“I am not born to tread in the beaten track”

Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) died 228 years ago today, on September 10, 1797.

When I was in London in March, I visited her grave at St. Pancras Old Church, “London’s ancient parish church.”

St. Pancras Old Church

St. Pancras Old Church, framed by black and gold gates

When she outlined her plan to be a professional writer, Wollstonecraft declared, “I am then going to be the first of a new genus. … You know I am not born to tread in the beaten track—the peculiar bent of my nature pushes me on” (from a 1787 letter to her sister Everina).

Mary Wollstonecraft’s gravestone and a bouquet of flowers

Mary Wollstonecraft

Godwin

Author of

A Vindication

of the Rights of Woman

Born 27th April 1759

Died 10th September 1797

Daffodils

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Here are the links to the last two posts, in case you missed them:

Jane Austen in the Public Gardens: A 250th Birthday Celebration

The Austens: Book Launch and Upcoming Events

My debut novel, The Austens, is now available from Pottersfield Press!

Copyright Sarah Emsley 2025 ~ All rights reserved. No AI training: material on http://www.sarahemsley.com may not be used to “train” generative AI technologies.

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Published on September 10, 2025 07:30
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