Edinburgh
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In
1811, Shelley
undertook
to "educate" his
sisters'
classmate
Harriet
Westbrook.
She was
a willing
pupil—too
willing,
perhaps,
since
her staunch
advocacy
of Bysshe's
unorthodox
views
brought
her into
conflict
with
those
around
her,
including
her family
and the
school
authorities
at Clapham
Commons.
Shelley's
role
as teacher
metamorphosed
into
protector/rescuer,
and he
determined
to carry
her away
from
what he
perceived
as persecution.
Initially,
the rescue
had nothing
to do
with
marriage,
but Harriet
was firm—understandably
loathe
to abandon
respectability
and
the chance
of eventual
reconciliation
with
her
family
and
friends.
Yet,
since
neither
Shelley
nor
Harriet
were
of legal
age
in England,
the
bridegroom-to-be
decided
on a
Scottish
marriage.
In
late-August,
the couple
took the mail
coach to York,
and on the
way met a young
Scottish attorney,
who explained
to them how
one lacking
residence qualifications
might be married
in Edinburgh.
The same attorney
probably
was the one
to direct them
to William
Cumming, the
owner of a
comfortable
three-story
lodging at
60 George Street
(nineteenth
century
image courtesy
of
Dr. Andrew
G. Fraser, Old
Edinburgh Club). |
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The
building
has been
considerably
altered
since 1811.
The passage
leading
from the
street to
a rear stable
area has
been absorbed
by the adjacent
building.
A half-attic
was removed
in the late
nineteenth
century,
and the
ground floor
where Shelley
and Harriet
stayed was
converted
into a shop,
which today
houses a
trendy wine
store.
Their
housing secured,
the young couple
proceeded to
set about the
task of getting
married—no
small feat,
since the bride
lacked the six-weeks'
residency (and
the proclamation
of banns on
three successive
Sundays) required
by Scottish
law. But Cumming
and a friend
named Murray
were willing
to provide false
certification,
and thus Shelley
and Harriet
were able to
obtain a marriage
licence at the
Register House,
which Shelley's
Oxford chum
Hogg considered "the
finest building
on our habitable
earth." |
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The
marriage
ceremony
itself was
performed
at the Leith
Wynd Chapel
of Ease,
by Joseph
Robertson
(who, seven
years later,
was found
guilty of
performing
several
such illegal
marriages
and was
banished
from Scotland
and defrocked
by the Church).
The chapel,
located
at 225 The
Canongate,
was razed
in the mid-twentieth
century,
and the
site, off
the Holyrood
end of the
Royal Mile,
is now given
over to
warehouses.
After
six weeks in
the capitol,
the Shelleys
left for York,
but they returned
in the autumn
of
1813 to escape
their creditors.
They found
lodgings only
two blocks
from the George
St. house,
at the northwest
corner of the
intersection
of George and
Frederick Street.
36 Frederick
was owned by
Alexander Laing.
Here is a view
of the building,
from the north
(nineteenth-century
image courtesy
Dr. Andrew
G. Fraser, Old
Edinburgh Club): |
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| This
house was
demolished
in 1907,
replaced by
the Gresham
buildings,
and today
the site
fronts a busy
intersection.
Shelley's
lodgings
would still
not look
much
out of place,
however,
as
contrasting
modern and
virtual views
readily demonstrate: |
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| Scholars researching the Shelleys' stay in Edinburgh can
find a wealth of information at the Edinburgh public library,
directly across from the National Library of Scotland. |
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