### Clue: Miss Penny once upon a time, born first (4)
### Answer: NEED 
 ### Explanation: First* NEE(*born*, as in "She is Mrs. So and So, nee…", followed by the maiden surname) + D(From £ s d, the last representing "pence", plural of *Penny*, prior to the decimalisation of the UK currency).  Defn:  *Miss*, as in "to lack" something, eg. "the needs of the poor".