Her father James Cuming soon died and it was her mother Katharine (born Cowan) who arranged her home education.

[2] She moved to Balcarres in Fife where she was the governess to Anne, Margaret, and Elizabeth Lindsay.

She met the Scottish minister James Fordyce (Alexander's brother) who was known for his Sermons to Young Women which he had published in 1766.

Based on her correspondence with Alicia Cockburn, the latter is credited with establishing Fordyce's notability.

[1] An anonymous "Memoir of the late Mrs. Henrietta Fordyce" was publish in 1823,[4] but it is considered unreliable.