William Godwin's Diary

Plowden, Francis Peter

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This person is mentioned in the diary a total of 25 times, but was not at home (N) 1 time, and was a venue (V) 5 times.

You may also examine their meals and meetings in more detail.

1795

29  March  1795

1796

24  March  1796 15  April  1796 11  September  1796

1801

27  December  1801

1802

17  January  1802 18  January  1802 (V) 22  January  1802 31  January  1802 21  March  1802 4  April  1802 4  April  1802 4  May  1802 (NV) 19  May  1802 30  July  1802 25  September  1802

1803

2  March  1803 15  March  1803 (V) 26  May  1803

1804

7  March  1804

1805

6  March  1805 (V) 11  May  1805 (V) 20  June  1805

1806

10  October  1806

1807

4  January  1807

  • Name: Plowden, Francis Peter
  • Gender: Male
  • Birth Date: 28  June  1749
  • Death Date: 4  January  1829
  • Occupation: lawyer
  • Occupation: historian

In the 1796 list Godwin notes meeting Plowden in 1796 (although there is an entry in 1795) and this has been treated as Francis Plowden (1749-1829) lawyer and historian. Godwin's 1796 list also notes 'Plowdens' in the list for 1801. Given the circles in which Godwin meets Plowden in 1796 it is likely that these are the same person and that he uses the plural in the later entry to indicate his new acquaintance with the wider family. We have identified three Plowdens: Francis Plowden (noted as Plowden), his wife Dorothea (noted as Mrs Plowden) and their daughter Anna Maria (noted as Miss Plowdens or Plowden). Entries to 'Plowdens' plural have been coded for all three although many of these entries may refer to only two (although Godwin explicitly notes '3 Plowdens' on 20 June 1805 ). Moreover, of the three occasions Anna Maria appears alone, in two she is noted as 'Miss Plowdens'. It is therefore possible that Godwin also makes this mistake with regards to Francis Plowden and thus some references to 'Plowdens' in fact indicate Plowden singular.

Plowden's daughter, Anna Maria Plowden, writes to Mrs Godwin at the Polygon on 7 April 1802 to send her father's apologies to her and Mr Godwin. It seems probable that Godwin was trying to borrow some books or to ask information about them and hoped that Plowden might have had what he needed. The note says that her father has 'scarcely even a bowing acquaintance with any one of them. Plowden wrote several works of British history and Godwin may have been looking for material related to Chaucer. The note suggests that there is a good relationship between the families.

  • DNB
  • MS. Abinger c. 42, fols. 3-4: 7 Apr. 1802

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.

Name Number of Meetings
Plowden, Anna Maria (Countess Dundonald) 9
Plowden, Dorothea (née Philipps) 9
King, John (Jacob Rey) 5
Danvers, Richard Augustus Butler 3
Montagu, Basil 1
Perry, James (Pirie) 1
Dealtry, Peregrine (Perry) 1
Burney, Captain James 1
Boddington, Samuel 1
Hardy, Thomas 1
Thelwall, John 1
Miller, 1
Phillips, Sir Richard (Philip Richards) 1
Taylor, Richard 1
Rogers, Samuel 1
Lofft, Capel 1
Northcote, James 1
Rowan, Sarah Jane (née Dawson) 1
Godwin, Mary Jane (Clairmont) (née de Vial) 1
Wolcot, Dr John (pseudonym Peter Pindar) 1
Hill, (Thomas) 1
O'Bryen, Dennis (O'Brien) 1
Morton, Thomas 1
Reynolds, Frederick 1
Barnard, 1
Tobin, James Webbe 1
Scott, Thomas Hobbes 1

Plowden, Dorothea (née Philipps)

Hover over a bar to see number of appearances/year.
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This person is mentioned in the diary a total of 11 times, and was a venue (V) 4 times.

You may also examine their meals and meetings in more detail.

1801

27  December  1801

1802

17  January  1802 18  January  1802 (V) 22  January  1802 21  March  1802 4  April  1802 18  April  1802 (V) 19  May  1802 1  December  1802 (V)

1803

15  March  1803 (V)

1805

20  June  1805

  • Name: Plowden, Dorothea (née Philipps)
  • Gender: Female
  • Birth Date:
  • Death Date: 1827

In the 1796 list Godwin notes meeting Plowden in 1796 (although there is an entry in 1795) and this has been treated as Francis Plowden (1749-1829) lawyer and historian. Godwin's 1796 list also notes 'Plowdens' in the list for 1801. Given the circles in which Godwin meets Plowden in 1796 it is likely that these are the same person and that he uses the plural in the later entry to indicate his new acquaintance with the wider family. We have identified three Plowdens: Francis Plowden (noted as Plowden), his wife Dorothea (noted as Mrs Plowden) and their daughter Anna Maria (noted as Miss Plowdens or Plowden). Entries to 'Plowdens' plural have been coded for all three although many of these entries may refer to only two (although Godwin explicitly notes '3 Plowdens' on 20 June 1805 ). Moreover, of the three occasions Anna Maria appears alone, in two she is noted as 'Miss Plowdens'. It is therefore possible that Godwin also makes this mistake with regards to Francis Plowden and thus some references to 'Plowdens' in fact indicate Plowden singular.

Plowden's daughter, Anna Maria Plowden, writes to Mrs Godwin at the Polygon on 7 April 1802 to send her father's apologies to her and Mr Godwin. It seems probable that Godwin was trying to borrow some books or to ask information about them and hoped that Plowden might have had what he needed. The note says that her father has 'scarcely even a bowing acquaintance with any one of them. Plowden wrote several works of British history and Godwin may have been looking for material related to Chaucer. The note suggests that there is a good relationship between the families.

Entries to Plowdens are often at dinners, especially at King's.

  • DNB

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.

Name Number of Meetings
Plowden, Francis Peter 9
Plowden, Anna Maria (Countess Dundonald) 8
King, John (Jacob Rey) 3
Danvers, Richard Augustus Butler 2
Rowan, Sarah Jane (née Dawson) 1
Godwin, Mary Jane (Clairmont) (née de Vial) 1
Hill, (Thomas) 1
O'Bryen, Dennis (O'Brien) 1
Morton, Thomas 1
Reynolds, Frederick 1
Barnard, 1
Northcote, James 1