William Godwin, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

William Godwin

English journalist, political philosopher and novelist

Date of Birth: 03-Mar-1756

Place of Birth: Wisbech, England, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 07-Apr-1836

Profession: writer, journalist, philosopher, novelist, science fiction writer, political philosopher

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

William Godwin (March 3, 1756, Wisbech, Isle of Ely – April 7, 1836, London) was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist.
He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism.
Godwin is most famous for two books that he published within the space of a year: An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, an attack on political institutions, and Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, an early mystery novel which attacks aristocratic privilege.
Based on the success of both, Godwin featured prominently in the radical circles of London in the 1790s.
He wrote prolifically in the genres of novels, history and demography throughout his life. In the conservative reaction to British radicalism, Godwin was attacked, in part because of his marriage to the pioneering feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft in 1797 and his candid biography of her after her death from childbirth.
Their daughter, later known as Mary Shelley, would go on to write Frankenstein and marry the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
With his second wife, Mary Jane Clairmont, Godwin set up The Juvenile Library, allowing the family to write their own works for children (sometimes using noms de plume) and translate and publish many other books, some of enduring significance.
Godwin has had considerable influence on British literature and literary culture.



Description	English portrait painter
Date of birth/death	22 October 1746	13 July 1831
Location of birth/death	Plymouth	London
Work location	London (1771–1777); Rome (1777–1780); London (1781–1831)
Authority control	: Q3161307 VIAF: 54417213 ISNI: 0000 0000 8133 5187 ULAN: 500003564 LCCN: n86143755 NLA: 35391327 WorldCat