Attributions of Authorship in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1780-82: A Supplement to the Union List

Abstract

THE following list consists of 88 new or corrected attributions of authorship of anonymous, pseudonymous, or incompletely signed articles, letters, poems, obituaries, staff notes, or drawings appearing in the Gentleman's Magazine (hereafter GM) during the years 1780–82. It thus constitutes the latest installment in my efforts to add supplementary finds to my Attributions of Authorship in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1731–1868: An Electronic Union List (hereafter Union List).1 Of the approximately 50 authors whose contributions are listed below, the largest group consists of theologians and clergymen (including three bishops), followed closely by poets (four of whom were also members of the clergy). Playwrights, antiquaries, travel writers, physicians, and surgeons make up other significant groups of contributors, while scientists, men of letters, a surveyor, and a bridge-builder account for the rest. The list of entries that follows includes nine items signed ‘Antiquarius’ and four signed ‘Vindex’ which are attributable to John Loveday the Younger or to his father and fellow antiquary, John Loveday the Elder, who was also a frequent contributor to the GM (Lit. Anec., III, 468). Although John Nichols ascribes to Loveday the Younger all but stray GM items signed ‘Vindex’, ‘Antiquarius’, ‘Academicus’, or ‘Scrutator’ (Lit. Anec., III, 477), both father and son seem to have shared the last three (at least) of those signatures. Caution dictates that items signed ‘Antiquarius’ or ‘Vindex’ during the relevant period be attributed to either Loveday the Elder or Loveday the Younger.