A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Johnson, Esther
JOHNSON, ESTHER,
Celebrated as the Stella of Dean Swift, was born in 1684. Her father was the steward of Sir William Temple, who, at his death, left the daughter one thousand pounds, in consideration of her father's faithful services. At the death of Sir William she was in her sixteenth year; and about two years afterwards, at Swift's invitation, she left England, accompanied by Mrs. Dingley, a lady fifteen years older, and whose whole fortune, though she was related to Sir William, was only an annuity of twenty-seven pounds. Whether Swift desired the company of Miss Johnson as a friend, or intended to make her his wife, is uncertain; but they took every precaution to prevent scandal. When Swift was absent. Miss Johnson and her Mend resided at the parsonage, but when he returned, they removed; nor were they ever known to meet but in the presence of a third person. During his visits to London, he wrote, every day, an account of what had occurred, to Stella, and always placed the greatest confidence in her.
In 1713, Swift, it is believed, was married to her, by Dr. Ashe, Bishop of Clogher; but they continued to live in separate houses, and the marriage was never publicly acknowledged. This state of affairs is supposed to have preyed upon Stella's health so as to cause a decline. Dean Swift offered, when she was on her deathbed, to acknowledge her as his wife; but she replied, "It is too late!" She died in 1728, aged forty-three. She was a beautiful and intellectual woman. The whole story is more romantic than any romance of fiction, nor have its mysteries ever been satisfactorily explained.