Selina Mills

Selina Anne Mills (1767 – May 1831)[1] was a British schoolteacher who bought a girls school in Park Street, Bristol in December 1789 with her sisters Mary and Fanny, from Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah and Patty More, the sisters of Hannah More.

The couple had been introduced to each other by Hannah More on 26 August 1799, who later, with her sister, Patty, attempted to frustrate their courtship.

They had nine children, including:[3] Mills got caught up in the elopement of Clementina Clerke, a wealthy heiress being educated at the school.

Rowlandson's caricature is inaccurate: an accomplice posing as a servant delivered a letter to Selina purporting to come from Clerke's guardian requesting that Clementina take the carriage provided in order to go and see him immediately.

Selina and Mary saw Miss Clerke into the carriage, but only later realised they had been duped.

Caricature of the Bristol Elopement by Thomas Rowlandson