Winter Talks – Annie Anson, Countess of Wemyss: A Life in Letters. Thursday 4 December 2025

Annie Anson, by Wilhemina Stanhope c.1845
© The Earl of Wemyss & March

Annie Anson, Countess of Wemyss: A Life In Letters (1823-1896)

We continue our popular season of Winter Talks on Thursday 4 December with ‘A Life in Letters: Annie Anson, Countess of Wemyss 1823-96’, a talk by Ailsa Fortune.

While researching an article on Gosford House, historian and author Ailsa stumbled upon a treasure trove of forgotten history — a bundle of unpublished letters written by Annie Anson, who married Francis Charteris, the 9th Earl of Wemyss and March, in 1843.

Annie’s letters, written over more than fifty years, open a window into her extraordinary life — from the excitement of courtship to the challenges of marriage, family, and loss. Most were sent to her husband Frank, often away in London pursuing his political career, and together they reveal a woman of intelligence and wit. Through her words, we glimpse both the glittering social world of the Victorian aristocracy and the private struggles that lay beneath it. Ailsa will bring Annie’s story to life — a powerful tale of love, torment, and personal tragedy, told in her own voice through the letters she left behind. It is a Life told in Letters.

Ailsa’s talk will commence at 7.30pm in the Abbey Church, Church Road/High Street, North Berwick, and is open to all. Entry is free for Members and Patrons of the Coastal Communities Museum, and by £5 donation for Non-Members. The talk will be followed by some light refreshments.