Anna, Lady Miller
Anna, Lady Miller (1741 – 24 June 1781) was an English poet, travel writer and salon hostess.
Biography
Anna was the daughter of Edward Riggs, by his wife, Margaret Pigott, of the historic house of Chetwynd, Shropshire. Her grandfather, Edward Riggs, had been a member of the Irish House of Commons, a commissioner of revenue, and a Privy Councillor in Ireland, and Anna inherited much of his wealth. Her father became a commissioner of customs in London in 1741.Horace Walpole described Anna's mother in 1765 as an old rough humourist, who passed for a wit.Fanny Burney characterised her as mighty merry and facetious.
In 1765 Anna married John Miller, a member of a poor Irish family seated at Ballicasey, County Clare. Miller had served through the Seven Years' War, but resigned his commission at the peace of 1763. Anna brought him a large fortune, and he adopted her maiden surname before his own. At extravagant cost he built a house at Batheaston, near Bath, and laid out a garden, of which Walpole gave a detailed description.