Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

Poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on 4 August 1792 in Sussex. In 1811 he eloped to Scotland with the sixteen year old, Harriet Westbrook. A few years later he met his second wife Mary Wollstonecroft Godwin. In 1818 they moved to Italy where he worked on translations, his poetry and other writings. His most famous works include 'Queen Mab', 'Prometheus Unbound', 'Ode to the West Wind' and 'To a Skylark'. He drowned on 8 July 1822 while returning by boat from Leghorn and his ashes were buried at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.

Marriage in 1811

Percy Bysshe Shelley, farmer, Sussex married Harriet Westbrook, St Andrew Church parish, daughter of Mr John Westbrook, London on 28 August 1811. The entry in the Old Parish Register (OPR) for Edinburgh doesn't include a date but is on a page headed Edinburgh 22 August 1811. The entry above is dated 28th.

Marriage entry for Percy Shelley (18 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, OPR 685-1/54, page 5