Maria Edgeworth

Laura McGrane (Haverford College)
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Generally considered one of the most important Anglo-Irish fiction writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was recognized both for the realism of her domestic and political novels and the moral tenor of her pedagogical writings for children. Edgeworth’s literary and educational interests were profoundly shaped by her immediate family, especially a deep intimacy with her father with whom she resided until his death. Following an early education in England, Edgeworth lived most of her life surrounded by a close-knit family on the Edgeworth estate in County Longford, Ireland. Daughter of Richard Lovell Edgeworth (RLE) (1744-1817), a man of letters and a member of the Derbyshire Lunar Society, Edgeworth was an avid reader of philosophical…

2555 words

Citation: McGrane, Laura. "Maria Edgeworth". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 December 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1390, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1390 Maria Edgeworth 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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