Mrs. R. Lee

Born Sarah Wallis in Colchester in 1791, she is better known today as Sarah Bowdich Lee, and in many older books as Mrs. R. Lee. She was an English writer, illustrator, traveller, zoologist, botanist, and pteridologist whose work moved easily between science and popular reading.

She first published as Mrs. T. Edward Bowdich after marrying the naturalist Thomas Edward Bowdich, and later as Mrs. R. Lee after her second marriage. Her life included travel connected with West Africa, and she went on to write a wide variety of books, including natural history works, travel writing, biography, and fiction for younger audiences.

Among her best-known books are The African Wanderers, Adventures in Australia, and the Anecdotes volumes on animals, birds, reptiles, and fishes. What makes her especially interesting is the way she turned careful observation and scientific learning into lively, accessible reading for general audiences.