MARIA DE FLEURY
(1752/3-92)
Maria de Fleury (1752/3-1792) died in early October 1792 and was buried at Bunhill Fields, the entry noting her age as "in her 40th year," which meant she had not yet turned 40; thus, her birth occurred in late 1752 or in 1753. At that time she was living 40 Banner Street, just a few minutes walk to the west of Bunhill Fields. She had previously lived at No. 2, City Mews, White Cross Street, and 31 Jewin Street, all residences in the City of London. She succeeded Anne Dutton as England's primary defender for Calvinist doctrines. Doctrinally, de Fleury was a Particular Baptist (she published a set of hymns in honor of believer's baptism by immersion), though in the last years of her life she became a regular attendant at John Tower's Independent congregation in the Barbican, London. An ardent anti-papist (indicative of her Huguenot roots), De Fleury’s earliest poems appeared in the short-lived Protestant Magazine in 1781 and 1782, a magazine that was inspired by the controversy surrounding Lord Gordon and members of the Protestant Association and their conflict with the London authorities in 1780. De Fleury would publish several poems in defence of the Protestants, especially Gordon, and one poem defending Gordon and his followers against Charles Wesley's printed attack. Like Dutton, de Fleury vigorously defended her right as a woman to write on matters of religious doctrine, even challenging the controversial antinomian preacher William Huntington in a bruising pamphlet war (1787–91). Among de Fleury’s works are Poems Occasioned by the Confinement and Acquittal of the Right Honourable Lord George Gordon (1781); Hymns for Believer’s Baptism (1786); British Liberty Established, and Gallic Liberty Restored; or, The Triumph of Freedom […] Occasioned by the Grand Revolution in France (1790); and Divine Poems and Essays on Various Subjects (1791). De Fleury’s defence of her public writing appears in An Answer to the Daughter’s Defence of her Father, Addressed to her Father Himself (London: T. Wilkins [and others], 1788), 6–18, one of five pamphlets she wrote during her controversy with Huntington and his followers.
For more on de Fleury, see Timothy Whelan, ‘“For the Hand of a Woman, has levell’d the Blow”: Maria de Fleury’s Pamphlet War with William Huntington, 1787–1791’, Women’s Studies, 36 (2007), 431–54; idem, "Maria de Fleury: Baptist Poet and Polemicist, 1780-1792," in The British Particular Baptists 1638-1910, vol. 5, ed. Michael A. G. Haykin (Springfield, MO: Particular Baptists Press, 2019), 251-91. For a selection of her poetry, click here; for her published 1787 letter to William Huntington, click here; for her final pamphlet on Huntington's antinomianism, click here; for her entry in the Women Booksellers portion of this site, click here.
Bibliography of Maria de Fleury's Publications
Poems in the Protestant Magazine under the signature “Maria” (1781-82).
Poems Occasioned by the Confinement and Acquittal of the Right Honourable Lord George Gordon, President of the Protestant Association. London: Printed for the author by R. Denham, No. 100, Salisbury Court, Fleet Street. And sold by Mr. Margram, Southampton-street, Strand; Mrs. Dee, No. 35, Charles-street, Horse-lye-down; Mr. Tillcock, No. 10, Warwick Lane; and by the author, No. 2, City Mews, White Cross-street, 1781.
Unrighteous Abuse Detected and Chastised, or, A Vindication of Innocence and Integrity, being an Answer to a Virulent Poem, intituled, The Protestant Association. London: Printed [for the author] by R. Denham, No. 20, Primrose Hill, Salisbury Square. Sold by the Author, No. 2, City Mews, White Cross Street; and by the Printer, 1781.
Henry, or the Triumph of Grace. A Sacred Poem. Dedicated, by Permission, to the right Honorable Lord George Gordon. London: Printed by R. Denham, No. 20, Salisbury-Square. Sold by the Author, No. 2, City-Mews, White-Cross-street; and by the Printer, 1782.
An Ode occasioned by the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Dowland, daughter of Mr. John Fullford, shipwright; who died soon after the birth and death of her second child, the 12th of April, 1783, in the twenty-fourth year of her age. London: Printed and Sold, at the Chapel, in Rose-Lane, near Ratcliff-Cross; and at Mr. Miller’s, No 73, Rosemary-Lane, [1783].
Henry: or the Wanderer Reclaimed: A Sacred Poem. Humbly addressed to British Youth. London: Printed by W. Justins, No. 6 Albion-Buildings, Bartholomew-Close, for the Author; and sold at No. 31 Jewin-Street, and at the Printer's, 1786.
Hymns for Believer’s Baptism. London: printed by W. Justins, Albion’s Buildings, Bartholomew-Close; and sold at the Rev. Mr. Kirkham’s Meeting-house, Red-Cross-Street, near Cripplegate, London, 1786.
A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Huntington. 3rd ed. London: Printed and sold by T. Wilkins, Aldermanbury; sold also at No. 31, Jewin-Street, 1787.
A Serious Address to the Rev. Mr. Huntington; Containing Some Remarks on his Sermon, entitled “The Servant of the Lord, Described and Vindicated.” London: Printed and sold by T. Wilkins, No. 23, Aldermanbury; sold also by J. Fuller, Broad-way, Deptford; J. Matthews, Strand; R. Thomson, Corner of Crown-Court, Little Poultney-Street, Soho; H. Trapp, Paternoster-Row; J. Pitcher, Barbican; and at No. 31, Jewin-Street, 1788.
An Answer to the Daughter’s Defence of her Father, Addressed to her Father Himself. London: Printed and sold by T. Wilkins, no. 23, Aldermanbury; sold also at No. 31, Jewin-Street; and by R. Thomson, corner of Crown-Court, Little Poultney-Street, Soho, 1788.
British Liberty Established, and Gallic Liberty Restored; or, The Triumph of Freedom. A Poem. Occasioned by the Grand Revolution in France, M,DCC, LXXXIX. London (from Peterborough-House Press): Printed for the Author, No. 31, Jewin Street; and sold by | J. Matthews, Strand; H. D. Symonds, Pater-Noster-Row; J. Nott, Lombard Street; Ash, Tower Street; Thompson, Oxford Road; and by Mrs. Hancock, Beach Street, Barbican, 1790.
The Secret Revealed: or Animal Magnetism Displayed. A Letter from a Young Lady to the Rev. John Martin. The second edition, enlarged. London: Printed for and sold by T. Hawkins, Borough [c. 1790-91].
Divine Poems and Essays on Various Subjects. London: Printed for the author, and sold by T[homas]. Wilkins . . . , Mr. Nott, Lombard street; M. Gurney, No. 128, Holborn, and by the author, No. 31, Jewin-street, 1791.
Antinomianism Unmasked and Refuted; and the Moral Law Proved from the Scriptures of the Old and New-Testament. To be Still in Full Force as the Rule of the Christian’s Conduct. London: T. Wilkins, Aldermansbury. Sold also by H. Symon[d]s, No. 20, Paternoster-row; and by the author, No. 31, Jewin-Street, London; also by Mrs. Waugh, Fisher-row, Reading; and Mrs. Horton, Wallingford, Berks, 1791.
Falsehood Examined at the Bar of Truth; or, A Farewell to Mr. Wm. Huntington, and Mr. Thomas Jones, of Reading: Containing Strictures on the Broken Cistern; Written by the Former, Addressed to the Rev. Mr. Ryland, Senior. And Upon Mystery Babylon, Encompasssed for Utter Destruction, Written by the Latter. London: T. Wilkins, Aldermansbury. Sold also by Mrs. Trapp, No. 1, Paternoster Row; M. Gurney, No. 228 [sic] Holborn; and by the author, No. 31, Jewin-Street, 1791.