Identifying The Ubiquitous “R”

Researching a prolific contributor unveiled a surprising request in a will

One of the most difficult contributors to pin down was partially identified before the project even began. “R” was ubiquitous in the Lady’s

Magazine between the 1770s and 1780s. She translated dozens of French short stories and oriental tales for the periodical, and also submitted many essays and poems. EW Pitcher first identified “R” as Miss R Roberts in the 1980s, noting that she was the sister of Rev Dr Richard Roberts, high master of St Paul’s Church School, and an author of ephemeral works. Miss Roberts even has a short entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National

Biography, although it lacks her first name. Attempts to uncover “R” via her brother’s life yielded little. Then, after hours lost in endless searches for Rachels, Ruths and Rosinas, we found a will for Radagunda Roberts (c1728–1788). Her brother, William, was a poet and lawyer, and she helped educate the children of publishers and writers. But it was her connection with one writer in particular that arrested my attention. John Hawkesworth, journalist, translator and editor of Cook’s voyages, emerged in the sources we pieced together as one of the key people in Radagunda’s life. Her will requests that she is allowed to lie on the left of the deceased Hawkesworth, but fearing his widow’s objection, she agrees to lie on his right. Mrs Hawkesworth clearly did object, because Radagunda was buried with her parents.