Mary Frampton

Not to be confused with Mary Frampton (b.1676/7 -d1698)whose elegy was written by John Dryden and is often quoted for its poetic beauty.

Mary Frampton (1773–1846) was the sister of James Frampton (an English lawyer), who wrote The Journal of Mary Frampton, From The Year 1779 to Until The Year 1846. She was believed to be a Tory. Her journal is regarded as a good source of Victorian Thought and details important events in British politics during her lifetime. It is a reference on 17th century fashion,^[1] politics,^[2][3] and economics.^[4] Her thoughts were influential to the works of John Bull.^[5]

Early life and family

Frampton was the daughter of James Frampton of Moreton, Dorsetshire and his second wife, Phillis. Phillis had previously been married to Charlston Wollaston. James Frampton died in 1784, but his widow survived until 1829. She was an accomplished person with a wide circle of well-connected relations and friends.

Early in life, Mary Frampton visited London with her parents every two years and witnessed the Gordon riots, the Warren Hastings trial, and the thanksgiving service for the recovery of George III in 1789. Two years after her father died, she settled in Dorchester, Dorset with her mother and formed a centre for the county's society. She allegedly was a strong Tory. She was the sister of James Frampton (1769-1855), most famous for his role in the prosecution of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. On 12 November 1846, Mary Frampton died, unmarried.

Works

Frampton's Journal from the year 1779 until the year 1846 was edited with notes by her niece and was published and edited by Harriot Georgina Mundy^[6] (1885).^[7] It begins in 1803, prefaced by anecdotes from 1779. It incorporates correspondence from friends and acquaintances, with additional information supplied by the editor. It forms a picture of that time period and details the court system. The Framptons became acquainted with the Royal family during his frequent visits to Weymouth. Their correspondents supplied them with many stories about the prince regent and his relations with Mrs. Fitzherbert, Lady Jersey, Caroline of Brunswick and the Princess Charlotte (whose governess, Mrs. Campbell, was a friend of the Framptons). The book deals with public affairs and talk of society, giving anecdotes about Mrs. Montagu, Mary of Buttermere, Archbishop Sumner, Miss Edgeworth, Napoleon and his widow (Empress Maria Louisa), Charles X of France and Baron Stockmar. It also touches upon events such as the outbreak of the French revolution, the French invasion of Wales in 1797, the Allied sovereigns' visit to England in 1814, and the riots and Swing fires of 1830 (which her brother played a role in suppressing, notably at Winfrith Newburgh).

References

1. Susan Vincent (15 January 2010). The Anatomy of Fashion: Dressing the Body from the Renaissance to Today. Berg. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-84520-764-9. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
2. Ian Lopez; Jonathan Simon (1 July 2008). After the War on Crime: Race, Democracy, and a New Reconstruction. NYU Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-8147-2760-7. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
3. Jocelyn Harris (2007). A Revolution Almost Beyond Expression: Jane Austen's Persuasion. University of Delaware Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-87413-966-2. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
4. Susannah R. Ottaway (2 February 2004). The Decline of Life: Old Age in Eighteenth-Century England. Cambridge University Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-521-81580-2. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
5. Tamara L. Hunt (2003). Defining John Bull: Political Caricature and National Identity in Late Georgian England. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 395. ISBN 978-1-84014-268-6. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
6. The Journal of Mary Frampton on archive.org
7. http://books.google.com/books?id=TAwMAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Frampton, Mary". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.