Anne Penny facts for kids

Anne Penny (born Anne Hughes; 6 January 1729 – 17 March 1784) was a British poet and translator. She was born in Wales. Her father was a vicar, which is a type of church leader.

Anne married a privateer, who was like a legal pirate working for the government. He owned a large property in Oxford. Sadly, she became a widow at just 22 years old. She had a son named Hugh Cloberry Christian. After this, she began writing poems.

Later, Anne married a French customs officer. He also had a background with the navy. They moved to London, where Anne published many works. Her most important poem was An Invocation to the Genius of Britain. This was a patriotic poem written when the Anglo-French War began. She also translated several poems from the Welsh language.

Anne Penny supported Welsh nationalism, which means she had strong feelings for Wales and its culture. She wrote many poems about this. Some people criticized her writing for its grammar. However, important people like Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole supported her work.

Biography

Anne Hughes was born in Bangor, Wales. She was baptized on January 6, 1729. Her father, Bulkeley Hughes, was a vicar. Her mother's name was Mary Hughes.

First Marriage and Early Writing

In 1746, Anne married Thomas Christian. He was a privateer captain. A privateer was a private ship or person allowed by a government to attack enemy ships. Thomas Christian had captured several Spanish galleons, which were large sailing ships. This made him rich enough to buy a property in Hook Norton in Oxfordshire.

In 1747, Anne and Thomas had a son, Hugh Cloberry Christian. Hugh later followed his father's path. He became a rear admiral in the Royal Navy, a high rank in the British navy.

Thomas Christian died in 1751. Anne was only 22 years old and a widow. She then started writing. Her first published work was Cambridge: a poem in 1756. She used the name Ann Christian for this book.

Second Marriage and Later Life

Anne later married Peter Penny (or Penné). He was a French customs officer. He had lost a leg while serving in the navy. The couple moved to a house in Bloomsbury Square in London. Anne continued writing and translating poems there. She had learned Welsh as a child, and it might have been her first language.

Peter Penny died around 1779. Anne Penny then published her works to earn money. Anne Penny herself died in London on March 17, 1784.

Poetry

Anne Penny's most important poem was An Invocation to the Genius of Britain (1778). She wrote it using rhyming couplets, which are two lines that rhyme. She dedicated the poem to the Duchess of Devonshire.

Themes in Her Poetry

This poem was written when the Anglo-French War began. It supported imperialism, which is when a country extends its power by taking over other lands. The poem also praised the Royal Navy.

Anne Penny was also interested in the Celtic works of Thomas Gray, another poet. Her collection Poems, with a Dramatic Entertainment (1771) included many poems about Wales. These poems showed her strong nationalistic feelings for Wales. The collection also had her translations of Welsh poems. These included Taliesin's Poem to Prince Elphin and An Elegy on Neest by Evan Evans.

Reception of Her Work

Some people criticized Anne Penny's writing for its grammar. However, many important people supported her work. These included the famous writer Samuel Johnson, the Duchess of Bedford, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, and Horace Walpole. The Marine Society, an organization that helps sailors, also asked her to write poems for them.