Record Number: 28395

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

[From ed. notes:] '[Samuel Richardson's] correspondence with Lady [Dorothy] Bradshaigh began in the following manner: -- A lady, calling herself Belfour, wrote to the author of Clarissa, after reading the first four volumes, acquainting him that a report prevailed, that The History of Clarissa was to end in a most tragical manner, and, expressing her abhorrence of such a catastrophe, begged to be satisfied of the truth by a few lines inserted in the Whitehall Evening Post. -- Mr Richardson complied with her request; in consequence of which many letters passed between them.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

unknown

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Dorothy Lady Bradshaigh

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

1705

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Samuel Richardson

Title:

Clarissa (volumes 1-4)

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

28395

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Anna Laetitia Barbauld

Title:

Correspondence of Samuel Richardson [...] Selected from the original manuscripts, bequeathed by him to his family

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1804

Vol:

4

Page:

177

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Anna Laetitia Barbauld (ed.), Correspondence of Samuel Richardson [...] Selected from the original manuscripts, bequeathed by him to his family , (London, 1804), 4, p. 177, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=28395, accessed: 16 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

NB date in 'Date of Birth of reader/Listener' is date of baptism; see entry in DNB. See pp.177-82 for Lady Bradshaigh's first letter as 'Mrs Belfour,' in which she describes herself as being '[not] a giddy girl of sixteen,' but a woman 'past my romantic time of life, but young enough to wish two lovers happy in a married state' (p.181).