Esther Johnson
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Esther Johnson was an Englishwoman known to have been a close friend of Jonathan Swift, known as "Stella". Whether or not she and Swift were secretly married, and if so why the marriage was never made
Esther Johnson, from an 1893 publication.
Vanessa, an imaginary portrait by John Everett Millais, 1868
Rococo cartouche dedicated to her in the south aisle of St. Patrick's Cathedral
Jonathan Swift by Charles Jervas detail
Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet was an English diplomat, politician and writer. An important diplomat, he was recalled in 1679, and for a brief period was a leading advisor to Charles II of England, w
Esther Johnson
…the marriage was never made public, is a subject of debate. She was born in Richmond, Surrey, and spent her early years at Moor Park, Farnham, home of Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet. Here, when she was about eight, she met Swift, who was Temple's secretary: he took a friendly interest in her from the beginning and apparently…
A portrait of Temple (1660)
"Dorothy, Lady Temple" by Gaspar Netscher 1671
Funeral hatchment of Nicholas Bacon (1686–1767) of Shrubland Hall, Coddenham, Suffolk, husband of Dorothy Temple, grand-daughter of Sir William Temple. The arms of Temple are shown as an inescutcheon, as appropriate for an heiress