after wollstonecraft's death, godwin and joseph johnson, wollstonecraft's publisher and close friend, contacted fanny's father, but he was uninterested in raising his child. (neither wollstonecraft nor her daughter ever saw gilbert imlay after 1796.) wollstonecraft's two sisters, eliza bishop and everina wollstonecraft, fanny's only two living female relatives, were anxious to care for her; godwin, disliking them, turned down their offer. several times throughout fanny's childhood wollstonecraft's sisters asked godwin to allow them to raise their niece and each time he refused. godwin himself did not seem particularly ready for parenthood and he now had two small children to raise and no steady source of income. however, he was determined to care for them. during these early years of fanny's life, joseph johnson served as an "unofficial trustee" for her as he had occasionally for her mother. he even willed her £200, but godwin owed johnson so much money upon his death in 1809 that johnson's heirs demanded godwin pay the money back as part of his arrears.