When GEORGE CANNING IS MY SON was published I tried to get various papers and journals to take an interest in her story, with no success, but I struck gold when I contacted the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. By good fortune they happened to be looking for both eighteenth century actresses and family members of politicians, so she scored on both counts. She and her husband George Canning senior are among eleven new lives added to the DNB this month. See the Oxford DNB website for details of this latest update.
I was naturally delighted and grateful when my book appeared, but in some ways I am even more thrilled at getting Mary Ann into the DNB. It ensures that her life, suffering and achievements are now firmly lodged in the story of our country. She is no longer just a footnote in the biography of her son.