marry. They went to London to be married at St Mildred’s Church as soon as they could. For a few days Mary stopped working on her novel- she called it her ‘four days of idleness’, and in that time Clare bore Lord Byron a child, Allegra, and the Shelleys left Bath on 27th of February, 1816.

Mary was pregnant with her third child, and beginning on a second notebook volume of Frankenstein- as record in her notebooks and diary.

Bath played a huge part in the Shelley’s lives even though they were only living there for a short while. The tumultuous time spent in the city certainly coloured Mary’s work somewhat, and the latest blue plaque dedicated to her is well deserved.