Anne Lindsay as a widow (d.1846)

After her husband’s death in 1837, Anne went to live at 24 Landsdowne Place in Royal Leamington Spa, with Balcarres and John, who were still young. Her sister-in-law and beloved nieces were living there, along with Mrs Martin. The street has since been rebuilt, but back then, there was a mews at the back where Anne kept a stable (which she could ill afford) so Andrew could have a horse when he came to stay.

Balcarres writes about this period with affectionate amusement in his Memoirs. The boys used to pass the elderly Duke of Wellington on their way to school – always a remarkable sight.

Anne suffered from problems with her eyes, which got worse as she grew older. She continued to seek spiritual solace by frequenting men of the cloth, and her nephew Alexander Lindsay wrote rather ruefully about a visit with his nephew Coutts (Sir Coutts Lindsay) in 1840. He found a strongly Evangelical household, with his aunt interested in good works, including a home for fallen women. One evening a Baptist minister called and the company spent the whole evening in religious conversation, extempore prayer and psalm singing. Alexander wrote to his sister-in-law: “In short, if Coutts had not previously imbued those sound religious principles for which under God he has to thank James and yourself, that week at Leamington must have been hurtful to him.”

She died on 13 Jan 1846; her debts were paid by her son, Robert. She left an annuity of £45 for Mrs Margaret Martin and £3303.9 on account for Balcarres and John WR.

(Her will can be viewed in GD143/89+90; it may not have been executed in a valid manner)