Anne Carnegie, Countess of Northesk (born Anne Leslie; 27 February 1730 – 6 November 1779) was a Scottish noblewoman. She was the wife of

George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk (2 August 1716 – 22 January 1792) was born the son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and Lady Margaret Wemyss on 2 August 1716. A career naval officer, he fought in the War of the Austrian Suc ...

, and the mother of

William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk Admiral William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk (10 April 1756 – 28 May 1831) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War, French Revolutionary War, and Napoleonic Wars. While in command of HMS ''Monmouth'' he ...

. Anne Leslie was born in

Raith, Fife Raith ( gd, ràth, "fort" or "fortified residence"), as an area of Fife, once stretched from the lands of Little Raith (earlier Wester Raith), south of List of lochs in Scotland#G, Loch Gelly, as far as Kirkcaldy and the Battle of Raith was once ...

, the daughter of

Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven Alexander Melville (also Alexander Leslie), 5th Earl of Leven (28 May 1695 – 2 September 1754) was a Scottish aristocrat. Early life He was the son of David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven (1660–1728) and Lady Anne Wemyss (1675–1702). His mo ...

, and his second wife, the former Elizabeth Monypenny. Her sister was the novelist

Lady Mary Hamilton Lady Mary Hamilton or Lady Mary Walker (''née'' Leslie; 8 May 1736 – 29 February 1821) was a Scottish novelist of the 18th century. She was the youngest daughter of Alexander Leslie, 5th Earl of Leven and the mother of James Walker, a Rear ...

. The family's main residence was

Melville House Melville House is a 1697 house that lies to the south side of the Palace of Monimail near Collessie in Fife, Scotland. It has been a school and a training base for Polish soldiers who had arrived in Scotland after the 51st Highland Division ...

in Fife. Anne married the Earl of Northesk on 30 April 1748, and they had six children, all of whom survived their mother. *Lady Mary Anne Carnegie (died 2 June 1798), who married Rev John Kemp of Edinburgh in 1797 *David Carnegie, Lord Rosehill (5 April 1749 – 19 February 1788) *Lady Elizabeth Carnegie (1751 – 19 August 1793), who married

James Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun James Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun FRSE (23 August 1741 – 29 May 1816), known as Viscount Aithrie from 1742 to 1781, was a Scottish Representative Peer and military leader. Life Hopetoun was the son of John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopeto ...

. *Admiral

(10 April 1756 – 28 May 1831) *Lieutenant Colonel George Carnegie (21 August 1773 – 1839) *Margaret Carnegie (1779 – 15 March 1793) Lady Northesk was apparently suffering from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

and had been pronounced incurable by several doctors. On her way home to Scotland, she called at

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

, where she was treated by

Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...

. Darwin considered treating her

anaemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...

with a blood transfusion by syringe, using her friend, his neighbour

Anna Seward Anna Seward (12 December 1742 ld style: 1 December 1742./ref>Often wrongly given as 1747.25 March 1809) was an English Romantic poet, often called the Swan of Lichfield. She benefited from her father's progressive views on female education. Li ...

, as a possible donor. He decided against the idea, and instead prescribed a diet of milk, vegetables and fruit, in addition to rest and fresh air, which appears to have been effective. Lady Northesk continued to correspond with Seward, and later died in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, in a domestic accident, after accidentally setting fire to her muslin cap.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northesk, Anne Carnegie, Countess of 1730 births 1779 deaths

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

Scottish countesses