Ellen Weeton (1776–1850), also known as Nelly or Nellie Weeton, and by the married name Mrs Stock, was a Lancashire school mistress, woman letter writer and governess who was the author of Journal of a Governess, two volumes describing her life as a governess in the years 1807–1825.
Life
Weeton was born in
Up Holland in
Lancashire on Christmas Day 1776 (or around 1777 according to some sources).
She was baptised "Nelly" at St John the Evangelist's Church, Lancaster. She was named after her father's ship at his request. Her father was away when she was baptised.
(Some sources call her "Ellen".) Her father
Slave ship and worked for
.
She was very well educated for a woman of the time,
She is known for writing letters to her brother whom she held in very high regard when she started to copy the letters into a journal.
Weeton was well travelled, visiting Yorkshire, the Lake District, North Wales, the Isle of Man, and London.
Marriage
She married Aaron Stock at Holy Trinity Parish Church in Liverpool in 1814.
A daughter, Mary, was born the following year. She had married him at the suggestion of her brother and it worked out poorly. Her new husband abused her and in time he demanded a separation threatening that he would have her confined to an asylum if she disagreed.
[
]
In 1821, Stock appeared in court for an assault on Weeton; she and her husband formally separated. Due to this, Weeton surrendered custody of her daughter, whom she would not see again until 1828.
Published work
Weeton published nothing in her lifetime. Four volumes of her correspondence
Death and legacy
She died in 1849 and she left her journals to her church minister. They reappeared in a book shop in Wigan in 1925 where they were found by Edward Hall.[ He edited them and they were published two volumes as Miss Weeton: a Journal of a Governess in 1936.]
Further reading
-
Kerri Andrews: Wanderers : a history of women walking, London : Reaktion Books, 2020,
