Born in the town of Manchester, in England, in 1736. Her father, John Lee, though not in affluent circumstances, was an honest and industrious man. Her mother was esteemed as a very pious woman. As was common with the laboring classes of people in England at that period, their children, instead of being sent to school, were brought up to work from early childhood. By this means, Ann, though quite illiterate, acquired a habit of industry, and was early distinguished for her activity, faithfulness, neatness, and good economy in her temporal employments.

From early childhood she was the subject of religious impressions and divine manifestations. These continued, in a greater or less degree, as she advanced in years; so that, at times, she was strongly impressed with a sense of the great depravity of human nature, and of the lost state of mankind by reason of sin. But losing her mother at an early age, and finding no person to assist her in the pursuit of a life of holiness, and being urged by the solicitations of her relations and friends, she was married to Abraham Stanley, by whom she had four children, who all died in infancy. But the convictions of her youth often returned upon her with great force, which at length brought her under excessive tribulation of soul. In this situation, she sought earnestly for deliverance from the bondage of sin.

While under these exercises of mind, she became acquainted with a society of people associated under the ministration of James Wardly, who, with Jane, his wife, had been greatly favored with divine manifestations concerning the second appearing of Christ, which they foresaw was near at hand. Ann readily embraced their testimony, and united herself to the society in the month of September, 1758.

In this society, Ann found that strength and protection against the powerful influences of evil, which, for the time being, were answerable to her faith; and, by her faithful obedience, she by degrees attained to the full knowledge and experience in spiritual things which they had found. But as she still found in herself the remains of the propensities of fallen nature, she could not rest satisfied short of full salvation; she therefore sought earnestly, day and night, in the most fervent prayers and cries to God, to find complete deliverance from a sinful nature, and to know more perfectly the way of full redemption and final salvation.

After passing through many scenes of tribulation and suffering, she received a full answer to her prayers and desires to God. She then came forward, and, with extraordinary power and energy of spirit, testified that she had received, through the Spirit of Christ, a full revelation of the fallen nature of man, and of the only means of redemption, which were comprised in his precepts and living example while on earth. The astonishing power of God which accompanied her testimony of this revelation to the society, was too awakening and convincing to leave a doubt on the minds of the society of its divine authority. When, therefore, Ann had thus manifested to the society the revelation of light which she had received, she was received and acknowledged as their leader and spiritual Mother in Christ. This was the only name of distinction by which she was known in the society. The term Elect Lady was given to her by her enemies. Ann, with a number of her followers, visited America in 1774, and formed the first society of Shakers in this country, at Watervliet, N. Y., where she died in 1784.