Anne Pitt

Anne Grenville, Baroness Grenville (née Pitt), was born in September 1772 and died in June 1864. She was an English noblewoman and author, belonging to the Pitt family, which played a prominent role in British politics during her lifetime.

Her parents were Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford, and Anne Wilkinson. Her paternal granduncle was William Pitt the Elder, a notable statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain. During her early years, Anne Pitt accompanied her father on a visit to Italy. While in Rome, she was portrayed by the French artist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun as Hebe, a classical figure from Greek mythology, in a portrait titled "Anne Pitt as Hebe."

On 18 July 1792, Anne Pitt married William Wyndham Grenville, who was then serving as Foreign Secretary. William Grenville later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, holding office from 1806 to 1807. The Grenville family had prior connections to the Pitt family; William Grenville's aunt, Hester Grenville, was related to the Pitt family through marriage. Both Anne Pitt and William Grenville were cousins of William Pitt the Younger, who also served as Prime Minister. The marriage was supported by her father, Baron Camelford, and Grenville's uncle, The Marquess of Buckingham. The inheritance from her family was significant; in 1804, Anne Pitt inherited estates and wealth from her brother, Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford, who was described as "half-mad" and had died in a duel. The estate valued at around £500,000 included Boconnoc House and associated estates in Cornwall, as well as Camelford House in London.

William Grenville served as Prime Minister from 1806 to 1807, and Anne Grenville was thus the spouse of the Prime Minister during this period. She outlived her husband, dying in 1834, and continued her existence until June 1864.

Archives containing her correspondence are preserved in the British Library and in the Hampshire Archives.