Margaret Boswell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Boswell
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by unknown
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Margaret Montgomerie
1738 Lainshaw, Scotland
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| Died | 4 June 1789 (aged 50–51) Auchinleck, Scotland
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| Nationality | Scottish |
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Margaret "Peggy" Boswell was born Margaret Montgomerie in 1738. She was a Scottish woman known for being the wife and cousin of the famous writer and diarist, James Boswell.
Contents
Margaret Boswell's Life Story
Her Early Years
Margaret was born around 1738 in a place called Lainshaw in Ayrshire, Scotland. Sadly, she became an orphan at a young age. Both her father, James Boswell, and her mother, Lady Elizabeth, passed away when she was still little. Even though she was an orphan, Margaret received a good amount of money. She was given an annuity, which meant she would get £100 every year. This was a lot of money back then!
Marriage to James Boswell
Margaret married her first cousin, James Boswell. Their wedding took place in London. Some very important people were there to witness their marriage. These included Archibald Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas, the famous writer Samuel Johnson, and the Corsican leader Pasquale Paoli. The official marriage agreement is now kept at Yale University.
After they got married, Margaret and James lived in a house in James Court in Edinburgh. They had an active social life there. Even with Margaret's money, the couple often had debts throughout their marriage. James sometimes called Margaret a "heathen goddess." He would get upset if he thought she was too friendly with other men. Margaret, in turn, would sometimes be upset with James. However, she always forgave him.
Family Life and Home
In 1783, Margaret was at the family's main home, Auchinleck House. While there, she took on an important job. She carefully organized and listed all the valuable books in the house's library.
Around 1786, an artist named Henry Singleton painted a group picture of Margaret's family. In the painting, her husband James is on the left side. Margaret is on the right, holding their daughter Elizabeth, who was about six years old at the time. The other two children in the painting are Veronica and James (the younger).
Margaret's Final Years
Margaret Boswell passed away in Auchinleck on June 4, 1789. Her husband, James, had been rushing from London to be with her, but he arrived just after she died. Breaking with tradition, James attended Margaret's funeral on June 11. Even though Margaret had her own money, James was still in debt when she passed away.
Margaret was first buried beneath the local church. Later, her body was moved to another location. Margaret and James had several children together. Their children were Alexander, James the younger, Veronica, Euphemia, and Elizabeth Boswell.
