Anne Finch, Viscountess Conway

Abstract

Anne Finch, Viscountess Conway, was born in London in 1631 and died in 1679. She had no formal education, but was an avid reader and studied French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, mathematics, and philosophy. She is best known outside philosophical circles for her incapacitating headaches, which brought her into contact with some of the better-known physicians of the day, including William Harvey and Robert Boyle.1 Late in life, she became a Quaker, much to the consternation of many of her friends.