Early Years
Mary Hays was born in Southwark, London, on 13 October 1759, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Hays of Gainsford Street, Horsleydown (see John Hays' will of 1768, proved 1774). Little is known of her first 17 years, save that she had two brothers, Thomas and John; and two sisters, Joanne (or Joan) and Elizabeth (for Elizabeth see The Love Letters of Mary Hays; for other siblings, see Mary Hays' will of 18 December 1840).
In 1779 she fell in love with John Eccles who lived on Gainsford Street, where she also lived. Their parents opposed the match but they met secretly and exchanged over 100 letters. Tragically in August 1780 Eccles died of a fever. She wrote "All my pleasures - and every opening prospect are buried with him". This may have made her outlook very solemn, and spurred her to take up writing. For the next ten years she wrote essays and poems. A short story - "Hermit: an Oriental Tale" - was published in 1786. It was a picturesque tale, which warned against feeling too much passion. She exchanged letters with Robert Robinson, a minister who campaigned against the slave trade. She attended the Dissenting Academy in Hackney in the late 1780s.
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