Daughter of Jonathan Shipley.

Educated in both classics and modern languages, and studied painting with Sir Joshua Reynolds.

She and her husband, Francis, lived in Italy (1785-97), where four sons were born, before returning to England.

Francis Hare-Naylor’s writing career was undistinguished, and his family lived in a state of considerable financial difficulty.

Married in 1784 to Francis Hare-Naylor.