Anne Penny | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anne Hughes 6 January 1729 Bangor, Wales |
| Died | 17 March 1784 (aged 55) Bagshot, England |
| Occupation | Poet, translator |
| Language |
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| Nationality | British |
| Notable works | An Invocation to the Genius of Britain |
| Spouse |
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| Children | Hugh Cloberry Christian |
Anne Penny (née Hughes; 6 January 1729 – 17 March 1784) was a British poet and translator, born in Wales to a vicar and his wife. She married a privateer who owned an estate in Oxford, but was left widowed at the age of 22 with a son, Hugh Cloberry Christian. She then started writing poetry. She married a French customs officer, again with a maritime history, and the couple moved to London. There she published a number of works, including her most significant poem An Invocation to the Genius of Britain, a patriotic piece written at the start of the Anglo-French War. She also published a number of translations of Welsh poems.
Penny was an adherent of Welsh nationalism, and wrote a number of nationalistic poems. Though her work was criticised for its poor grammar, it attracted prominent subscribers, such as Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole.