Anne Barnard

Lady Anne Barnard (née Lindsay; 8 December 17506 May 1825) was a Scottish travel writer, artist and socialite, and the author of the ballad Auld Robin Gray. Her five-year residence in Cape Town, South Africa, although brief, had a significant impact on the cultural and social life of the time. Early life Lady Anne Lindsay was born at Balcarres House in Fife, the first of nine children of Anne Lindsay (née Dalrymple) and James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Balcarres. Her mother arranged for Henrietta Cumming to be the governess to Anne and her sisters Margaret, and Elizabeth Lindsay. Anne later noted that Cumming was unusual. She refused to eat at all until she was allowed to eat with the family. Fordyce wanted to look after her charges and she was annoyed when she offered payment. Cumming (later Fordyce) served until the early 1880s. In 1793, Anne moved to London, where she met and was married to Andrew Barnard, becoming Lady Anne Barnard. Her husband was twelve years her junior and the son of Thomas Barnard, Bishop of Limerick. She later obtained from Viscount Melville an appointment for him as colonial secretary at the Cape of Good Hope, which was then under British military occupation.