Her father died in 1753, when Anne was about 12 years old, and she inherited the former Drake estates in Devonshire, as well as Dillington House.

In 1786 she met with Abigail Adams (wife of John Adams, then US Ambassador to Great Britain) in London, and Abigail wrote an unflattering description of Lady North and her daughter Anne in a letter to Lucy Cranch: I cannot close without describing to you Lady North and her daughter.

She is as large as Captain Clarks wife and much such a made woman, with a much fuller face, of the coulour and complexion of mrs cook who formerly lived with your uncle Palmer, and looks as if Porter and Beaf stood no chance before her.

Miss North is not so large nor quite So red, but a very small Eye with the most impudent face you can possibly form an Idea of, joined to manners so Masculine that I was obliged frequently to recollect that line of Dr Youngs— “Believe her dress; shes not a Grenidier” to persuade myself that I was not mistaken.

[9]Lord North began to go blind in 1786,[10] and retired from active politics in 1790, in which year he succeeded to the title of Earl of Guilford, making Anne a countess.

[13] Writing about her mother, Charlotte Lindsay reminisced that she was plain in her person, but had excellent good sense, and was blessed with singular mildness and placidity of temper.