Edgeworth, Maria
Edgeworth, Maria ( 1768 – 1849 ),the eldest daughter of the first wife of Richard Lovell Edgeworth ( 1744 – 1817 ), a wealthy Irish landlord of a large estate in Co. Longford, who was to marry three more wives after the death of Maria's mother in 1773 and to father in all 22 children. He was an eccentric, radical, and inventive man, deeply interested in the practical applications of science and in education: his friends included E. Darwin , Mrs Barbauld , and T. Day . His influence on Maria was profound; he frequently ‘edited’ her work (which involved cutting, correcting, and occasionally contributing passages), managed her literary career, and imparted to her many of his own enthusiasms. They wrote together Practical Education ( 1798 ), a treatise which owes much to Rousseau , although its tone is less theoretical.
Maria spent her infancy in Ireland, received some schooling in...
[The entire page is 433 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
