Born Edinbugh, eldest daughter of the Earl of Buchan. There is a story about her coming across an outdoor gathering at Moorfields at which Rowland Hill (see Surrey Chapel) was preaching and him picking on her and suggesting an auction of her soul. Friend/companion of Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon who through "Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion" established a number of non-conformist chapels. Anne and the Countess lived together at the chapel house at Spa Fields, Clerkenwell. On the Countess's death in 1791 Lady Anne was one of the four trustees responsible for managing the Connexion. As such she continuied living at Spa Fields and took responsibility for providing itinerant ministers for the Connexion.
Died London. Buried in Bunhill burial ground. Ann or Anne - there seems to be no consensus.
In locating Spa Field Chapel we got rather carried away in our research. It has no plaque so this, Lady Anne's, page is the best place for it. And we couldn't find a picture of Lady Anne so, apologies, we have used the chapel to fill in that omission. You can see more pictures of it at the wonderful British History On-line where we learn: Spa Fields Pantheon was a pleasure pavilion built in the gardens of the Dog and Duck pub (now 26 Exmouth Market) in 1769 but, suffering financially, it closed in 1776. It was then used for a couple of years as an Anglican chapel but, being unconsecrated, it was forced to close in 1779. Hastings took it over and, as Spa Fields Chapel, it drew congregations up to 2,000. She lived in the former pub and claimed the huge building next door was her private chapel but that did not overcome the unconsecrated problem so she (Henry VIII-like) seceded from the established church of England and founded the non-conformist “Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion” in 1783. Over the years a number of changes were made to the building and then, when the lease expired (99 years we guess), the site was taken on by the established church who demolished the chapel and the former pub and on the respective sites erected the Holy Redeemer church and the Mission House, which are both there today.
