Clara Mary Jane Clairmont, commonly known as "Claire," step-sister of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and member of the Shelley circle. A writer of significant journals and letters, she spent many years as a governess, and was the mother of Allegra by...
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Clara Mary Jane Clairmont, commonly known as "Claire," step-sister of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and member of the Shelley circle. A writer of significant journals and letters, she spent many years as a governess, and was the mother of Allegra by George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron. The manuscript material by Claire Clairmont in the Pforzheimer Collection consists of writings and correspondence. The writings include: two holograph journals kept during her travels with the Shelleys; holograph notes and essays prepared for E. J. Trelawny, relating to Shelley and Byron; and an effusive book inscription to Captain Edward Silsbee, the Shelley enthusiast. The bulk of the correspondence is from 1847-1856, and includes reflections on her experiences with Byron and the Shelleys, and various matters of family interest. Correspondents include: Lord Byron, English poet; Antonia Clairmont, her sister-in-law; Edward John Trelawny, the writer and adventurer; and over half a dozen others.
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