Helen Maria Williams

Helen Maria Williams (17 June 1759 - 15 December 1827), British novelist, poet and translator of French language works, authentic, autographed annotated letter (ALS), signed in the third person with signature included within the body of the letter. This one page letter is approximately 4" x 7" in size and is dated December 1, 1820 or 1826. 

Williams was imprisoned by Maximillien Robespierre for being a Girondist. She wrote several letters pertaining to the French Revolution. She was a highly controversial figure in her own time and was portrayed by other writers as being radical and even as sexually wanton. 

The letter is addressed to John Howard Payne, author of "Home Sweet Home." In the letter, Williams invites him to meet Mrs. Elizabeth Paterson, wife of Jerome Bonaparte, younger brother to Napoleon. Williams' whole name appears on the first line. The letter is gouged and frayed at the left margin, deleting the initial letters of two words and touching the first letters of two others. 

The upper third of the letter is glue stained where it had been pasted to another sheet. In addition, there is a separate face of sheet addressed in her hand to Payne when he was in Paris.