John Keats, his publisher and the Hastings Lady

This article examines the enigmatic figure of Isabella Jones – John Keats's ‘Hastings Lady’ – in light of a discovery which appears to confirm her serious romantic involvement with Keats's publisher John Taylor. It provides an account of the history of Keats and Mrs Jones, including her influence on several of his poems, and reviews the scant documentary material relating to her life. Through genealogical research, it provides fresh details about the life of Jones's acquaintance Donat O’Callaghan. Previous critical and biographical work on John Taylor's relationship Mrs Jones is re-assessed and material in Taylor's archive at the Derbyshire Record Office is re-positioned in view of the new discovery. Evidence for an engagement between Jones and Taylor reframes their interpersonal dynamics with Keats during an important moment in the poet's career. This article explores some of the questions that such a discovery must pose to future biographers.