Christopher Anstey (1724-1805), Poet

Sitter associated with 4 portraits
For many years Christopher Anstey (1724-1805) was Member of Parliament for Trumpington, the Cambridgeshire town where he was born. A country gentleman, he lived a quiet life with a large family that eventually totalled thirteen children. His sister's death around 1759 brought on an illness that led him to visit Bath, eighteenth-century Britain's most fashionable health and leisure resort. Following regular visits, in 1766 Anstey wrote The New Bath Guide - a satiric poem that was an instant success. Four years later, Anstey moved permanently to Bath where he was a celebrity.