Her father was the rector of All Saints' Church in Rampton, Cambridgeshire.
[1] She corresponded with Samuel Richardson from January 1757 until August 1758, initially under the soubriquet "Cleomira".
He declined but continued the correspondence, reading her novels and giving her comments and suggestions.
Scholars have argued the extent of Richardson's contributions to the second novel, The History of Sir William Harrington, which was advertised as having been revised and corrected by Richardson, a claim contested by his widow and daughters.
[1] This novel achieved sufficient success to permit a second edition to be brought out in 1787.