Mary Frampton (7 June 1773 – 1846) was an English

diarist A diary is a written or audiovisual record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. A personal d ...

and botanist.

Biography

Mary Frampton was born on 7 June 1773 in

Moreton, Dorset Moreton is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome about east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil parish had 158 households and a population of 373. It has a number of long distance footpaths and cyc ...

. Her father was James Frampton and her mother was Phillis Frampton, ex-wife of

Charlton Wollaston Charlton Wollaston (1733–1764) was an English medical doctor, physician to Guy's Hospital from 1762. He was also physician to the Queen's Household. He was a son of Francis Wollaston (1694–1774), and entered Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge i ...

. Frampton would regularly travel to London with her parents and witnessed the Gordon Riots and the trial of

Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first Governor-General ...

. Her father died in 1784 and Frampton settled in Dorchester with her mother, where they were central to local society. Frampton kept a diary from a young age; this was published as ''The Journal of Mary Frampton, From The Year 1779 to Until The Year 1846'' in 1885. It starts in 1803, with memories from 1779, and includes correspondence with Frampton's friends, as well as notes by Frampton's niece and editor, Harriot Mundy. Her journal is regarded as a good source of

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

and Victorian Thought and details important events in

British politics The United Kingdom is a unitary state with devolution that is governed within the framework of a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch, currently Charles III, King of the United Kingdom, is the ...

during her lifetime. It is a reference on 17th century fashion, politics, and economics. Her thoughts were influential to the works of

John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...

. The journal also gives insight to the affairs of

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

at the time, as the Framptons were friendly with the family of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

, who would regularly visit the area. Frampton also spent time studying Dorset's botany, producing many drawings of the flora of the county which ran to five volumes. Her drawings and records were included in the botanical index of

History of Poole The history of Poole, a town in Dorset, England, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement around Poole Harbour during the Iron Age. The town now known as Poole was founded on a small peninsula to the north of the harbour. Poole experienc ...

in 1839. Frampton died in Dorchester on 12 November 1846.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frampton, Mary 1773 births 1846 deaths 18th-century English women writers 19th-century English women writers People from Dorset 19th-century English writers English botanists 18th-century English women 18th-century English people