 On their return to England in September , Mary and Percy moved — with Claire Clairmont , who took lodgings nearby — to Bath , where they hoped to keep Claire ’ s pregnancy secret . At <unk> , Mary Godwin had received two letters from her half @-@ sister , Fanny Imlay , who alluded to her " unhappy life " ; on 9 October , Fanny wrote an " alarming letter " from Bristol that sent Percy Shelley racing off to search for her , without success . On the morning of 10 October , Fanny Imlay was found dead in a room at a Swansea inn , along with a suicide note and a laudanum bottle . On 10 December , Percy Shelley 's wife , Harriet , was discovered drowned in the Serpentine , a lake in Hyde Park , London . Both suicides were hushed up . Harriet ’ s family obstructed Percy Shelley 's efforts — fully supported by Mary Godwin — to assume custody of his two children by Harriet . His lawyers advised him to improve his case by marrying ; so he and Mary , who was pregnant again , married on 30 December 1816 at St Mildred 's Church , Bread Street , London . Mr and Mrs Godwin were present and the marriage ended the family rift . 
